Contest shows dangers of water intoxication

The death of a 28-year-old mother of three in a water-drinking contest held by Sacramento FM radio station 107.9 The End highlights the risk Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run participants face every year.While Jennifer Lee Strange of Rancho Cordova died Friday from water intoxication after drinking as much water as she could in an attempt to win a Nintendo Wii gaming console, last June's 299 Western States participants drank gallons of water over a race that stretched out for more than 30 hours for some.The difference was that the runners were continually adding electrolytes to their bodies, trying to match the losses with intake of sports drink and electrolyte capsules.For most participants, the balancing act got them to the finish line without incident.Auburn's Dan Moores, a first-time Western States finisher last June, said Monday that he would typically have 60 ounces of fluids attached to his belt or in his hand when he left each of the aid stations along the endurance run route. At the same time, he would be taking two electrolyte pills -- with 341 grams of sodium per tablet -- every hour."Whatever I was doing was the right thing," Moores said. "My weight remained constant -- an indication that my hydration was balanced."But as the finish of potential winner Brian Morrison last year indicates, even the best runners can lose that balance and teeter precariously into the danger zone.Perhaps the most vivid image of last year's race was Morrison staggering and then being assisted to the finish line. He was later disqualified by organizers because of the help he received. Morrison would end up in hospital on intravenous fluids for the next two days.There was no indication Strange was a distance runner and aware of the health risks associated with over-consumption of water.An Associated Press report Monday said that two people who competed in the "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest said they never were given any warning about the risks they were taking on by drinking too much water. Participant Gina Sherrod said in the report that family members listening to the contest on the radio told her a nurse called into the program to warn against drinking too much water, saying it was dangerous. Sherrod said she wasn't concerned until she learned of Strange's death.Sherrod said she managed to drink eight, eight-ounce bottles but became nauseated after drinking half of a larger bottle."I felt drunk and really out of it," Sherrod said.Coincidentally, Western States race director Greg Soderlund issued a notice on the run's Web site Monday saying that Succeed electrolyte caps' manufacturer will be a sponsor this coming June for the race. The capsules, containing sodium and potassium, will be available to runners at most aid stations to help them maintain electrolyte levels. Runners lose electrolytes as they run, mostly through sweating. If not replaced, a major electrolyte deficit can result in hospitalization, or in extreme cases, death from hyponatremia - or water intoxication.Signs of a moderate deficit include swelling and tightness in the hands and feet, nausea or vomiting. People with more serious electrolyte deficits suffer from cramps or muscle spasms, light-headedness or dizziness and headaches. There is also a craving for salty foods. A very serious deficit is marked by mental confusion and seizures.Strange's mother found her daughter's body at home Friday after Strange called her supervisor at her job to say she was heading home after the contest in terrible pain, AP reported. Strange had placed second in the contest out of 18 participants. The Sacramento County coroner said she died of water intoxication.Auburn's Brad Kearns, a world-class triathlete, said the athletic community has been aware of the dangers of over-hydration for several years."I'm shaking my head in disappointment when the dynamics push people beyond what they sensibly can undertake," Kearns said.Kearns said he sees people following goals that aren't sensible without proper training in marathons and endurance runs.Wacky contests are part of the shtick of many radio stations. Auburn KAHI 950 AM's Dave Rosenthal said that it's incumbent on stations to weigh the risks to participants."How stupid were these people -- couldn't they understand that someone could die?" Rosenthal said. "The whole idea says 'danger.'"Rosenthal said KAHI has held more of a parody on contests -- with a WKRP "Turkey Drop" that replaces the 1970s TV show's fabled live turkeys with gift-certificate carrying paper birds. He recalled that while working in Marysville, his station had a scavenger hunt.Locally, the most blatant stunt in recent years involved an Auburn car dealership asking volunteers to keep their hand on a car for as long as they could, with the last person still touching the car winning it - a gimmick that has been used for years and was recently parodied on the TV show "My Name Is Earl."In the mid-1990s, a San Francisco radio personality made the mistake of tying up bridge traffic by getting his hair cut on the Bay Bridge. That resulted in a heavy fine for the station.Rosenthal said he wonders what the backlash will be, whether it's tighter control on similar contests through legislation or a hefty lawsuit filed against the radio station that will have repercussions throughout the industry."Where were all the people who should have had some common sense?" Rosenthal asked.The Journal's Gus Thomson can be reached at gust@goldcountrymedia.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.