This feels like a silly question - about drinking during a race. (Read 1281 times)

Shiksa

posted: 7/24/2007 at 12:27 PM

When you drink during a half or marathon, do you stop and walk? How does that work? How much do you drink? When I come home from a run, I instantly down about 24-30 oz water and don't feel water-logged. I am in a very dry climate (central CA). I'm just not sure I understand how rehydrating works on longer runs. I'm currently at about 6 miles on my long days. I'm working up to higher mileage.

Stacy
I make no apologies for my liberal use of smiley icons. http://www.BlakeHillHouse.com

Run To Win

#2867

posted: 7/24/2007 at 1:09 PM

If you are running for less than an hour and are well enough hydrated before you start running, then you don't really need to worry about drinking anything while you are running. Depending upon conditions, you might be able to go for 90 minutes or so without drinking anything extra. Alternatively, you might only be able to go 30 minutes safely. That being said, I will have water on training runs when it is convenient, but I don't go out of my way to make sure that there is water available unless I am running in the 20 mile range (over 2 hours) or unless it is going to be a really hot day and I am running more than 75 minutes or so. During a race, I will usually take water at aid stations. I tend to run through them. If you pinch the sides of the cup together, you can make a smaller hole to pour the water out by the bottom, and a hole to allow air into the cup at the top. This lets you drink the water without spilling it all over yourself or doing your best impersonation of a drowning person. Running through water stops is an acquired skill; if possible, have somebody out with some water on a training run or run a small race where you can practice if you want to get really good at it. Slowing down or walking is a perfectly good option, especially in a long race. If there are trash barrels out, though, please try to throw your cup into the trash so that the volunteers don't have to collect it and so that another runner doesn't slip on it. This was a big problem when I ran the New York City Marathon. Also, be sure to watch out for flying appendages when you are going through a water stop. While I love telling the story about how I was punched by an Olympic gold medalist, most people aren't so lucky and it is certainly something that I hope to avoid in the future. (A few of my race etiquette tips have to do with water stops on the course, if you are interested in reading that.) Do not drink too much water when you are running or when you get done running; instead, aim at drinking a little spread out over a short period of time. Your body can not process it all at once. Taking a half hour after your run to drink that 30 ounces of water will probably do you better than drinking it all at once as soon as you are done. When you are racing, if you only have enough to drink or to pour on your head, always opt to drink it. Drinking the water is more effective at cooling your body down than pouring it on your head. If it is really hot and you have enough water to do both, then go for it. When I get a full cup at an aid station (8 to 10 ounces+, say) then I will usually take a sip and then pour the rest. Or, since its full, I will just let myself spill it on my face and chest and call it good. That works too.

Run to Win
25 Marathons, 17 Ultras, 16 States (Full List)

Run To Win

#2867

posted: 7/24/2007 at 1:11 PM

Oh, and one other note: If I am taking a gel packet along with my water, then I will tend to slow down for that. I prefer not to choke or get something down the wrong pipe and throw up the volunteers; it's not a pretty sight.

Run to Win
25 Marathons, 17 Ultras, 16 States (Full List)

Shiksa

posted: 7/24/2007 at 7:22 PM

What a wonderful post. Thank you. That answers so many questions. So far, I haven't felt like I needed to drink during, but I'm so thirsty after. I think that is the effect of the dry climate.

Stacy
I make no apologies for my liberal use of smiley icons. http://www.BlakeHillHouse.com

Run To Win

#2867

posted: 7/25/2007 at 9:40 AM

Quote from Shiksa on 7/24/2007 at 7:22 PM:

What a wonderful post. Thank you. That answers so many questions. So far, I haven't felt like I needed to drink during, but I'm so thirsty after. I think that is the effect of the dry climate.

