How to Drink Fluids When You’re Exercising
Posted on Jul 25, 2012 under Articles, Training | No CommentNow that I work and run in Fremont where it is hot in the summer, I find a need to stay hydrated for my lunchtime runs.
How do I know I need to hydrate more?
My main guess is because I am thirsty during and after the run. One day, I ran for about an hour and 15 minutes then stopped to chat while I cooled down. I reached up to brush something off my face and found it to be crusted with sodium. When you are brushing sodium off your skin, it is a sign that you may need to replace some electrolytes. Another sign is white streaks on your face after a run. The electrolyte replacement got me to thinking about hydration while running.
• Some of the questions I asked myself were:
• Should I drink fluids before a run?
• How much should I drink before a run?
• What should I drink before a run?
• How soon should I drink before the run?
• Should I drink during the run?
• How much should I drink during the run?
• What should I drink during the run?
• Should I drink after the run?
• What should I drink after the run?
• How much should I drink after the run?
Perhaps, I have too much time to think while I am running. I am sure I came up with a lot more questions but they left my memory between the time I thought of them and decided to write about them. When I was working in the Emeryville/Berkeley, California area, I did not sweat as much because I usually ran in 60-70 degree temperatures.
I always thought that when you don’t sweat, there is not as much of a need to replace the fluids that you did not lose. One day, we had a health fare in my building. Since we had nurses, scales and paper to document our weight, I weighed myself before and after an 8 mile run that took 65 minutes. For me that was a difficult run.
My start weight was just less than 150 pounds. I lost 8 pounds in 65 minutes of hard running in cool air! Weighed myself every hour for the next four hours and only gained 4 pounds back. I am not a doctor but I don’t think I can sustain losing that much water weight, every day, for long.
• To start answering my question:
• It is good to drink before a run. If you drink before a run, you have fluids available to lose during the run.
• I usually start my day out with coffee then drink water for most of the day.
• Every now and then, I will drink a few ounces of electrolyte drink before a run. Usually, I feel hot or the need for something other than water. I don’t have a scientific formula, it is just by feel.
• I drink right up the run and during the run. If I am going fast for short distances, I will not slow down to run.
• I like to stop for a drink if I am running for more than an hour. If I am running for more than 90 minutes, I will drink constantly during the run. If I am writing longer than 2 hours, I will carry water and make sure I count how much I drink and include electrolytes.
• I usually drink an electrolyte or recovery drink after a run. I have a 24 ounce shaker bottle that I usually drink most of after the run.
They say water is fine to drink, after a workout and you will get plenty of sodium from your post workout potato chips.
That may be true but I used to get a lot of cramps before I started drinking a lot of water, electrolyte and recovery drinks. I did not like getting cramps. I am happy to not get them.
I am not sure if I need all of the fancy hydrations stuff or not. I am sure that I used to get cramps before I started drinking the fancy stuff so it does work for me. I also get to run every day. I am starting to accumulate some drink stuff again. Perhaps, I will do a more scientific approach to my running fluid intake.