Forums >Health and Nutrition>Beware Overhydration
I submit that adequate hydration is pretty far down the list of thing that would affect a relatively new marathoner from achieving his or her potential.
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MTA: But I like DB's answer better.
I liked his response too, but yours was a billion times more informative. Thanks.
It's a 5k. It hurt like hell...then I tried to pick it up. The end.
not bad for mile 25
Or you have BPH.
Or TWB.
.
(Teeny Weeny Bladder)
Or, it turns out, any marathoner. I recall that in the same series that bhearn quoted they mentioned that when they look at the hydration levels of elite runners after a marathon very often they find that the most dehydrated athlete is the guy who won the race.
Yeah, that is true, at least going by my recollection of their book, "The Runner's Body". One of the things that struck me about that book is the apparent conflict between this message, in their chapter on hydration, and the message in the chapter on fueling, that you have to take in enough carbs. Yet, you can't absorb carbs without water.
Also, others, e.g. Pfitzinger, assert that a reduction in blood volume will definitely impact performance. Which only stands to reason. If you have less blood to pump to your muscles, you are delivering oxygen at a lower rate. I don't know how to reconcile this with the result mentioned above. One thing is that an elite marathon, at < 2:10, is perhaps a different type of event, physiologically, than a 3 or 4 hour marathon.
Yeah, that is true, at least going by my recollection of their book, "The Runner's Body". One of the things that struck me about that book is the apparent conflict between this message, in their chapter on hydration, and the message in the chapter on fueling, that you have to take in enough carbs. Yet, you can't absorb carbs without water. Also, others, e.g. Pfitzinger, assert that a reduction in blood volume will definitely impact performance. Which only stands to reason. If you have less blood to pump to your muscles, you are delivering oxygen at a lower rate. I don't know how to reconcile this with the result mentioned above. One thing is that an elite marathon, at < 2:10, is perhaps a different type of event, physiologically, than a 3 or 4 hour marathon.
I guess there's a trade off between reduced blood volume and reduced weight. I suppose as you dehydrate a bit you lose water from other places than just the amount of blood.
Assuming elite marathon runners maintain a higher blood plasma volume to begin with, they probably have more capacity to "give back" to dehydration before it affects their performance.
Why is it sideways?
Read this.
A Saucy Wench
I think we're going to start seeing hyponatremia more and more outside of marathoning. The fluid pushing is gotten out of control.
I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets
"When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7
Ill gotten booty.
The article that Jeff linked is the first in a series, but the SoS guys didn't link them together.
So for you lazybones:
1. The intro (same one that Jeff linked) Part I: The History of Fluid Intake and Conflict of Interest
2. Part II: Fluid Intake, Dehydration, and Exercise
3. Part III
4. Part IV
5. I think this is Part V, though it isn't labeled as such. Fluid Intake Debate: Comments from a Doctor
The "comments from a doctor" are priceless.
The BAA weigh in.
"I want you to pray as if everything depends on it, but I want you to prepare yourself as if everything depends on you."
-- Dick LeBeau
Their first bullet: Slower runners should drink less and faster runners should drink more
Their second bullet: Drink almost enough not to lose weight
Their third bullet: You should lose several pounds over a marathon or it is unhealthy
Hm.
How does dehydration affect recovery? Isn't that one component to be kept in mind at least during training?
Good Bad & The Monkey
Their first bullet: Slower runners should drink less and faster runners should drink more Their second bullet: Drink almost enough not to lose weight Their third bullet: You should lose several pounds over a marathon or it is unhealthy Hm.
All sounds reasonable.
I'm running somewhere tomorrow. It's going to be beautiful. I can't wait.
Poor baby