This past winter, one of my readers asked me how to hydrate in order to get ready for a half marathon. It doesn't really address hydrating on the run, per se, but has some good tips about how to keep yourself hydrated all day and leading up to a big race if you are interested in reading that: How to Hydrate

Run to Win
25 Marathons, 17 Ultras, 16 States (Full List)

tschepsit

Burninated Peasant

posted: 7/29/2007 at 9:16 PM

I usually stop and walk - otherwise I'd spill the beer!

Mississippi

posted: 7/29/2007 at 10:33 PM

I concentrate more on the day prior with hydrating. During a long run I carry a small water bottle with me and take a few sips every 20 minutes, or as needed. If I do get water during a race I don't usually stop, I just take my time to get enough of it in my mouth rather than up my nose or down my neck!! Blush

There were two races when I stopped to drink the water but those races I didn't carry my water bottle with and the temps were higher than I planned. Oh, during the one trail half marathon that I ran, I definitely stopped at the mile 10 break to enjoy my beer without spilling it! Big grin

Michelle

RunChicRun

madness baby

posted: 7/30/2007 at 8:19 PM

If you've been handed a mixed drink, I would recommend stopping to thank the kind people who fixed it up for ya. It just takes a second, and it ensures that next year when you pass by, you will get offered a similar tasty treat. If you are being "carded" while running a marathon, you should probably stop and discuss the matter with the person. Because they might just chase after you and try to get you to hand back the cerveza. Alternatively, keep running and drink really fast. Your choice! Just couldn't resist Wink

It's not a silly question. In all seriousness, I walk while drinking during a race. It just makes sure it all goes down and that I don't trip over someone. Water stops have to be one of the most dangerous places to be on Sunday mornings! On training runs, I make sure to stop by water fountains a lot because I can't stand that feeling of being that thirsty and depleted when I finish runs. Good luck with your training!

deb

Shiksa

posted: 7/31/2007 at 4:30 PM

Thanks for all the great tips. Note to self: Bring ID on a run or increase speed training to outrun the volunteers with the beer. I'm on my first run over an hour this week so I'll take a little water and see how it goes.

Stacy
I make no apologies for my liberal use of smiley icons. http://www.BlakeHillHouse.com

GreginND

still alive

posted: 8/5/2007 at 9:00 AM

Quote from Shiksa on 7/24/2007 at 7:22 PM:

What a wonderful post. Thank you. That answers so many questions. So far, I haven't felt like I needed to drink during, but I'm so thirsty after. I think that is the effect of the dry climate.

If you feel that thirsty when you finish your run, that probably means you were dehydrated. You may feel great during your run and still be in a dangerous state. The affects of dehydration could hit you before you realize it. I would suggest you try drinking something during your run and see if that changes how you feel after.

Greg in ND

One day at a time.

Run To Win

#2867

posted: 8/16/2007 at 10:50 AM

Last week I wrote an article that addressed this topic (w/pictures even!) over at Run to Win: http://news.runtowin.com/2007/08/09/how-do-you-drink-water-during-a-race.html I meant to get in here and post a link, but I was in Texas and didn't use my computer for a week. (The article was written ahead of time and set to be published while I was away.)

Run to Win
25 Marathons, 17 Ultras, 16 States (Full List)

