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INDIANAPOLIS - The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) expresses concern
that editorial remarks published in the July 19 issue of British Medical Journal
criticizing existing guidelines on fluid replacement may lead to potentially
dangerous misinterpretation by athletes, coaches, and healthcare providers.
Further, ACSM experts emphatically deny that water and sports drinks, when
consumed as recommended, are dangerous to athletes. Recommended fluid intake
before, during, and after exercise is an important part of regulating body
temperature and replacing body fluids lost through sweating.

ACSM experts contend that thirst alone is not the best indicator of the body's
fluid status. Dehydration resulting from the failure to replace fluids during
exercise can lead to impaired heat dissipation, which can elevate body core
temperature to dangerously high levels. Dehydration is a threat to all athletes,
but especially to those who are unacclimatized for strenuous activity in hot
environments. As noted in the ACSM Position Stand, proper fluid ingestion prior
to and during competition prevents or delays the detrimental effects of
dehydration.

Dehydration can limit the body's ability to regulate body temperature by
sweating and/or skin blood flow and may contribute to heat exhaustion, heat
injury, and exertional heat stroke. To minimize the potential for thermal
injury, ACSM experts have recommended that athletes attempt to replace fluid
losses by consuming fluids at a rate equal to the sweat rate. Recommendations
are based on scientific data and observation of athletes suffering from heat
injury.

The current debate centers on the dangers of excessive fluid consumption by
endurance athletes, such as those participating in marathons and triathlons,
which can result in hyponatremia. Hyponatremia is a dangerous condition that may
arise when athletes drink too much, diluting or disrupting the body's sodium
levels. Some athletes who are ingesting large volumes of fluid for more than
four hours do face the threat of hyponatremia. ACSM's current hydration
guidelines address this threat and recommend methods of fluid replacement that
can help prevent it. Generally, persons participating in typical athletic or
work environments should continue to heed current hydration guidelines.

ACSM's Position Stand, "Exercise and Fluid Replacement," is the fourth issue of
fluid replacement guidelines and recommendations for fluid ingestion and the
prevention of heat injury during exercise. The last edition, published in
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise® in January 1996, is the culmination of
scientific data and expert consensus and is based on available evidence. The
Position Stand is currently undergoing standard review by a committee of sports
medicine and exercise science specialists. This delegation of heat and hydration
experts will review and address all existing information and expert opinion on
this topic later this year when the College plays a leadership role in convening
a roundtable to conduct a timely review of hydration guidelines for athletes.

The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and
exercise science organization in the world. More than 20,000 International,
National, and Regional members are dedicated to advancing and integrating
scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of
exercise science and sports medicine.
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Reference:

http://www.nutriaxis.com

American College of Sports Medicine, July 22, 2003 (news release).

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