Drinking too much water could be harmful

20/05/05 It is important when exercising for long durations to replace fluids lost through perspiration and respiration, but drinking too much water while neglecting important nutrients can lead toward chemical imbalance, even death, according to diet experts writing for the Institute of Food Technologists.

Too much water in combination with too little sodium is a serious health risk being reassessed by leading exercise physiologists, national sports medicine and sports training organizations and other concerned professionals, say Roger A. Clemens and Peter Pressman in a recent article in IFT’s Food Technology magazine.

Symptoms of severe hyponatremia typically include lethargy, confusion, agitation, even seizures. Unfortunately, these symptoms may be mistaken for signs of dehydration at a time when more water is the very last thing the body needs.