Too Much Water Can Be Deadly
You know how we always ask the girls to “stay hydrated” on those long, hot tournament days. Well, I received an e-mail from a subscriber at All About Fastpitch and he told me about how his catcher ended up in the hospital because she drank too much water. The coaches and parents had been encouraging the girls to drink liquids all day because it was hot. Apparently the catcher was drinking primarily water and ended up in the hospital with seizures. She was suffering from an electrolyte imbalance (something sports drinks can help with). She also injured her arm because she had a seizure on the field.
From what I understand, if you or your child will be participating in exercise, competition, practice for an extended period of time (over an hour), a sports drink may be a better choice than water. These drinks, such as Gatorade and Powerade are specifically engineered to replenish these electrolytes.
In another recent news story, a football player DIED because of this same situation. He had been drinking so much water and had been sweating out all of his body’s sodium. The story about this football player can be read HERE.
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