[pct-l] Hyponatremia

[dude at fastmail.ca (dude)]

Thanks for the clarification.  I didn't mean to imply that you'll never 
get hyponatremia doing a 50k or less.  No way.  I just meant to convey 
that its not surprising that someone, such as the previous poster, 
would not have experienced hyponatremia after having competed in 
marathons and 50k's.  **CERTAINLY**, one can still become hyponatremic 
in shorter races, its just not as likely.  I beleive that my last email 
even contained a story of a friend of mine contracting hyponatremia in 
a street marathon, so if you go the idea that I meant to convey its not 
possible, that's not what I meant, and I think that story would suggest 
as much.

Also, another very important issue is raised with you post: YMMV!!  
People are not all the same.  I seem to have been blessed to be made 
very tough, more or less.  I abuse my body terribly and it still seems 
to perform.  I done all kinds of stupid stuff and have come out okay, 
but that doesn't mean everyone will.  You gotta know yourself, know 
your body, know your own limits.  Just because you read a story of 
someone running or hiking for X hours and they got hyponatremia, 
doesn't mean that's the magic number.  Conversely, just because you 
read a story about someone who ran/hiked for X+ hours and didn't get 
hyponatremia doesn't mean that you are safe as long as you do what they 
did.  You gotta HYOH!!

peace,
dude





> Dude, I must disagree. I have a friend who just ran a 50K. She
> collapsed at the finish line and went into convulsions. She almost
> died and spent a week in the hospital. According to the doctors, she
> was suffering from hyponatremia. As a trail runner, I and several
> people I know have suffered from this at even shorter distances. You
> can get hyponatremic even after 10 mi. if it's a hot day and you
> haven't prepared well.
> 
> Judson
> Southern Oregon Trail Runners
> Ashland
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net
> [mailto:pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net] On Behalf Of dude
> Sent: Sunday, April 24, 2005 12:12 AM
> To: waynekraft@verizon.net
> Cc: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
> Subject: Re: [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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