seeEricaRun

Awesome

posted: 8/17/2007 at 3:17 PM

There's an excellent way to guage how much you are dehydrating yourself during a run - a pint of water weighs about 1 lb. Weigh yourself before the run, then weigh yourself immediately after. The number of pounds less that you weigh shows how many more pints more you should be drinking. One of the dangers of exercise is that once you dehydrate, it is virtually impossible to drink enough while exercising to rehydrate yourself. Therefore, you should do as much as possible to make sure you are hydrated in advance. Hydration is not only the key to proper body functioning, but it STRONGLY influences the ability of your body to maintain temperature (in both hot and cold conditions), so this time of year, you are better off paying more attention to it rather than less. Oddly, the more hydrated you are, the faster your gastric emptying time is, and the easier it is to keep yourself hydrated. According to Dan Bernadot's Advanced Sports Nutrition, you should drink as much as 0.5 liter of fluid (preferably a sports drink, since it enhances both your gastric emptying time, and your body's ability to hold the water, thanks to the salt content) about 30 minutes before exercise, and then continue to sip fluids afterward. However, rehydration from a dehydrated state can take more than 24 hours to fix, so immediately after you stop exercising, you should start rehydration again (preferably with a drink with a large amount of carbs, to also start the process of muscle recovery). I've read that the rule of thumb here is that you should get about 200 Calories of carbs (or 4:1 grams of carbs to protein depending on who you ask) in anywhere from 15 minutes to four hours after you exercise (although 15 minutes-45 minutes seems to be the best time. I'm on the small side, so I never trust fixed numbers, and drink a little less - usually about 8 oz of chocolate milk, followed by several glasses of water. If I don't have chocolate milk I just have gatorade, or, in extreme cases, some jelly followed immediately with sips of water. My aunt calls this the "magic carb 45" (because your muscles are soaking up the sugars in your blood stream, restoring their glycogen supply) and downs a few beers. Your mileage may vary. It's true that for exercise lengths under about 30 minutes, you don't need to worry, but in exceptionally hot and/or humid conditions even under an hour of exercise could lead a dehydrated athelete to overheating, coma or even death, so I prefer not to mess with it (although, in Massachusetts and New York, this rarely concerns me either). If I'm racing a race under 30 minutes, I don't worry about it. I hydrate all day, then stop drinking about 15 minutes before the race. For longer races (an hour or more), I bring my own water bottle to the start, so I don't have to get nailed in the traffic jams at the first few water tables. I've been screwed a few times at races that don't have enough water tables (and being thirsty during a race is trouble (indicates about a 1-2 liter loss of fluid which can't be replaced until I've stopped exercising - dangerous), especially when it's hot), so I always grab water from the table and this time of year, if I can't finish it, I dump it over my head. Physiologically, this doesn't help apparently (at least that's what Hal Higdon says - I don't know what his sources are), but wow, what a psychological boost. I also almost never walk at water stops - not because I don't believe in it, but because I'm mostly worried about getting nailed by the person behind me. I'll usually pull WAY over to the side of a course - usually off the course if I can, if I have to walk for any reason. I also do the Pac-man thing with my cup. If you can't drink it without walking, then by all means walk, I don't think it affects your race time at all (and Galloway and others might argue that it helps it). Okay, enough rambling, going back to studying biochemistry (fat, by the way, decreases your gastric emptying time, which is a good part of the reason it's contraindicated for a few hours before exercising). Good luck! Erica

Trent

Good Bad & The Monkey

posted: 8/17/2007 at 3:25 PM
modified: 8/17/2007 at 3:29 PM

Quote from seeEricaRun on 8/17/2007 at 3:17 PM:

There's an excellent way to guage how much you are dehydrating yourself during a run - a pint of water weighs about 1 lb. Weigh yourself before the run, then weigh yourself immediately after. The number of pounds less that you weigh shows how many more pints more you should be drinking.

Great advice. I highly recommend this as well. Make sure you weigh yourself in the buff as sweaty clothes can hold a lot of water. You will need to repeat this test with each passing season as your sweat rate changes.

Quote from seeEricaRun on 8/17/2007 at 3:17 PM:

it is virtually impossible to drink enough while exercising to rehydrate yourself. Therefore, you should do as much as possible to make sure you are hydrated in advance. Hydration is not only the key to proper body functioning, but it STRONGLY influences the ability of your body to maintain temperature (in both hot and cold conditions), so this time of year, you are better off paying more attention to it rather than less.

