Processed Water is the Culprit in Runners Hyponatremia

Runners drinking filtered water could be at risk for hyponatremia. Bottled water may have had its electrolyte minerals removed in processing. Minerals that are removed from the body through sweat and/or exercise need to be replaced and bottled water may not stand up to the job.

(PRWEB) April 16, 2005 -- Researchers, led by Dr. Christopher Almond, a cardiologist at Harvard Medical School and Childrens Hospital Boston, tested Boston Marathon runners blood after the Boston marathon and collected information on their condition, race time and liquid intake. They found hyponatremia was most serious in runners who gained substantial weight — 4½ pounds to 11 pounds — from drinking lots of water along the route. Extremely thin runners also were at high risk. Runners who drank sports drinks, which contain very little salt, were not less likely to develop symptoms of hyponatremia which can begin with confusion and lethargy and progress rapidly to twitching, seizures, stupor, coma and death.

According to Nina Anderson, SPN, author of "Analyzing Sports Drinks," most water consumed by runners has been filtered by processes that remove many of the electrolyte minerals. These elements are the basis for proper body function and when they are depleted through sweating or active exercise, they absolutely must be replaced or face the symptoms described in the study. By just adding salt to water the body could still stay unbalanced since it needs a multiple of minerals to effectively operate. Drinking bottled water may further dilute the mineral content in the body flushing it out through the urine.

Most sports drinks supply 2 or 3 of the lost electrolytes. A few, such as electroBlast (an electrolyte water additive) supply 12 or more. Runners drinking multiple electrolyte-rich water would have a better chance at staving off symptoms of hyponatremia.

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