Unlikely, but possible. If you are an elite athlete or a long-distance
runner/cyclist, you could develop a condition know as “water intoxication.” The
huge amounts of water the athlete consumes during an athletic event causes
blood plasma to increase, diluting salt levels in the body. The athlete is also
losing salt through his sweat, so the amount of salt available to the body is
decreasing on two levels. There aren’t always any symptoms of this condition
(confusion, weakness), but most athletes can avoid it by drinking a sports
drink containing sodium during sporting events.
Even if you aren’t an athlete, but workout for extended periods of time or
in extreme heat, this condition could affect you. Adding a little fruit juice
to your water or drinking a diluted sports drink can help prevent water
intoxication.
Remember that it is very unhealthy to consume half or all of your daily
water allowance in one sitting. Your body may not need that much water all at
once, and you could still end up dehydrated when the kidneys flush away the
excess water. Drink a glass or two at specific times throughout the day and
during exercise.
But I don’t want to constantly run to the
toilet.
During the first few days or weeks of increasing your water consumption, you
can expect to run to the toilet more often. It will go away, however, as your
body corrects its fluid balance. What happens in the beginning is that your
body begins to flush out waste and extra water it has been holding onto. You
may notice a drop on the scale as you let go of retained water, so called
“water weight.” Once your body becomes used to receiving adequate amounts of
water, it will not hang on to extra fluid, and the detoxification process
eventually ceases. So stick with it!