To much Water can kill you

**El Greco** · 03-12-2003, 06:44 PM

Drinking Too Much Water Can Kill You: Report
Tue Jul 2, 5:34 PM ET
By Alison McCook

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new review of three deaths of US military recruits highlights the dangers of drinking too much water.

The military has traditionally focused on the dangers associated with heat illness, which has killed a number of healthy, young enrollees, Colonel John W. Gardner of the Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner in Rockville, Maryland told Reuters Health. However, pushing the need to drink water too far can also have deadly consequences, he said.

"The risk has always been not drinking enough," Gardner said. "And then people who aren't medically attuned get overzealous," inducing recruits to drink amounts of water that endanger their health, he added.

"That's why we published this paper: to make it clear to people that overzealousness can be dangerous," Gardner explained.

In September 1999, a 19-year-old Air Force recruit collapsed during a 5.8-mile walk, with a body temperature of 108 degrees Fahrenheit. Doctors concluded he had died of both heat stroke and low blood sodium levels as a result of overhydration.

During January 2000, a 20-year-old trainee in the Army drank around 12 quarts of water during a 2- to 4-hour period while trying to produce a urine specimen for a drug test. She then experienced fecal incontinence, lost consciousness and became confused, then died from swelling in the brain and lungs as a result of low blood sodium.

In March 2001, a 19-year-old Marine died from drinking too much water after a 26-mile march, during which he carried a pack and gear weighing more than 90 pounds. Although he appeared fine during the beginning stages of the 8-hour walk, towards the end he began vomiting and appeared overly tired. He was then sent to the hospital, where he fell into a coma, developed brain swelling and died the next day. It is unclear how much water he drank during the march, but Marines were given a "constant emphasis" on drinking water before and during the activity, Gardner writes in the latest issue of Military Medicine.

In an interview with Reuters Health, Gardner explained that drinking too much water is dangerous because the body cannot excrete that much fluid. Excess water then goes to the bowel, which pulls salt into it from the body, diluting the concentration of salt in the tissues.

Changing the concentration of salt, in turn, causes a shifting of fluids within the body, which can then induce a swelling in the brain. The swollen organ will then press against the bones of the skull, and become damaged.

The researcher added that previous cases of water toxicity have been noted in athletes who consume excessive amounts in order to avoid heat stroke. In addition, certain psychiatric patients may drink too much water in an attempt to wash away their sins, or flush out poisons they believe have entered their bodies.

In 1998, the Army released fluid replacement guidelines, which recommend a certain intake of water but limit it to 1 to 1-1/2 quarts per hour and 12 quarts per day.

It takes a while for these guidelines to get "permeated out" to everybody, Gardner admitted. In the meantime, he suggested that bases take notice of the mistakes of others, and "not wait for somebody to die from (water toxicity) again," he said.

"You can't prevent everything bad from happening," Gardner noted. "But when it does, you have to learn from it."

SOURCE: Military Medicine 2002;167:432-434.

--------------
A good friend will come bail you out of jail ... but, a true
friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn ... we ****ed up."

'THE BEST ACTIVITIES FOR YOUR HEALTH ARE PUMPING AND HUMPING' - 1975 Arnold.

taken from www.fortifiediron.com

what you guys think B.S or for real.

**Silent Jhay** · 03-12-2003, 06:49 PM

Yeah I can see it happening, but how many of us take 5.8mile or 8 hour walks without somehow replenishing sodium levels?

**El Greco** · 03-12-2003, 06:50 PM

bump

**James61** · 03-12-2003, 07:28 PM

*carefully puts drink down* :O

**El Greco** · 03-12-2003, 07:30 PM

Originally posted by James61
*carefully puts drink down* :O

lol relax buddy

**guitarguy** · 03-12-2003, 07:31 PM

I'm never going to drink liquids of any form again.

**James61** · 03-12-2003, 07:36 PM

I drink loads though, i can sit here and drink a pint easy without realising it :/

**Source11** · 03-12-2003, 07:52 PM

Word!

Just be aware there is such a thing of "too much of a good thing"

**Eagago** · 03-12-2003, 09:55 PM

Actually believe or not, you can
only die of overhydration if you don't have
a hearthy breakfast, because glycogen
uses the sodium ion to transport itself
into the cell (like protein uses the calcium ion)
and thus doing so, the body will retain sodium
and glycogen at the same time, the sodium ion
will be split in concentration around 75/25 infracellular/
intracellular. Now when are your glycogen levels
lowest, the morning, so at the same time your
body has the lowest presence of the sodium ion
(reason why your blood pressure is so low in the
morning.) Glycogen likes to hold onto sodium,
so even when you're intensely sweating, and
such, your sodium levels will be used sparing
as glycogen will not be your primary source of energy
but short-chain triglycerides will. The effects of a hearthy
breakfast last till your next fast (the whole day) unless
you don't eat the whole day. I think the military is
developing a salt/taurine combo as a first-aid
supply to combat overhydration under any circumstance.

**Sun** · 03-12-2003, 11:48 PM

Doesnt water contain Sodium?

Sun

**AussieTank** · 03-12-2003, 11:53 PM

Sure does contain sodium

Distilled water is the only water without sodium which ppl drink b4 competition.

**Assassinator** · 03-13-2003, 01:28 AM

Oh oh ....

I think i drink to much water, hope I wont die.

**Built** · 03-13-2003, 06:40 AM

I just drank two large glasses! Should I seek medical attention?

**Reza** · 03-13-2003, 06:52 AM

ROFLMFAO!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAH That's it, no more liquids for anyone! EEVVVEER!!

**juise69** · 03-13-2003, 06:59 AM

I drank 12 quarts of water within 2 hours and didn't die. Therefore I am god.

**Smea** · 03-13-2003, 08:39 AM

so does oxygen but do you hold your breath?

**The Bastard** · 03-13-2003, 08:50 AM

especially in california, the air is horrible where i live.
but too much of anything is bad for you right? but your talking like drinking 10 gallons a day to die from it, i drink a gallon or up to a gallon and a half a day. and im fine, juice69, if your god, does this make me jesus? perhaps moses, since your god you decide.

**dimensionc** · 09-24-2009, 01:50 PM

Well I was told by a psychiatrist to drink all the water I could possibly drink and also told me how, at least half an hour after a meal. Ever since I drink 3 gallons of water everyday and believe me, water is my best supplement.

**Calborn** · 09-24-2009, 01:53 PM

you drink 3 gallons a day?? O_O

**Sheehanigans** · 09-24-2009, 02:01 PM

STRONG 6 year bump.

**Adrenolin** · 09-24-2009, 02:02 PM

old thread, but I jumped on the scale today, and weighed 12lbs heavier from yesterday. Water ftw! It also sped up my recovery time, big time!

**lilmanthatcould** · 09-24-2009, 02:12 PM

I realize this is an old thread but yea

During wrestling season my senior year I wrestled heavy weight only weighing 184lbs and had to meet a minimum weight of 189.1lb with the weight allowances it could go as high as 193.1 lbs

I would mostly gain this weight from water around 1-2 hours before weigh-ins.

My bladder felt like it was going to explode, and im sure drinking 5-9lbs of water in such a short time span isnt too healthy for you .

THe most I ever drank at one time was a little over a gallon, I dont see how its possible for the women in the story above to have drank 12 quarts ( 3 gallons)

Something probably could have went wrong and I could have got seriously hurt , but lucky I probably had too much sodium in me ( junk foods ftw ) when I did this so it evened out

Thread: To much Water can kill you

Thread Tools

Search Thread

To much Water can kill you

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions