Water is the elixir of life. This water is also an elixir for runners. Although we know the importance of drinking enough water, many of us leave it hanging. What we think is "drink only when you are thirsty", but doctors say it is a red flag for hydration. Drinking only when you feel like it could be very dangerous for runners and performers. But why? You will find the answer soon.
From giving you energy to improving your performance, water does it all. Some might find it hard to carry their water bottle while running, but there are always better options and strategies you can follow to make things easier. In this article, let us quickly see how you can stay hydrated while on long runs.
Hydration 101:
Experts suggest drinking 3.7 litres of water intake for men and 2.7 litres of water intake for women is crucial. The best part is you don't have to rely only on water to finish your daily water intake. You can also complete this by indulging in your favourite smoothies, protein shakes, and even fluid-loaded fruits and vegetables.
Even though we know it all, why are most people not drinking enough water to complete their daily budget? Research says, over 80% of the people are not hydrating enough. The reason? Some don't like the taste of water, some forget to drink water because of their busy lives, and some prefer drinking tasty, unhealthy drinks when they are thirsty.
So as an athlete or performer, what can you do to up your hydration game to improve your performance? Here is Hydration 101 for you.
- Aim to finish your daily water intake budget.
- Purchase your favourite water bottle that will motivate you to drink water.
- Maybe create a chart and let your phone remind you.
- If you don't like water, why not go for fresh juice?
- Maybe you can also try green tea or flavoured teas.
- Herbal teas are another great way.
- Indulge in water-rich foods.
- Avoid alcohol or highly caffeinated drinks to stay away from dehydration.
- Keep a small bottle in your bedroom, car, living room, near the TV, or laptop to remind yourself.
- Give a small treat every time you finish your water intake budget.
Some people say they dont like the taste of water. Here's when you should think more clearly. If not water, you can replace it with milk, or your protein shakes. Maybe green smoothies would work. Or why not take the electrolytes from coconut water? There are always options instead of avoiding them.
Staying Hydrated on Long runs with Hydration strategies:
For athletes, it is not easy to tell how much water they need. But they indeed need more water than normal people. Because they are running, sweating, and getting exhausted. But it is also important to note that drinking too little can make them faint. Drinking too much can make them puke and disturb their stomach. So it is important to plan a hydration strategy for runners.
Before going into the strategies, you must know that hydration is dependent on various factors. Whether you are running outdoors or indoors what are the climatic conditions and how many short gaps do you take while running? All these matters.
Having said that, here is the hydration strategy before a run, while running, and after a run.
Hydration strategies before running:
- Before 2 to 3 hours of running, drink 500 to 600 ml of water to ensure your body has enough fluids to draw energy from.
- Just before 1 hour or 30 minutes starting your performance, complete 250 ml of water.
- Sodium and Carbohydrate beverages can do well.
- Indulge in a CHO beverage if you are going to run more than 45 to 50 minutes.
Hydration strategies while running:
- If you are running for more than 30 minutes, you need a drink on the go.
- Take a sip or two every 10 minutes to refuel your body for the sweat it releases.
- You can also increase your intake if the intensity is higher or if it takes a long period to wrap up.
- Maybe you can also opt for sports drinks, electrolyte drinks, or humble coconut water for that extra boost.
Hydration strategies after a run:
- This is the period when you should aim to correct the fluid loss your body experienced during running.
- You should take only 2 hours after the performance to restore all the fluids in your body.
- Water to revive hydration
- Carbohydrates to restock glycogen
- Electrolytes to boost rehydration.
- Runners should aim to increase their water intake by 25% more than their sweat loss in the next 4 to 5 hours after the run.
How do you know if you are well-hydrated?
There is a simple test you can do at home to know if you are hydrated enough. All you need is a weight machine.
- If your body weight increases or decreases by 1% of your ideal weight after your run, you are well hydrated.
- If the body weight diminishes to more than 1% to 3%, you will face the slightest dehydration.
- If you lose more than 3% to 5% of your weight, you have to take notice as you are quite dehydrated.
- If you lose more than 5%, you have to take your hydration seriously. This signals you are in a serious dehydrated mode.
You can easily calculate your body weight by doing simple math. The formula goes like this:
% Body weight change = Pre body weight - Post body weight * 100
Pre Body weight
Conclusion
As a runner or athlete, hydration plays a huge role. Don't take hydration for light. You have to have a serious plan to up your hydration game. Hydration impacts your running. If you are feeling hydrated, you can see things clearly, and your mind will be clean and clear to move your body. If you are dehydrated, you can't hear or see things that impact low energy and serious issues in your performance. While hydrating, you should also focus on not overhydration. Overhydrating can make you feel heavy and groggy, and it doesn't let you take a step ahead. So, as an athlete, finding the balance is the key.