Monday, Mar 29, 2004 at 10:28
After reading Ruth excellent reminder I had a question in my head about the affects of too much water so I went searching....read on
The military has traditionally focused on the dangers associated with heat
illness, which has killed a number of healthy,
young enrollees, Colonel
John
W. Gardner of the Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner in Rockville,
Maryland told Reuters Health. However, pushing the need to drink water too
far can also have deadly consequences, he said.
"The risk has always been not drinking enough," Gardner said. "And then
people who aren't medically attuned get overzealous," inducing recruits to
drink amounts of water that endanger their health, he added.
"That's why we published this paper: to make it clear to people that
overzealousness can be dangerous," Gardner explained.
In September 1999, a 19-year-old Air Force recruit collapsed during a
5.8-mile walk, with a body temperature of 108 degrees Fahrenheit. Doctors
concluded he had died of both heat stroke and low blood sodium levels as a
result of overhydration.
During January 2000, a 20-year-old trainee in the Army drank around 12
quarts of water during a 2- to 4-hour period while trying to produce a urine
specimen for a drug
test. She then experienced fecal incontinence, lost
consciousness and became confused, then died from swelling in the brain and
lungs as a result of low blood sodium.
In March 2001, a 19-year-old Marine died from drinking too much water after
a 26-mile march, during which he carried a pack and gear weighing more than
90 pounds. Although he appeared fine during the beginning stages of the
8-hour walk, towards the end he began vomiting and appeared overly tired. He
was then sent to the hospital, where he fell into a coma, developed brain
swelling and died the next day. It is unclear how much water he drank during
the march, but Marines were given a "constant emphasis" on drinking water
before and during the activity, Gardner writes in the latest issue of
Military Medicine.
In an interview with Reuters Health, Gardner explained that drinking too
much water is dangerous because the body cannot excrete that much fluid.
Excess water then goes to the bowel, which pulls salt into it from the body,
diluting the concentration of salt in the tissues.
AnswerID:
52376
Follow Up By: Baz (NSW) - Monday, Mar 29, 2004 at 11:29
Monday, Mar 29, 2004 at 11:29
I did a course, motorcycle endruro training and part of that course was keeping hydrated, hydrate before you exersise, rehydrate after, with water, you can use a sports drink but only while you excersise, it is reccomended you drink 250mls of fluid every 20 to 30 mins. If not excersising 2L per day. As Ray has said if you drink to much it is harmful as
well. All this onfo can be found on the web.
Baz.
FollowupID:
314157
Follow Up By: Member - Ruth D (QLD) - Monday, Mar 29, 2004 at 11:40
Monday, Mar 29, 2004 at 11:40
Well, you lot I was waiting for someone to pick me up about too much water - that can cause MAJOR problems. Bob Y - loved the bit about the amount of saliva a cow makes during the day - you could be right about the
Easter rains - usually happens, eh Bob??? )!!) Wink wink. Poor andrew & Jen - they'll be panic stricken by now. HEHEHEHE.
Very funny joke Andrew - hope you have a few more for the
camp fire.
Say Bob Y - it's very overcast here today and temperature has dropped markedly - must be rain coming don't you think. Rain birds were singing when we were at the secret fishing hole Saturday night with two would-be Shire Councillors (and the satellite phone to ring the tally room later when we'd had a few drinks). Must be going to rain then. Gee the yabbies have been good - bit small but sweet. Sent that bloke back to
Melbourne this a.m. (taken them 6 hours to pack up - he's one of those blokes that has every thing that opens and shuts and is electronic - there was hardly room in the car to sit) and then he gave me a lecture on not having
HF radio in my car so I told him I don't because if I was in a roll-over my aerial would snap off and I wouldn't be able to give the Flying Doctor my position from my non-existent GPS anyway - but, hopefully I would be able to find my satellite phone and use it. He told me that in the middle of the Desert you can usually find a satellite!!!. I nearly tipped his breakfast in his lap then - but, I didn't I restrained myself and cheerfully waved him farewell. You have days like that.
FollowupID:
314160