This week in “Everything good for you is really bad” news:
Lately, I’ve been carrying water on some of my longer runs on Los Gatos trails. Wary of the dangers of dehydration, I try to drink about a liter of water an hour while exercising. So I was surprised to read an article in the New York Times warning about drinking too much water. While drinking too little water causes muscle cramps and headaches, drinking too much water can actually dilute your blood. Which can kill you dead – in a very messy way.
Water rushes into cells, including cells of the brain. The swollen brain cells press against the skull, and the result can be fatal. The resulting condition is known as hyponatremia – too much water.