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(Hyponatremia) Have you been overhydrating?

According to a recent research is advised to drink when you're thirsty. It sounds silly, but that’s the simplicity of it and the beauty behind it

can you drink too much water

if you are planing on going into a strict hydration plan,  according to a recent research is advised to drink when you're thirsty. It sounds silly, but that’s the simplicity of it and the beauty behind it.

Hyponatremia is what happens when the blood becomes much diluted,” says Dr. James Winger, a sports medicine doctor at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago. “In the setting of athletics, people take in more fluid than the body can get rid of, usually in the name of preserving hydration. By drinking too much H20, the sodium in the body becomes diluted, leading to swelling in the cells."

Winger says. However, Hyponatremia he points out that it’s also 100 percent preventable  as long as you don’t fall prey to these common myths about hydration.

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Myth #1: Feeling thirsty means you’re already dehydrated.Contrary to popular belief, thirst is a good thing, Winger says. In fact, the panel’s report, published in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, advises athletes to drink only when thirsty to prevent over-hydration.

When you feel thirsty, your body has actually already begun to implement its own water conserving measures. Drinking only when you feel the need instead of forcing yourself will keep you sufficiently hydrated, while ensuring you don’t overdo it.

Myth #2: Your performance will suffer if you’re not 100% hydrated.it’s natural to get a little dehydrated during athletic events. “There’s growing evidence that mild to moderate dehydration has no effect on performance in many different sporting endeavors,” Winger notes. “We need to look at dehydration as a natural part of exercise, not necessarily something to prevent.” Most athletes can safely lose up to three percent of their bodyweight via dehydration before it impacts performance, Winger says. Drinking when your thirsty will help prevent you from entering the danger zone.

Myth #3: You should drink until your urine is clear.Urine color is a pretty poor marker of specific or exact urine concentration,” Winger says. “If you’re trying to dilute your urine, you’re probably putting yourself into an over hydrated state.” You can stop staring into the toilet bowl

Myth #4: Muscle cramps are a sign of dehydration.You might be tempted to chug water to ease the pain when you having muscle cramps. However, research shows that muscle cramps don’t have much to do with dehydration. “What’s been demonstrated is that it has a lot more to do with the fatigued state of the muscle, and muscles that are more fatigued are more likely to cramp,” Winger says. “Fatigued states often happen when you’re hot and dehydrated too, so there’s an overlap that leads to confusion.”

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watch video reviews the workup and management of hyponatremia

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