Proper hydration is critical to achieving optimal running performance and avoiding heat-related illnesses. Dehydration can induce a range of symptoms from the mildly uncomfortable, including increased fatigue, decreased coordination, and nausea, to the more serious, including muscle cramping, migraines, and vision disturbances, to the life-threatening, including fainting, seizures and heatstroke. To ensure you maintain proper hydration before, during, and after your races and long training runs, avoid these five common mistakes.
- Drinking Too Little Before a Race
Your hydration plan needs to start in the days leading up to a race or long training run. Waiting until the morning of a race to begin hydrating will leave you feeling full and sluggish.
- Drinking Too Much Directly Before or During a Race
If you aren’t properly hydrated before a race or a long training run, you may be tempted to drink as much as you can prior to the start. However, the human body is not designed to store extra water. This excessive consumption will simply result in having to make extra bathroom stops during the race. You also won’t be able to make up a hydration deficit during a race when drinking too much can cause cramping or hyponatremia, a condition in which the level of sodium in the blood drops to a life-threatening level. Instead, opt to drink 4 to 6 ounces of water every 15 to 20 minutes during any races lasting longer than 60 minutes.
- Drinking Only Water
During races and training runs lasting 90 minutes or more, water alone is not enough to meet your hydration needs. Such long runs also deplete electrolytes. These must be replaced with sports or performance drinks designed especially for this purpose. Replacement of electrolytes is necessary to effectively balance your fluid levels.
- Not Properly Rehydrating after a Race
To determine how much fluid was lost during a run, weigh yourself before and after completing it. For each pound lost during the activity, drink 24 ounces of fluid. (Note, if your body weight increases, you have overhydrated and should take steps to avoid this in future runs.)
- Excessively Limiting Sodium
A diet high in sodium has been linked to high blood pressure, stroke, and heart failure, but as an electrolyte, adequate sodium intake is vital to an athlete’s performance and recovery. In addition, excessively limiting your sodium intake while hydrating and engaging in physical activity can greatly increase your risk of hyponatremia, as stated above.
Maintaining proper hydration is as important to your training program as the number of miles you log each day. By taking steps to avoid these common hydration mistakes, you can decrease injury and cramping, improve recovery, and maximize your running performance.
