Reply #31: actually, it's

[paulsby]

hyPERnatremia that you worry about when you drink too much water... to be more specific, it's drinking fluids to the extent that they significantly dilute your electrolytes.

i actually marshalled a race once (an ultramarathon) where an athlete DIED from hypernatremia fwiw. shocking and sad.

in the course of a day, i get LOTS of electrolytes (specifically sodium and potassium).

in competition, i quaff down lots of pedialyte.

but that's because i often have to make weight for comps and LOSE 6-8 pounds of fluids in the 48 hrs before weigh-in.

hypernatremia, amongst sedentary people is very very rare, and very difficult to "get " to the that point.

usually, fwiw, it's a lack of potassium that is most likely (not sodium). american diets tend to be very high in sodium, but often lack potassium.