Hydration: Is it really that important?

Hello everyone,

I think an important topic to begin with is hydration. We all know that in the Arizona heat we have to stay hydrated! With high temperatures continuing throughout the month of September, it is possibly more important to pay attention to hydration now than it will be in our race month of February when our temperatures will be more moderate!

Here is the deal on why hydration is so important. Sweating is the body's main mechanism of controlling body temperature during exercise. Picture this: You are training by running 5 miles today. As your muscles are utilizing glucose, they are giving off heat. This increases the temperature of the blood. The blood is carried to the surface of the skin. The skin temperature increases and perspiration appears on the surface. Through evaporation, the skin temperature is cooled as well as the blood under the surface. To be able to continue this process continually, you have to continue to provide your body with water to be used for sweating!

So hopefully you are sold on the idea that you need to remain hydrated. What should you use for hydration? Both water and sports drinks have a place, in my opinion. The presence of glucose (sugar) and sodium (Na) help the intestines to absorb water. This supports the use of sports drinks in addition to water alone. When you are choosing a sports drink, aim for about 6% of carbohydrate (CHO) and 80-120 mg of Na for each 8 oz serving.

To figure out the % of CHO take the g (grams) of CHO in a serving divided by the weight of 1 serving. For example, I looked at Gatorade Thirst Quencher (I'm not endorsing this specific product- I'm just using it for an example in how to figure out the information).

16 g carbohydrate/ serving

__________________= .0655 x 100 = ~6.5 % CHO

244 g (1 cup or 8 fluid ounces)

Hydration is an issue that you must continue to be aware of throughout your training, not just when you are actually working out. If you begin your run dehydrated, drinking an appropriate amount throughout your work out will not be sufficient. Here is a model of what adequate hydration may look like for you.

• Throughout the day: 8 oz fluids with each meal & snack
• Before working out: 8-16 ounces of water/fluid
• During work out: 4-8 ounces of water/ fluid every 15-20 minutes *
• After work out: 8-16 ounces of water/fluid*

*For the "during" fluids, I would encourage you to consider an energy drink if you are going to be exercising for greater than 60 minutes. For the "after" fluids, I would encourage the use of a sports drink that meets the criteria discussed earlier in the blog.

I hope this information is useful to you!

-Nicole

I consulted the following text while writing this blog: Krause's Food Nutrition & Diet Therapy 10th Ed. By L. Kathleen Mahan and Sylvia Escott-Stump