staying hydrated is crucial for overall health and it’s extra crucial if you’re an endurance athlete. So here’s a guide to help you figure out how much water you must be drinking, how to stay hydrated while running and how to find the best hydration gear and supplements for your body.
As with a lot of things health related – every body is different. Your needs, goals, health and preferences must be taken into consideration as you make your hydration plan. use a running log and meal planner to help track all relevant aspects like – your activity, the weather, thirst, performance, shower room needs, etc.
This hydration guide includes…
Hydration basics to get started
How to figure out how much water you must drink
Tips for staying hydrated for long runs
How to create your hydration plan
Links to Hydration gear options
Hydration basics for Runners
First, get to know your body and what aspects into how much water you need. even if you’re not training for a race or running long distances it’s a good idea to get to know how much water and fuel your body needs to feel your best. From there you can use that knowledge to help fuel your athletic goals.
Your Body’s Ideal. You need to know how much water YOUR body needs as a baseline (when you’re not running or sweating) to feel your best. have a reusable water bottle nearby to it’s easy to drink as needed. You can count a lot of drinks towards your total consumption (tea, juice, soda, etc.).
Factor in activity and Climate. once you know how much you need to drink everyday – add in enough water (or sports drinks) to make up for any fluid lost while running. things that will impact how much you need include: if you sweat a lot, it’s a long workout, it’s very humid or very dry, etc.
Take notes and adjust as needed. check in with yourself after a run – were you thirsty, did you feel dehydrated or fatigue that may have been caused by dehydration? What color is your urine (before & after running)? things like seasons changing and your training ramping up = will impact how much you need to drink. So check in with yourself a lot more often when anything changes.
How much water must you drink?
Most runners just want to know – how much water do I need to drink? but – Every Body Is Different. So, running coaches and sports dieticians hesitate to say, ‘You need to drink exactly XX ounces during a 5 mile run’. That varies depending on the runner, the day, what food and drinks they already consumed, etc.
So while an exact formula would be the easiest way to calculate your water needs, that’s not sensible given all the factors. but there is one policy for hydrating that a lot of experts seem to agree with… drink to your thirst.
Unless you’re in extreme scenarios related to your health, the distance you’re running or the weather – it’s probably best to listen to your body and drink when you’re thirsty.
Factors that impact your hydration needs include:
Your activity (length and difficulty)
Your fitness level
How much you sweat
Climate
Whether you’re acclimatized to the environment
Your diet and hydration levels going into the run
Other health or medical situations
Keep in mind… a lot of these things change fairly often – so you need to be aware of these aspects and ready to adjust as needed.
For example: If you’re training for a half marathon using a 16 week program – starting in May. The weather may get hotter and a lot more humid into the summer months and your runs will increase in distance. but your body will also be adjusting to the distance as your endurance improves. all of this impacts your hydration needs.
Hydration plan for Running
Create a Hydration plan that helps you do your best. You have to figure this out while training for your race. and it’s crucial to adjust as needed.
Hydration ideas for training to Run a half or full Marathon
Start your long runs well hydrated. (I go into race weekends thinking – Hydration is my job the day before the race.)
Hydrate during the run by carrying a hydration pack or water bottle OR have your hydration placed throughout the run where you can stop and drink as needed. Either way – have a plan and practice during training.
Use sports drink supplements with electrolytes to help you balance your hydration and fueling needs. practice this during training so you know the ideal combo for race day.
Drink to thirst after your run.
Keep an eye on your urine color to help examine how your hydration plan is working. use this information in combination with how you feel and your performance to decide what (if anything) needs a lot more work.
According to a study in the Journal of athletic training – urine color can be a helpful way to figure out hydration status. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4741257/] But, you need to pay attention to this on a regular basis and during training to use it as a tool to create your hydration plan.
If you want to use this method, it’s crucial to know your body’s urine color on well hydrated days, before a run, after a run and any variations on extreme weather days.
Check out this chart from the Georgia Urologist site that labels the different colors of urine and what they may mean. *This is NOT a replacement for medical or health advice. always check with your doctor before trying any new exercise or diet and if you suspect you have a health issue.*
How to calculate Sweat Rate
If you want to get certain on how much you’re sweating and how much you’re drinking you can calculate your sweat rate using the formula below. This is a little complicated so make sure you’ve already mastered all of the basics before doing this exercise.
Also – this calculation gives you an idea of how much you’re sweating versus drinking while running, but unless you’re doing it as part of a scientific study under controlled conditions… it’s still not completely exact. and these numbers will change based on aspects like weather, elevation, workout, etc.
Body Weight Pre Run – Body Weight post Run + fluid Intake – Urine volume / exercise Time in hours
See this guide from USA Track and field for the complete directions.
Electrolytes and Supplements
Using sports drinks or supplements with electrolytes can be a good idea for some runners. because this post is already getting pretty long – I’ll follow up with a post all about the best electrolytes for runners soon!
For a sneak peek… My favorite electrolytes ideal now are:
Nuun sport Tablets for Hydration Multi
Nuun sports Tablets Fruit Punch
Coconut Water with Turmeric (mostly for after)
5 crucial ideas for Runners to stay Hydrated
Start every run well hydrated. This requires you to know your ‘normal’ needs and be intentional about getting enough water on a regular basis.
During your run – use hydration gear when needed. If you’re running long or in extreme temperatures – use a hydration belt or vest to have water available during your run. shorter runs, easy runs and mild temps may indicate you can wait.
Post-Run – Rehydrate after your run according to thirst. (Don’t overdo it – it’s hazardous to drink too much.)
Use your urine color as an indicator of your hydration levels (along with how you feel, the weather, sweat rate, etc).
Create your hydration plan. Log all relevant information and use that to create your individualized hydration plan.
Keep opting for these…
The best way to carry Water While Running
Hacks to get Water While Running (without a fuel belt or vest)
Summer Running ideas with HeatherRunz
Follow @RunEatRepeat on Instagram for daily updates, ideas and fun!
*Always seek advice from your doctor before trying any diet or exercise. If you have any history of health problem or feel like you may have a health issue – see your doctor asap. This isn’t intended as medical or health recommendations and is not a substitute for getting individualized medical help or a diagnosis.
SEND ME THE WORKBOOK
4Save
Sharing is caring!
4
Pin
Share
Tweet
Share
Share
keep opting for these:
workout calendar for Runners with exercises and ideas – December 2019
workout calendar for Runners with exercises and ideas – December 2019
workout and running calendar for December. complimentary printable calendar for new runners with body weight exercises and runnin
What I eat In A Day – for Runners
What I eat In A Day – for Runners
What I eat in a day video by a runner. Food diary of everything I ate one day breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. plus
JuneRunning calendar complimentary printable workout
June Running calendar complimentary printable workout
Running workout plan for runners with strength training and run tips. Running for fitness? get the complimentary printable calend
Running for fitness calendar – September 2020
Running for fitness calendar – September 2020
Running plan September calendar complimentary printable. Runner workout calendar with 3 runs and 2 strength training days
August Running workout calendar complimentary printable
August Running workout calendar complimentary printable
Running schedule complimentary printable Runner plan August Calendar. new month of running workouts and ideas for new runners and
7 summer Running Hacks to help YOU RUN your BEST
7 summer Running Hacks to help YOU RUN your BEST
7 summer Running ideas for runners training for a race in hot and humid weather. hot weather run ideas for new runners and
⚡ by shareaholic
.