With all due respect: I totally and strongly disagree, and this advice is dangerous. Dehydration from running is almost never dangerous. It can reduce your performance, make you feel terrible and end up getting you sick enough to go to a hospital for fluids, but that is usually all. Overhydration, by contrast, is a real entity and kills 1-5 runners per year (perhaps more). It is very very easy to drink more than you are sweating and nearly all sports drinks have relatively more water than sodium when compared to your blood and sweat. This has the effect of diluting your blood sodium down to very low levels. Low blood sodium is called hyponatremia, and hyponatremia can be very serious. Do not try to drink ahead of your thirst, but drink TO your thirst. more detail: Hyponatremia is a serious disease that merits watching out for. Hyponatremia is a condition in which you dilute your blood salt (sodium) with too much liquid, and it can be fatal. Fluids like gatorade and ultima still have far less salt than sweat, so drinking the same amound as you sweat can still dilute your blood. When extreme, hyponatremia causes weakness, hallucinations, lightheadedness and vomiting. Notice that these, except vomiting, are all the same symptoms as you would get with dehydration and with hypoglycemia. In a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found: On univariate analyses, hyponatremia was associated with substantial weight gain, consumption of more than 3 liters of fluids during the race, consumption of fluids every mile, a racing time of >4:00 hours, female sex, and low body-mass index. On multivariate analysis, hyponatremia was associated with weight gain (odds ratio, 4.2; 95 percent confidence interval, 2.2 to 8.2), a racing time of >4:00 hours (odds ratio for the comparison with a time of over 3:30 hours, 7.4; 95 percent confidence interval, 2.9 to 23.1), and body-mass-index extremes. (N Engl J Med. 2005 Apr 14;352(15):1550-6.) That means, the risk factors for hyponatremia include 1. a marathon time > 4 hours (compared to time < 3:30) 2. being too big or too small, 3. being female, 4. drinking over 3 liters of fluids during the run, 5. gaining weight during the run. the researchers did not specifically look at the effect of ambient temperature, salt intake in the days leading up to the marathon, or whether drinking too much in the days leading up to the marathon contributed, but their study was performed on a hot day. remember, 3 liters is nearly a gallon; the cups at the marathon were all about 4-5 ounces full. there are 128 ounces in a gallon. that means you would need to have drunk about 25 cups of fluid in the 10 aid stations to have gotten just that one risk factor. some experts suggest weighing yourself before every marathon and writing your weight on your race tag; that way if you pass out the medics can weigh you. given the variation in scales i do not know if this would actually be useful. folks with hyponatremia have too much fluid on board, so they pee clear urine frequently. folks who pee infrequently and who have darker urine likely do not have hyponatremia. ----------------------------------------------- your sweat contains salt. the reason why you sweat is that it is one of the best ways that your body has to cool itself. essentially, the wet sweat on your skin cools your skin down as it evaporates. the salt is in the sweat as a result of the mechanism your skin cells use to get the fluid out into your sweat glands; the cells cannot push out pure water but they can push out salt, which carries water. anyhow, as a result of all this, you sweat out salt water. sweat contains between 2.2 - 3.4 grams of salt per liter. a liter of sweat weighs 2.2 lbs. so, for every pound of sweat that you loose, you put out 1-1.5 grams of salt. in the summer heat, most folks sweat a pound during every mile or two of running. well, when that sweat evaporates, the salt is left behind, since it cannot evaporate like water does. on windy and dry days, the water evaporates more quickly, and your body replaces it with more sweat more quickly. so you get more salt on you. on still, humid days, the sweat evaporates less so you sweat less (and feel hotter), so you get less salt on you. the reason why people get hyponatremia (low blood salt) is because they sweat out fluids that have a high concentration of salt and replace it with fluids that have a lower concentration of salt. gatorade and other sports drinks have far less salt in them than sweat. so replacing your sweat with sports drinks does not work. for example, to replace the 1 gram of salt (sodium chloride) lost through a half liter of sweat, you would need to drink a whole liter of gatorade. that is a half liter of extra water, which dilutes your blood salts. them jelly beans had salt in them. gu packets have salt in them. in general, these do not have a lot of salt. most have about 50 mg of sodium, which is equal to about 20 mg of salt. there are 1000 mg of salt in a gram. so you would need to take 50 gu packets or equivalent to replace a half liter of sweat. most people cannot fathom eating nacho chips, potato chips or pretzels during a marathon, but these are commonplace to ultramarathons. many people do eat a lot of salt in the days leading up to the marathon, or carry salt tablets with them during the marathon. just in case. the medics should also have salt tablets. you cannot salt-load like you carb-load because your kidneys efficienty remove excess sodium, but you can make sure your reserves are replenished. a good mexican meal 3-4 days before your marathon, and there you go. eat the whole basket of chips 3:30)="" 2.