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Lead Stories: Monday, December 1, 2008

Tips for staying safe and expecting the unexpected

Posted April 20th, 2007 at 7:52 AM by Lisa Cieplechowicz

Section: Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Health & Fitness, Injury & Rehab

Most runners are aware of the dangers of overtraining and have read countless articles on how to prevent them through a sensible and well-structured regimen, the “10% Rule”, and many other strategies.

However, the one downside to this focus is that it often leads runners to overlook other, important safety and health concerns. That’s why we decided to put together this basic, and yet incredibly useful, list of tips to help you beginners be more aware and prepared on your next run:

1) There is safety in numbers. Running in pairs or groups has its social benefits, but also can help increase running safety. If you hurt yourself, there’s someone there to give you the help you may need (think how much better off you’d be after rolling an ankle to have assistance getting home). If you prefer to run solo, stick close to home and consider running only in populated areas that you are familiar with. This way, help is much easier to come by.
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Study finds that mild dehydration does not impair exercise performance

Posted February 12th, 2007 at 8:00 AM by Jamal Walker

Section: Nutrition, Hydration

The Gatorade Sports Science Institute in Barrington, Illinois published a study showing that 46 percent of recreational exercisers are mildly dehydrated (Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism, June 2006).

However with good reason, the study does not say that they are harmed. There is no data anywhere to show that this mild dehydration affects health or athletic performance. Another study from the University of Connecticut shows that a person must lose a tremendous amount of fluid before it affects his performance (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, October 2006).

When you exercise for more than an hour, you [need to] take in fluid … but not too much. Excessive fluid can cause a potentially fatal condition called hyponatremia. Normally, the amount of salt and other minerals in your bloodstream should equal the same total mineral content in every tissue in your body. If the mineral concentrations are not equal, they try to become equal. Fluid moves from the area of lower mineral content to that of the higher concentration.
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How Much Water Should I Drink? How Much is Too Much?

Posted October 15th, 2006 at 12:00 PM by Jeanie Rebb

Section: Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Nutrition, Hydration, Health & Fitness

For the last 40 years, sports medicine experts have told athletes in endurance events that they should take fluids frequently during events lasting more than one hour.

However, three years ago, a 28-year-old woman collapsed and died after finishing the Boston Marathon. Her blood salt levels were extremely low and she died from a condition called hyponatremia. A few weeks ago, a policeman training for bicycle duty died of the same condition.

On July 26, 2005, sports medicine experts issued a warning to all athletes from the First International Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia Consensus Development Conference (Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, July/August 2005).

I have never seen this syndrome in well-conditioned athletes. It has been reported almost exclusively in very thin, less-fit, slower and novice athletes, and is far more common in women. This condition is caused by drinking too much fluid and is not caused by excessive loss of salt in sweat or by exercising. Read the rest of this entry »

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When to Say “No” to H2O

Posted May 25th, 2006 at 10:59 PM by Allyson Rosen

Section: Running & Training, Nutrition, Hydration, Training Tips, Health & Fitness

Believe it or not you can drink too much water, potentially leading into a coma, twitches, seizures, stupor, or even death. This is a condition known as hyponatremia, or simply, “water intoxication” and is typically associated with endurance running.

Researchers who studied 488 runners in the 2002 Boston Marathon found that 62, or more than one in eight, had a serious fluid and salt imbalance from drinking too much water or sports drinks. Three of them had extreme imbalances.” – Linda A. Johnson, The Boston Globe

Don’t panic yet! Keep reading! The more educated you are about how to drink your water or sports drink, the better you and your body will be. First, I’ll explain how and why this condition occurs.

Too Much Water Scenario: Say you are running in a half or full marathon. You drink a lot of water before your race and during your race. The liquid part of your blood, (blood plasma) begins to increase while your salt content of your blood becomes diluted. Salt is already being lost from the sweat pouring out of your body. The amount of salt available for your body’s tissues will steadily decrease during the course of the race to a point where it can interfere with your muscle function, brain and heart. In addition, you may begin to feel symptoms that are frequently felt when you are dehydrated; lethargy, confusion, nausea, fatigue, etc.

A study by researchers at the Memorial Hermann Healthcare Organisation in Houston, Texas found that 21 of the 5,000-odd runners in the Houston Marathon got hyponatremia. The longer the runners took to complete the race, the more at risk they were, as they tended to stop at every water station along the course. Research thus far suggests that women are more vulnerable to hyponatremia than men, probably due to their smaller body size.” – Realbuzz.com

Again, don’t panic! You can prepare against hyponatremia way before your race! Weigh yourself before your long run and again after. Your weight should go down. If you gained weight, you over-hydrated. On your next run, cut down on the amount of water you are consuming and weigh yourself again. Try to find the right balance for your body. You can also try to guzzle an isotonic drink, rather than water, or have a snack that is high in sodium, such as salty pretzels. Also, try not to gulp down your water, take it easy and sip.

Drink smart!

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