Many runners like a nice pint of carbohydrate solution (beer!) after a run, but there is more to hydration that just visiting the pub!
Any form of vigorous exercise causes you to lose water through sweating, but the intensity of running makes it an especially important issue for runners. It's generally estimated that runners can lose the equivalent of 2kg of water per hour running. Failing to replace it can have a serious effect on performance and health. It's estimated that a loss of water equivalent to 2% of body weight (1.6kg for a typical 80kg runner) reduces running performance by 6%.
Thirst is a notoriously unreliable indicator of dehydration - by the time you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated. The only solution is to be realistic and acknowledge that you will loose a certain amount of water in a period of running, and ensure that you put it back. If you want to be really precise you could even weigh yourself before running and after your shower when you return to see exactly how much you've lost - nearly all of it will be water which you need to replace.
On runs of less than 90 minutes it's normally safe to just replace what you've lost with simple water. Ideally it shouldn't be too cold as the temperature difference from your body can cause a bit of a shock, and body temperature water is absorbed more quickly. On runs of more than 30 minutes it makes sense to carry some water with you and drink at regular intervals. If you try to drink too much water before running you run the risk of feeling bloated and slow. Drinking afterwards will probably be too late to stop you feeling fatigued, and perhaps suffering from dehydration headaches.
For longer runs you need to consider hyponatraemia. It literally means 'shortage of sodium', and it happens because sweat doesn't just contain water - it also contains a number of essential nutrients, one of the most important of which is sodium. As some of your bodily sodium has been sweated out during your run, just drinking water dilutes the remaining sodium in your blood stream. If the level in the blood becomes too low it can cause fatigue, loss of concentration, muscle weakness, and in extreme cases coma and death.
Therefore Isotonic drinks are advised for longer runs. 'Isotonic' simply means that they contain the same concentration of salt and sugar as the human body, therefore helping to maintain the natural balance of electrolytes. However, care is required as there are many sports drinks which are not Isotonic, and they are mostly stuffed full of sugar to give you a quick boost. One small pack of sports gel can contain 60g of sugar. If you are running to lose weight, these gels just aren't the answer - they are plotting to kill you via diabetes!
So, it's important to maintain a healthy level of hydration. The best way is to drink water, before you need it. Only those who are likely to become very dehydrated - running in very hot weather or for more than 90 minutes - normally need to consider Isotonic Sports Drinks.
Find out more about training for a half marathon at www.erunningweightloss.com/halfmarathontraining
Rob Knowles used to be a sedentary, overweight office dweller. He still wastes his days trying to earn an honest living in an office, but he did take up running, he lost some weight and now he just won't stop going on about it!
© 2012 Rob Knowles
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