from Coastin' July 2004 ...
Rider Almost Dies on Assault on Mt. Mitchell
From John Bryan, director of the 102 mile Assault on Mt. Mitchell in May, 2004:
"We had a serious medical problem this year. I have experienced this on Cycle South Carolina. A young lady rode all day drinking gallons of water. She did not drink any Gatorade or other sports drink. By the time she arrived back down the mountain at Tom Johnson's, she collapsed. Her pulse stopped!
The EMS people were able to get her going and in 12 minutes a helicopter was there from Asheville. Twelve minutes later she was in Mission Memorial. She was in intensive care all night listed as Critical! Thank goodness by the next day she was back to normal. The condition was caused by exhausting all of her electrolytes."
Hyponatremia: Don’t Let this happen to you!
(Drink your Gatorade)
From MedicineNet.com come the following excerpts …
Hyponatremia: An abnormally low concentration of sodium in the blood. Too little sodium can cause cells to malfunction, and extremely low sodium can be fatal.
...Hyponatremia has increasingly become a problem in high-endurance events such as marathons, ultramarathons, hiking and long military marches. Athletes need to drink regularly, for example during a long race, to prevent dehydration, but excess water can lead to hyponatremia.
...Women appear more prone to hyponatremia than men. About half the women studied who finished the New Zealand Ironman triathlon developed hyponatremia, compared with 14 percent of the men, according to a report in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.
...Hyponatremia can be prevented in high-endurance activities. … A sports beverage (e.g. Gatorade) that contains carbohydrates and electrolytes, may help prolong an athlete's peak performance and replace sodium lost in sweat. …
Please consult medical experts for more information on this potentially life-threatening problem.