WALKERS who set out with supplies of distilled water - rather than mineral water - are risking sickness and possibly death, an expert doctor warns.
Dr Ho Hiu-fai, a medical adviser on the gruelling annual Trailwalker race and doctor at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital's accident and emergency department, said muscle fatigue caused by salt loss could have dire consequences.
His warning follows the recent death of three hikers and the illness of many others in the heatwave that came ahead of Typhoon York this month.
'People lose water and salt through sweating and if you drink distilled water, it will just replace the water,' Dr Ho said.
'When you lose too much salt you can have a lot of problems with your muscles and it's hard to maintain their normal function.
'You can have heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and because of your tiredness you might get into trouble.
