Marathon runner's death linked to excessive fluid intake

The Boston Globe ^ | 8/13/2002 | Stephen Smith

[latina4dubya]

someone i worked with died this way... he went hiking w/a group of friends and coworkers on a very hot day... drank enormous amounts of water... felt faint... passed out... at the time, "they" said he would have been better off drinking a sports drink, but now i wonder...

[ironman]

A good percentage of the triathletes who wind up in the medical tent at the Hawaii Ironman are hyponatremic. The medical researchers have been monitoring for this for quite some time with the competitors. At the prerace meeting it is mentioned that you may need to supplement your sodium intake. Many take salt pills during the race. Me, I just start salting everything that usually I eat that tastes ok with salt begining the week before the race when I get to the island to give myself time to get heat acclimated. I'll read the entire article later.

[Cogadh na Sith]

She gets a Darwin Award for this. Hands down....

[aculeus]

Many take salt pills during the race.

Some of us are old enough to remember (free) salt tablet dispensers in factories. People were encouraged to take them during hot weather. It all stopped when high sodium levels were blamed for heart attacks.