="" being="" too="" big="" or="" too="" small,="" 3.="" being="" female,="" 4.="" drinking="" over="" 3="" liters="" of="" fluids="" during="" the="" run,="" 5.="" gaining="" weight="" during="" the="" run.="" the="" researchers="" did="" not="" specifically="" look="" at="" the="" effect="" of="" ambient="" temperature,="" salt="" intake="" in="" the="" days="" leading="" up="" to="" the="" marathon,="" or="" whether="" drinking="" too="" much="" in="" the="" days="" leading="" up="" to="" the="" marathon="" contributed,="" but="" their="" study="" was="" performed="" on="" a="" hot="" day.="" remember,="" 3="" liters="" is="" nearly="" a="" gallon;="" the="" cups="" at="" the="" marathon="" were="" all="" about="" 4-5="" ounces="" full.="" there="" are="" 128="" ounces="" in="" a="" gallon.="" that="" means="" you="" would="" need="" to="" have="" drunk="" about="" 25="" cups="" of="" fluid="" in="" the="" 10="" aid="" stations="" to="" have="" gotten="" just="" that="" one="" risk="" factor.="" some="" experts="" suggest="" weighing="" yourself="" before="" every="" marathon="" and="" writing="" your="" weight="" on="" your="" race="" tag;="" that="" way="" if="" you="" pass="" out="" the="" medics="" can="" weigh="" you.="" given="" the="" variation="" in="" scales="" i="" do="" not="" know="" if="" this="" would="" actually="" be="" useful.="" folks="" with="" hyponatremia="" have="" too="" much="" fluid="" on="" board,="" so="" they="" pee="" clear="" urine="" frequently.="" folks="" who="" pee="" infrequently="" and="" who="" have="" darker="" urine="" likely="" do="" not="" have="" hyponatremia.="" -----------------------------------------------="" your="" sweat="" contains="" salt.="" the="" reason="" why="" you="" sweat="" is="" that="" it="" is="" one="" of="" the="" best="" ways="" that="" your="" body="" has="" to="" cool="" itself.="" essentially,="" the="" wet="" sweat="" on="" your="" skin="" cools="" your="" skin="" down="" as="" it="" evaporates.="" the="" salt="" is="" in="" the="" sweat="" as="" a="" result="" of="" the="" mechanism="" your="" skin="" cells="" use="" to="" get="" the="" fluid="" out="" into="" your="" sweat="" glands;="" the="" cells="" cannot="" push="" out="" pure="" water="" but="" they="" can="" push="" out="" salt,="" which="" carries="" water.="" anyhow,="" as="" a="" result="" of="" all="" this,="" you="" sweat="" out="" salt="" water.="" sweat="" contains="" between="" 2.2="" -="" 3.4="" grams="" of="" salt="" per="" liter.="" a="" liter="" of="" sweat="" weighs="" 2.2="" lbs.="" so,="" for="" every="" pound="" of="" sweat="" that="" you="" loose,="" you="" put="" out="" 1-1.5="" grams="" of="" salt.="" in="" the="" summer="" heat,="" most="" folks="" sweat="" a="" pound="" during="" every="" mile="" or="" two="" of="" running.="" well,="" when="" that="" sweat="" evaporates,="" the="" salt="" is="" left="" behind,="" since="" it="" cannot="" evaporate="" like="" water="" does.="" on="" windy="" and="" dry="" days,="" the="" water="" evaporates="" more="" quickly,="" and="" your="" body="" replaces="" it="" with="" more="" sweat="" more="" quickly.="" so="" you="" get="" more="" salt="" on="" you.="" on="" still,="" humid="" days,="" the="" sweat="" evaporates="" less="" so="" you="" sweat="" less="" (and="" feel="" hotter),="" so="" you="" get="" less="" salt="" on="" you.="" the="" reason="" why="" people="" get="" hyponatremia="" (low="" blood="" salt)="" is="" because="" they="" sweat="" out="" fluids="" that="" have="" a="" high="" concentration="" of="" salt="" and="" replace="" it="" with="" fluids="" that="" have="" a="" lower="" concentration="" of="" salt.="" gatorade="" and="" other="" sports="" drinks="" have="" far="" less="" salt="" in="" them="" than="" sweat.="" so="" replacing="" your="" sweat="" with="" sports="" drinks="" does="" not="" work.="" for="" example,="" to="" replace="" the="" 1="" gram="" of="" salt="" (sodium="" chloride)="" lost="" through="" a="" half="" liter="" of="" sweat,="" you="" would="" need="" to="" drink="" a="" whole="" liter="" of="" gatorade.="" that="" is="" a="" half="" liter="" of="" extra="" water,="" which="" dilutes="" your="" blood="" salts.