Nutrition and Kidney Disease

Summer Health: Too Much Water
Posted: June 2005
Source: UT Southwestern Health Watch

People who drink too much water during long-distance athletic events may develop a condition called hyponatremia, which is a loss in sodium content that can cause lethargy, disorientation, seizures and possibly even respiratory distress.  Dr. Benjamin Levine, a UT Southwestern cardiologist, says competitive athletes are less likely to suffer from this problem. They're too busy running to stop and drink water at each rest stop. It's the less-competitive runners who stop for water more often who risk dangerously low sodium levels.

Weighing yourself before and after exercise can give you a sense of how much fluid you tend to lose.