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NEWS RELEASE

Tuesday, July 22, 2003
For immediate release

Contact:
Christa Dickey
cdickey@acsm.org

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SPORTS MEDICINE CLARIFIES
SCIENCE OF FLUID REPLACEMENT GUIDELINES
Commentary Should Not Be Construed as Revised Guidelines for Body's
Fluid Loss and Replacement Needs

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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