="" them="" jelly="" beans="" had="" salt="" in="" them.="" gu="" packets="" have="" salt="" in="" them.="" in="" general,="" these="" do="" not="" have="" a="" lot="" of="" salt.="" most="" have="" about="" 50="" mg="" of="" sodium,="" which="" is="" equal="" to="" about="" 20="" mg="" of="" salt.="" there="" are="" 1000="" mg="" of="" salt="" in="" a="" gram.="" so="" you="" would="" need="" to="" take="" 50="" gu="" packets="" or="" equivalent="" to="" replace="" a="" half="" liter="" of="" sweat.="" most="" people="" cannot="" fathom="" eating="" nacho="" chips,="" potato="" chips="" or="" pretzels="" during="" a="" marathon,="" but="" these="" are="" commonplace="" to="" ultramarathons.="" many="" people="" do="" eat="" a="" lot="" of="" salt="" in="" the="" days="" leading="" up="" to="" the="" marathon,="" or="" carry="" salt="" tablets="" with="" them="" during="" the="" marathon.="" just="" in="" case.="" the="" medics="" should="" also="" have="" salt="" tablets.="" you="" cannot="" salt-load="" like="" you="" carb-load="" because="" your="" kidneys="" efficienty="" remove="" excess="" sodium,="" but="" you="" can="" make="" sure="" your="" reserves="" are="" replenished.="" a="" good="" mexican="" meal="" 3-4="" days="" before="" your="" marathon,="" and="" there="" you="" go.="" eat="" the="" whole="" basket="" of=""></ 3:30) 2. being too big or too small, 3. being female, 4. drinking over 3 liters of fluids during the run, 5. gaining weight during the run. the researchers did not specifically look at the effect of ambient temperature, salt intake in the days leading up to the marathon, or whether drinking too much in the days leading up to the marathon contributed, but their study was performed on a hot day. remember, 3 liters is nearly a gallon; the cups at the marathon were all about 4-5 ounces full. there are 128 ounces in a gallon. that means you would need to have drunk about 25 cups of fluid in the 10 aid stations to have gotten just that one risk factor. some experts suggest weighing yourself before every marathon and writing your weight on your race tag; that way if you pass out the medics can weigh you. given the variation in scales i do not know if this would actually be useful. folks with hyponatremia have too much fluid on board, so they pee clear urine frequently. folks who pee infrequently and who have darker urine likely do not have hyponatremia. ----------------------------------------------- your sweat contains salt. the reason why you sweat is that it is one of the best ways that your body has to cool itself. essentially, the wet sweat on your skin cools your skin down as it evaporates. the salt is in the sweat as a result of the mechanism your skin cells use to get the fluid out into your sweat glands; the cells cannot push out pure water but they can push out salt, which carries water. anyhow, as a result of all this, you sweat out salt water. sweat contains between 2.2 - 3.4 grams of salt per liter. a liter of sweat weighs 2.2 lbs. so, for every pound of sweat that you loose, you put out 1-1.5 grams of salt. in the summer heat, most folks sweat a pound during every mile or two of running. well, when that sweat evaporates, the salt is left behind, since it cannot evaporate like water does. on windy and dry days, the water evaporates more quickly, and your body replaces it with more sweat more quickly. so you get more salt on you. on still, humid days, the sweat evaporates less so you sweat less (and feel hotter), so you get less salt on you. the reason why people get hyponatremia (low blood salt) is because they sweat out fluids that have a high concentration of salt and replace it with fluids that have a lower concentration of salt. gatorade and other sports drinks have far less salt in them than sweat. so replacing your sweat with sports drinks does not work. for example, to replace the 1 gram of salt (sodium chloride) lost through a half liter of sweat, you would need to drink a whole liter of gatorade. that is a half liter of extra water, which dilutes your blood salts. them jelly beans had salt in them. gu packets have salt in them. in general, these do not have a lot of salt. most have about 50 mg of sodium, which is equal to about 20 mg of salt. there are 1000 mg of salt in a gram. so you would need to take 50 gu packets or equivalent to replace a half liter of sweat. most people cannot fathom eating nacho chips, potato chips or pretzels during a marathon, but these are commonplace to ultramarathons. many people do eat a lot of salt in the days leading up to the marathon, or carry salt tablets with them during the marathon. just in case. the medics should also have salt tablets. you cannot salt-load like you carb-load because your kidneys efficienty remove excess sodium, but you can make sure your reserves are replenished. a good mexican meal 3-4 days before your marathon, and there you go. eat the whole basket of chips>

