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[pct-l] Hyponatremia
Wayne - For the type of events that you talk about (marathons, half-
marathons, 50k's, 20 milers), hyponatremia is not a concern, and your
statement here would be accurate: "In my experience hypnatremia occurs
when someone engages in a serious endurance activity and rehydrates
only with water, avoiding sports drinks and food."
The reason for this is the duration of the event. The longets of these
events is the trail 50k, which most people can finish in a maximum of 6
hours or so. When you start exercising strenuously for longer than
that, hyponatremia is ***MUCH*** more likely. Until my first 50 miler,
I had run several marathons and 50k's, as well as hiked many 25+ mile
days on the PCT, without ever having any problems with dehydration or
electrolytes (hyponatremia). When I ran my first 50 miler, I
contracted a touch of hyponatremia at about mile 35. I had to stop and
take electrolyte supplements and rest for about 30 minutes before I
could continue.
I wanted to make sure to respond to the comment noted above about
sprots drinks because SPORTS DRINKS ALONE WILL NOT PREVENT
HYPONATREMIA. Virtually all sports drinks contain only a TINY fraction
of the amount of soduim required to replace that which is lost due to
exercise. Intraveinous Saline is 0.9% salt by weight, and is 154
meq/liter of sodium. Normal Blood PLASMA is between 135 and 145 meq
sodium/liter. Gatorade is 20 meq sodium/liter. Hence Gatorade won't
really do jack squat for anyone who is hyponatremic.
The only thing to give to someone who is bloated and hyponatremic is
something with sodium concentration GREATER than 154 meq/liter. The
only thing that I know of that you can eat or drink (as opposed to
intraveinous injection) that has enough salt to reverse hyponatremia is
Campbells Chicken Broth, which has about 260 meq/liter of sodium.
Another thing to consider when trying to determine how much sodium
replacement you need is the temperature. When its hot and you are
sweating alot, you'll need alot more electrolytes. I've hiked so many
20+ mile days in the Sierras that I couldn't count them all and I've
never had an issue with electrolytes, but I know several people who got
a touch of hyponutremia at the 2002 Houston Marathon when it was 80
degrees out. The same was true at the 2004 Boston Marathon, as the NYT
article mentions. I've never hiked the desert sections of the PCT, but
my guess is that this is the only section that dehydration of
hyponuatremia would really be a threat. IMO (and I am no expert), as
long as you are in normal health, these issues shouldn't really effect
a thru-hike.
peace,
dude
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