The Details Of Overhydration
If you’re asking yourself “can I drink too much water?”, the answer is yes. We don’t get asked this very often but still see it as an important topic since we’re diving into hydration this August. Read on to learn more about the signs and symptoms of overhydration.
How It Happens
Overhydration, or if we want to get technical hyponatremia, occurs when fluid intake exceeds fluid losses through sweat, urine, and respiration. When too much fluid enters the bloodstream, it dilutes blood sodium levels. This can happen if you consume lots of water without replacing the electrolytes.
Athletes are more prone to hypnoatremia than the less active population, but if you’re typically pounding back the H2O all day long, take note!
The Symptoms
Symptoms of hyponatremia in mild cases can include headache, confusion, irritability, light sensitivity, vomiting, drowsiness, difficulty breathing, and altered cognition. People with more severe cases can see seizures, coma, confusion and a loss of consciousness. See a healthcare professional if you’re concerned you may have symptoms.
How To Avoid It
There are a couple ways to make sure you’re not over hydrating. The human body is a lot smarter than we give it credit for and it comes packed with a system that tells you when it needs something. Put trust in your thirst! Drink when you’re thirsty, stop drinking when you feel satisfied.
You can also reduce your risk by keeping an eye on body weight. If you notice that you’re gaining weight over training sessions, you’re probably drinking too much water.
Keep an eye on the colour of your urine as a guide. If your urine is clear like water, hold off on your water intake until you see some yellow colour again.
Adding sodium to your water can also prevent and reverse the symptoms of hyponatremia so it might be time to consider adding electrolytes like Drink LMNT or Nuun to your watering routine!
You can keep an eye on your electrolyte intake (sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium) in your Cronometer account and for Gold subscribers, we even have an electrolyte Nutrition Score to give you one quick glance at how you’re hitting your targets for all of those minerals.
More Info
Curious for more information about hydration, overhydration, electrolytes and more? We chatted to the co-founder of Drink LMNT, Robb Wolf on a recent podcast. Listen to it here.
Or read our latest blogs on the topic:
