Endurance Athletes Need to Boost Sodium Levels

Endurance Athletes Need to Boost Sodium Levels

AUCKLAND, New Zealand--In a study featured in the January Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine (11, 1:44-50, 2001), researchers found that endurance athletes may retain an excessive amount of fluids during a race, even if intake amounts are modest, due to low sodium absorption. During the Ironman Triathlon (2.35-mile swim, 112-mile cycle and 26.2-mile run), 18 triathletes took part in the research, led by Dale Speedy from the University of Auckland, and were weighed and had blood drawn for serum sodium levels. According to researchers, following the race, five subjects developed hyponatremia (an abnormal decrease in blood sodium concentration). According to E. Randy Eichner, M.D., a professor at the University of Oklahoma who presented on hyponatremia at February's Emerging Sports Nutrition Issues: A 2001 Update, one factor in avoiding hyponatremia is choosing to rehydrate with a sports drink, which has sodium, over water. For more information, visit www.cjsportmed.com.