Water Intoxication: How much hydration is too much?

BALTIMORE - As Fall sports practices ramp up during the August heat, staying hydrated can be a challenge for athletes during intense workouts.

A Baltimore physician told WJZ you can hydrate too much.

"When it's hot outside, we think you have to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, and it is correct," said Dr. Rachel Mallalieu, an emergency medicine physician at the University of Maryland Baltimore-Washington Medical Center. "We do need to hydrate. There is, however, such a thing as hydrating too much."

Hyponatremia, or water intoxication, is consuming more water than your kidneys can filter, which causes sodium deficiencies.

Dr. Mallalieu says initial symptoms start as nausea, vomiting, fatigue or headache, which can become life-threatening, if dismissed.

"Those can progress to more serious signs, such as seizures, coma and eventually death," Dr. Mallalieu said. "The more serious signs and symptoms are caused by brain swelling."

With the blazing summer heat, athletes are at the highest risk.

Dr. Mallalieu recommends hydration in moderation.

"It is important to drink your water, but not any more than one to two water bottles, at most, an hour, and then to alternate that with those electrolyte drinks," Dr. Mallalieu said.

Water intoxication can go from bad to disastrous fairly quickly.

If experiencing symptoms, seek medical attention immediately.