Recent Publications

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• Murray R, and WL Kenney. Sodium balance and exercise. Current Sports Medicine Reports 7:S1-S2, 2008.

  Sodium is a critical electrolyte because of its many roles in physiological function. That is particularly true for athletes who often lose substantial amounts of sodium in sweat on a daily basis. In this brief introduction to a series of papers from various authors on sodium balance during exercise, Drs. Murray and Kenney highlight the key issues involving sodium’s role in body fluid balance, cardiovascular function, maintenance of plasma volume, and muscle cramping.

• Murray R, J Stofan, and B Sallis. Recovery and return to competition following ischemic colitis caused by severe dehydration during prolonged exercise in the heat. Journal of Sport Rehabilitation 16:271-276, 2007.

  Anyone who has become dehydrated during exercise recognizes that the consequences are not positive. During prolonged exercise in the heat, dehydration can have a devastating effect on health and performance. This paper reviews a case of dehydration-induced ischemic colitis suffered by a triathlete during Ironman competition and identifies practical interventions to reduce the risk of health and performance issues during prolonged exercise.

• Murray R. Hydration and physical performance. Journal of American College Nutrition 26:542S-548S, 2007.

  Remaining well hydrated during exercise is arguably the easiest, safest, most-effective, and least-expensive way to improve performance. This review article summarizes decades of research on the relationship between hydration status and performance capacity with special emphasis on the effects of low-level dehydration (< -2% body weight) on physiological function and performance.

• Murray R. The role of salt and glucose replacement drinks in the marathon. Sports Medicine 37:4-6, 2007.

  During marathon running, maintenance of cardiovascular function and provision of exogenous energy help sustain race pace. This article summarizes research specific to marathon racing, making the case for fluid and carbohydrate replacement to minimize dehydration and maximize carbohydrate oxidation by working muscles.

• Passe D, M Horn, J Stofan, C Horswill, and R Murray. Voluntary dehydration occurs in runners despite optimal conditions for fluid intake. International Journal of Sports Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism 17:284-295, 2007.

  Runners often do not drink enough fluid during exercise to prevent dehydration, a common occurrence that contributes to premature fatigue and poorer performance. The data from this study suggest that voluntary dehydration occurs in part because runners are not able to accurately judge the extent of their sweat loss and are therefore unable to gauge how much fluid to ingest.

• Murray R. Manufactured arguments: turning consensus into controversy does not advance science. British Journal of Sports Medicine 41:106-107, 2007.

  A 2006 article in the British Journal of Sports Medicine alleged that the sports drink industry was responsible for providing misinformation that has led to hyponatremia deaths among athletes. This article rebutted that notion.

• Stover B and B Murray. Drink up! The science of hydration. ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal 11:7-12, 2007.

  Competitive athletes understand the value of staying well hydrated during exercise, a practice that can also help fitness enthusiasts and recreational athletes get the most from their workouts.

• Murray, R. Training the gut for competition. Current Sports Medicine Reports 5:161-164, 2006.

  Most athletes do not consider their gastrointestinal tracts to be an important part of success in sports. The gut usually does it job behind the scenes, delivering water and nutrients to active muscles and other organs, and it is only when the gut misbehaves that it draws our attention. This article reviews why the gastrointestinal system is a critical organ system during exercise and identifies practical steps that athletes can take to ensure that their guts remain silent in doing their job.

• Murray R. Fluid, electrolytes, and exercise. In, Sports Nutrition: A Guide for the Professional Working with Active People, 4th edition. M. Dunford (ed.) Chicago: American Dietetics Association, pp:94-115, 2005.

  Drinking fluid during exercise benefits physiological function and performance. Electrolytes, especially sodium and chloride, play an important role in the hydration process because electrolytes provide the osmotic impetus for the body to retain ingested fluid. This textbook chapter overviews the relationship between fluid and electrolyte intake in affecting body fluid balance in athletes.

• Murray R and X Shi. The gastrointestinal system: gastrointestinal function during exercise. ACSM Graduate Text in Exercise Physiology, Baltimore: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkens, pp:357-369, 2005.

  The most highly skilled, supremely fit athletes can quickly be sidelined by uncooperative stomachs. This textbook chapter reviews the science underlying the gastric emptying and intestinal absorption of water and nutrients with special reference to athletic applications.

• Murray, R. and E.R. Eichner. The hyponatremia of exercise. Current Sports Medicine Reports 3:117-118, 2004.

  Too much of a good can be a bad thing. That old adage is particularly true when it comes to water, a nutrient vital to life, but life-threatening if consumed in excess. Hyponatremia – low blood sodium concentration – is a malady that occasional afflicts endurance athletes who mistakenly consume more fluid than they lose in sweat, causing blood sodium levels to plummet. This article summaries the related science and gives practical recommendations that athletes can follow to reduce the risk of hyponatremia.

• Sports Drinks: Basic Science and Practical Aspects. Maughan RJ and R Murray, eds. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 2000.

  Sports drinks are rather simple concoctions of water, sugar, and salt, but the simplicity of a sports-drink formula is supported by an extensive body of science that helps define the formulation parameters that dictate everything from palatability to performance. This book summarizes the underlying science and underscores the practical recommendations derived from decades of research on sports drinks.