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The importance of keeping hydrated What you drink and when are just as important as what and when you eat. I learned the importance of hydration the hard way – by having several bad experiences with dehydration in hot weather races. Growing up in Norway and spending most of my life there have something to do with it. It took some time before I respected training and competing under warm and humid conditions. Summer is here and I know you are in training for the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge®, and perhaps other races. Staying hydrated is more important now than ever before. Water is always the fluid of choice and you should make sure you take plenty of before, during and after a training run or a race. My experience is that too many runners underestimate how much fluid they are losing and how much it is affecting their performance. Even mild hydration – a two-2 percent drop in body weight due to the loss of fluid – can decrease your performance as much as 20 percent. That can be valuable seconds or minutes in your Corporate Challenge effort. When and what to drink? Before a training run or a race drink at least 16 ounces an hour. My choice is a a sports drink so I know I get some electrolytes and sugar. Drink eight ounces of water 15 minutes before you plan to run. The reason you should replace some of the water you drink with a sports drink is that many sports drinks contain sodium which will help you maintain or restore the volume of fluid in the blood. Sport drinks with sodium will also help you retain water in the body. When you sweat you lose more than water. You also lose electrolytes – minerals such as sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium. Electrolyte depletion may result in leg cramps. I am sure some of you have experienced that, especially on hot days. For intense training and long runs you should definitely use a sports drink that has electrolytes and sodium. I am sure you can find one that suits your taste. Never start on a run lasting 60 minutes or more without making sure you get fluid somewhere. Invest in a water carrier so you don’t have to organize drink stations on the course. There are many different items on the market: My favorite are bottles that fit in a waist belt. Other include hand-held varieties and pouches that you strap on your back. Important to note that thirst is not an accurate indicator of when you need to drink. If you wait that long you are already dehydrated. How to make sure you are hydrated? The easiest way is to pay attention to the quantity and color of your urine. Dark gold color tells you to pour on the fluids. If you are well hydrated your urine will be plentiful, pale yellow or lighter. Be aware that some vitamin supplements may cause a more colored urine. After a race like the Corporate Challenge, make sure you drink several glasses of water before you celebrate with a post race beer and then eat something nutritious with the beer. Follow these simple tips and your running will be so much more comfortable and fulfilling in the summer. Next month, I’ll provide you with advice on hot weather training. |
