Drinking but still dehydrated after long hard efforts? (Read 189 times)

I have been getting sick (severe nausea/headache/dizziness) sporadically a few hours after longer, hard efforts (20+ miles  with some marathon pace or an actual marathon). Also i cannot pee for a long time afterward and when i do its brown or dark yellow. Everyone says its dehydration. But during the run i am drinking consistently every 2 to 4 miles, usually Gatorade (except when I take water with a gu every 45 min to 1 hr). The fluid ends up sloshing in my stomach.

Any suggestions? I assume its some kind of delayed gastric emptying and the fluid i'm ingesting is staying in my stomach and not going where it needs to go, so i end up dehydrated despite fluid intake. I can't figure out why or what to do about it. It only happens sometimes.

It was not hot or humid on any of these occasions,I was hydrated pre-run and  I consumed water and protein within 20 minutes of finishing.

Any ideas? Thanks.

one more thing.I think on the hard runs when I've gotten sick that i may have actually ingested slightly more fluid than i would on a typical training run.

First I would encourage you to see a doctor.  It may be something other than dehydration.

Hydration is not just something we should be concerned about the day of an event or a hard workout.  We should be taking in fluids each day to prevent chronic dehydration.  I recommend using water during the week with an occasional electrolyte drink (Nuun, etc) mixed in.  Alcohol and soda can contribute to dehydration.

During your workouts I would recommend against drinking Gatorade, PowerAde, or other similar drinks.  I would recommend water, Nuun, or other similar electrolyte drinks.  Gatorade, PowerAde and such have higher sugar content and may not empty from your stomach very well.  Some people report that these higher sugar drinks actually make them nauseous even when watered down.

Could also be long runs too long for your mileage base.  I had exactly the same problems (ALL of them) when I first tried a 21 mile long run on a hot day with a 30 MPW base.  On a cooler day with a 40 MPW base, then 20 mile long runs were merely long.

Weigh yourself before and after long runs.  Find out how much weight you can lose before you start to slow down, and how much weight loss before you need to walk.  In my case, I can lose 7 lbs before I notice any effects.  At 9 lbs weight loss, I need tempo effort (and heart rate) to run what would normally be a slow easy training pace.

The water you drink only does good after it gets from your stomach into your bloodstream.  Once it starts to slosh, you might as well stop drinking.  The sloshing will only make you sick, it won't assimilate any faster, and the extra weight just slows you down.

Sounds like you're not absorbing any of that sweet goo in your stomach when you're running. GU and Gatorade together has never been a famously popular combination for gastric wonderfulness. Usually people do one or the other. Try just water and see how that goes.. First, do an hour run without drinking. Weigh yourself before the run then after. The difference in weight will give you an approximate amount of water you drink per hour safely, avoiding hyponatremia. I'm not sure how much time you're running in your long runs, but I've been fine 4 hours or less with just water---again, not overdoing it on the water, that can be a problem. Good luck.

This all sounds really weird. Sounds like if anything you are drinking too much. Drink when you are thirsty and that usually takes care of everything. If it doesn't you should see a doc.

There is a condition called Rhabdomyolysis that results from muscle breakdown.  Seen in crush injuries, people who've been "down" either injured or sick for long periods of time or in really strenuous workouts.   There are some genetic pre-disposing conditions where a hard but not an "extreme" work-out will cause some people to have a lower threshold to develop.  Worst case scenarios: renal failure, dialysis, death.

If it keeps happening see a doctor, get a CK checked during an acute episode and if signs of Rhabdo, see a specialist about some genetic pre-disposition vs alter your lifestyle to avoid developing.

-I'm a medical doctor (but advice is given as a lay person, please see a doctor in person if concerned

Thanks for the suggestions. I don't think its my base. i run 50 to 60mpw. I can try weighing myself. before and after. The more i think about it, the more i think doing gu AND Gatorade is maybe just a bit too much sugar and its affecting my gastric emptying.

This sounds a lot like my experience.

Try Nuun tabs in water instead of Gatorade. It's the same electrolytes going in, but it mixes much better with gels. I also find that Powergels are easier on me than Gu brand,