Hydration!
Have you ever been overcome by cramp after cycling for 60 km?
Do you sometimes feel dizzy or disorientated during a long workout?
These are all signs of dehydration.
Our body sweats in order to maintain a regular temperature. The loss of large amounts of sweat can have a negative effect on our performance but also can lead to serious consequences:
-It decreases our blood volume, which is necessary for carrying oxygen to the heart and to fuel your working muscles.
-The amount of blood available to the muscle is reduced even further as your body is sending more blood into capillaries of the skin in order to cool itself (even more if it’s a really hot day.)
Each person has an individual requirement for fluid according to:
-Body weight
-Gender
-Climate
-The intensity of the workout
-Sweat rate
Be aware of the warning signals of dehydration and the opposite; Hyponatremia, caused by drinking too much water.
Check the colour of your urine at the end of a workout: it should be a pale yellow colour.
The symptoms of both dehydration and hyponatremia are quite similar however:
-Dizziness
-Headache
-Nausea
-Confusion and disorientation
-Muscle cramps
-Extreme fatigue
Keep your fluid levels topped up, not only during your workout.
The British Dietetic Association has declared that the average person should drink 1 ½ - 2 ½ litres of fluid per day.
Including:
-Water
-Milk
-Tea
-Coffee
That should be increased during hot water or during and after physical activity.
For 1kg in weight loss you should make up with 1 ½ litres of water.
Water alone is not enough
Your sweat is already made up of electrolytes such as:
-Sodium
-Potassium
-Chloride
-Magnesium
These are minerals necessary for the body to function properly.
Hyponatremia is caused by prolonged activities that involve heavy sweating. You drink so much water that the sodium concentration in the blood becomes too diluted.
We lose 2-3.4g of sodium per litre of sweat.
Some people can lose as much as 1 litre of sweat per hour during a race.
When it is really hot make sure that you keep up your salt intake with salty foods or salt tablets to minimise the risk of diluting you blood too much with pure water.
Recipes for Homemade Isotonic Drinks
Recipe 1 |
Recipe 2 |
Measure out 250ml pure unsweetened fruit juice (any flavour) Add 250ml water to make a total volume of 500ml Add a pinch of salt (about 1/5 teaspoon) Mix together and stir or shake well. Chill in the fridge |
Measure out 100ml squash (any flavour – full sugar) Add 400ml water to make a total volume of 500ml Add a pinch of salt (about 1/5 teaspoon) Mix together and stir or shake well. Chill in the fridge |
Fresh fruit, fruit juice or a smoothie straight after a run on a hot day make a delicious treat and will also help rehydrate you – try this Strawberry Mint Vitamin Rush.
Hot Go Faster hydration tips:
Drink before you are thirsty: drink regularly throughout the day and drink generously before your workout, during your workout and again immediately afterwards.
Replace lost fluid with a sports drink if you are exercising for over an hour:
Around 150-250ml sports drink with electrolytes and sodium every 20-30 minutes or so will keep up your energy levels and replace lost body salts. Practise during training so you know which you find palatable and your own tolerance for fluid in the stomach.
Advice:
-Make yourself drink at particular milestones when training (For example every two miles)
-Snack on hydrating foods.
-Increase your salt intake in hot weather
-Schedule your workouts in hot weather
-Acclimatise yourself
-Wear appropriate clothing
-Choose your route carefully in hot weather
-Don’t just drink – pour water over yourself
-Recognise the warning signals
Click here for top #GoFaster hydrating drinks and meal suggestions.