Beat the Heat

This post is a complete re-run. I will soon stop typing anything new, go to an old e-mail I wrote to last year's class about tips on hydration, and cut and paste that text onto this blog.

The information is still valid. Hydration is serious stuff, so do take the recommendations here to heart. Okay, now I'm off to cut and paste.

This information is from the Running Times e-mail Newsletter for July 2006.

“Keeping on top of your fluid intake is critical when running during the hot summer months, and RT contributor Suzanne Girard Eberle offers some excellent tips for staying hydrated in the Running Times Guide to Breakthrough Running. According to Eberle:

Many runners fail to monitor the most important nutrient of all—water. One of the quickest and simplest ways to boost your performance is to make sure you are well hydrated. Without proper hydration, you'll feel light-headed, tired, irritable, and headachy. And that's before you start running. Head out for a run in a dehydrated state, or ignore your fluid needs as you exercise, and you can quickly run into trouble. You will find it more difficult to tolerate the heat, and you risk suffering from heat cramps or, worse, heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Your performance will suffer too. Even mild dehydration—a 2 percent drop in body weight due to the loss of fluid 3 pounds for a 150-pound runner)—can decrease by 20 percent your ability to perform mental and physical tasks.

Fill up before you head out the door by drinking at least two cups (16 ounces) of fluid an hour or two before exercise. Drink another cup (8 ounces) 15 minutes before you plan to run. Water, juice, milk, and sports drinks will all do the trick. Alcoholic and caffeinated drinks cause you to urinate and lose fluid, so be sure to match each glass of these beverages with an equal glass of water. Don't wait until you feel thirst to drink—that means you're already dehydrated. Keeping tabs on your urine is an easy way to monitor your hydration. You should be able to produce ample amounts of pale yellow or straw-colored urine. Producing scanty amounts of darkly colored urine indicates that you are dehydrated.

During exercise, plan to drink another 4 to 8 ounces every 15 to 20 minutes depending on what the weather is like and how well you hydrated beforehand. If you run for an hour or less, know where to locate water along your route or carry it with you. For runs lasting over an hour or during intense efforts, such as interval workouts, choose a sports drink, which replaces the water and electrolytes lost through sweating more efficiently than plain water. You'll also get a boost from the carbohydrates these beverages provide.

If you think dehydration may be slowing you down, weigh yourself before and after you run. Replace every pound lost by drinking at least two cups of fluid. Next time you run, try to drink that amount in the few hours before you exercise. Eating salty foods will also help you hold on to fluids you drink. Pay particular attention to your fluid needs on hot and humid days and on low-humidity or windy days when you may not be as conscious of sweating.”