I'm running somewhere tomorrow. It's going to be beautiful. I can't wait.

Poor baby

mikeymike

posted: 8/17/2007 at 3:43 PM

Regarding the weighing yourself thing. I often weigh myself after my long run and before I jump in the shower. And rarely do I weigh much less than I did before I left--maybe a pound at most. Even when I know I'm dehydrated. A lot of times I pound 3-4 glasses of water/gatorade/juice/smoothie right when I get home and all of that is sitting in my stomach and hasn't reached my bloodstream yet which would account for the feeling dehydrated but weighing the same. But usually I continue to drink lots of fluids after that and it still takes a few hours before I pee (and a while after that before I pee clear.) So what gives? Do you only need to drink until you weigh the same and then wait, or is it helpful to continue drinking fluids even after you weigh the same as you did pre-run?

Runners run

Trent

Good Bad & The Monkey

posted: 8/17/2007 at 3:47 PM

MM, your thirst mechanism and body's physiologic adaption to dehydration do not go away the moment you chug. So while your weight may be back to normal, you will remain thirsty and anuric (i.e., without making urine) until that fluid reaches your bloodstream, which can take minutes to hours. And then you will continue to drink and overhydrate. This is why your legs get swollen the next day; all that fluid you forced on yourself cannot all make its way out your kidneys that quickly, so it causes edema instead. RtoW, above, suggested the better strategy, drink small amounts often. Also, sports drinks are typically absorbed faster than water, smoothies, Coke, etc. So they may help you recover your intravascular fluid more efficiently.

I'm running somewhere tomorrow. It's going to be beautiful. I can't wait.

Poor baby