around you and the clothing or equipment you’re wearing. A couple of hours before your run, try to drink 2 glasses of water, and drink another glass 15 minutes before heading out the door. Distance runners need to stay hydrated on their long runs by taking in water every 30 minutes while running and then drinking 2 to 3 glasses within 10 to 20 minutes after ending the run. Remember, these are just guidelines; a good way to know if you are properly hydrated after intense exercise is to weigh yourself before and after. Weight loss during exercise represents water loss you did not replace during your run.
Daily hydration strategies from dietitian Dallas Parsons
• Watch TV with a glass of water beside you, and take a sip during commercials.
• Keep a water bottle or tall glass of water at your desk.
• Stash a full water bottle in the car and in your workout bag.
• Drink a small glass of water before or with meals.
• Ask for water along with alcoholic or caffeinated drinks you order.
• Start your day with a glass of cool water.
• Order sparkling water with a squeeze of lemon at business lunches.
People new to distance running may experience leg cramps. This could be the result of dehydration, low serum sodium levels (low salt in the blood), or the training as muscles adapt to longer distances. Try to stay hydrated, and make sure you’re getting enough salt in your diet.
It takes time for your body to adjust to taking in fluids before and during a training session. Don’t leave this part of your planning to the last minute. Make sure you drink before your training sessions, and remember to stay hydrated during your long runs by carrying a water bottle with you.
Sport drinks
There are many different kinds of sport drinks on the market. Check the back of the bottle for a list of ingredients. Many replace electrolytes such as salt and potas- sium; others provide carbohydrates that are needed for distance runners. And some drinks will replace both electrolytes and carbohydrates. You should consider using a sport drink during your longer runs—they often provide the boost of energy your body needs in the later stages of a 2- or 3-hour workout.
Some marathoners prefer to carry their own water bottle, which is usually a bottle fastened to a waist belt. It might take some time to become accustomed to the feel of a water bottle carrier, so plan ahead and wear it on some of your training runs.
Signs of overhydration
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Confusion
• Fainting
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Cramping
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Bloating and puffiness in the face and fingers
• Loss of consciousness
• Fluid in the lungs
• Seizures
• Coma
• In severe cases, death
What about overhydration?
One of the problems with the growing number of athletes who are taking a run/walk approach to the marathon is the increasing rate of hyponatremia, or overhydration. As University of British Columbia sport medicine physician Dr. Jack Taunton points out, “The big concern that we are starting to see in marathoners who are walking large portions of the event is overhydration. Basically, these folks are walking through the aid stations, ingesting too much water, and end up with hyponatremia. It can be and has been fatal.”
Hyponatremia is a shortage of sodium in the blood. This state occurs when runners sweat excessively, lose too much salt, and drink excessive amounts of water, which then dilutes the blood’s sodium content even more.
Why has overhydration become such a concern?
“There is an obsession that people have in this current society with drinking fluids and being concerned about dehydration. Everyone seems to have a water bottle on their desk or with them at all times,” says Dr. Taunton. He finds at least part of the reason for our concerns in sport medicine, and in the American College of Sport Medicine guidelines, which became increasingly aggressive in terms of encouraging
Daily hydration strategies from dietitian Dallas Parsons
• Watch TV with a glass of water beside you, and take a sip during commercials.
• Keep a water bottle or tall glass of water at your desk.
• Stash a full water bottle in the car and in your workout bag.
• Drink a small glass of water before or with meals.
• Ask for water along with alcoholic or caffeinated drinks you order.
• Start your day with a glass of cool water.
• Order sparkling water with a squeeze of lemon at business lunches.
People new to distance running may experience leg cramps. This could be the result of dehydration, low serum sodium levels (low salt in the blood), or the training as muscles adapt to longer distances. Try to stay hydrated, and make sure you’re getting enough salt in your diet.
It takes time for your body to adjust to taking in fluids before and during a training session. Don’t leave this part of your planning to the last minute. Make sure you drink before your training sessions, and remember to stay hydrated during your long runs by carrying a water bottle with you.
Sport drinks
There are many different kinds of sport drinks on the market. Check the back of the bottle for a list of ingredients. Many replace electrolytes such as salt and potas- sium; others provide carbohydrates that are needed for distance runners. And some drinks will replace both electrolytes and carbohydrates. You should consider using a sport drink during your longer runs—they often provide the boost of energy your body needs in the later stages of a 2- or 3-hour workout.
Some marathoners prefer to carry their own water bottle, which is usually a bottle fastened to a waist belt. It might take some time to become accustomed to the feel of a water bottle carrier, so plan ahead and wear it on some of your training runs.
Signs of overhydration
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Confusion
• Fainting
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Cramping
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Bloating and puffiness in the face and fingers
• Loss of consciousness
• Fluid in the lungs
• Seizures
• Coma
• In severe cases, death
What about overhydration?
One of the problems with the growing number of athletes who are taking a run/walk approach to the marathon is the increasing rate of hyponatremia, or overhydration. As University of British Columbia sport medicine physician Dr. Jack Taunton points out, “The big concern that we are starting to see in marathoners who are walking large portions of the event is overhydration. Basically, these folks are walking through the aid stations, ingesting too much water, and end up with hyponatremia. It can be and has been fatal.”
Hyponatremia is a shortage of sodium in the blood. This state occurs when runners sweat excessively, lose too much salt, and drink excessive amounts of water, which then dilutes the blood’s sodium content even more.
Why has overhydration become such a concern?
“There is an obsession that people have in this current society with drinking fluids and being concerned about dehydration. Everyone seems to have a water bottle on their desk or with them at all times,” says Dr. Taunton. He finds at least part of the reason for our concerns in sport medicine, and in the American College of Sport Medicine guidelines, which became increasingly aggressive in terms of encouraging
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