"Out of the silver heat mirage he ran. The sky burned, and under him the paving was a black mirror reflecting sun-fire. Sweat sprayed his skin with each foot strike so that he ran in a hot mist of his own creation. With each slap on the softened asphalt, his soles absorbed heat that rose through his arches and ankles and the stems of his shins. It was a
carnival of pain, but he loved each stride because running distilled him to his essence and the heat hastened this distillation."
- James Tabor, from "The Runner," a short story
What an eloquent quote! However, I’d like to meet the person that feels this same way. One is more likely to illustrate a scene of delirium: wildebeest-like sweating, cussing, and stumbling across the pavement.
It seems as though 100 degrees F is commonplace these days. Exercising in these conditions can be dangerous, even deadly, if precautions are not taken to keep the core body temperature under control as well as staying adequately hydrated. Fortunately, our amazing physiology has a built-in cooling system. As our body temperature increases, a response system is activated. Blood flows to our skin and we begin to sweat (yes, sweat is a glorious thing!) Sweat evaporation provides the primary avenue of heat loss (cooling) during vigorous exercise in hot weather; however, sweat losses can be substantial creating the potential for dehydration. Also, keep in mind that dehydration and humidity can hinder sweating (cooling) and evaporation (cooling). In addition to sweating, consider wearing light-colored, light-weight fabric, and “skin-bearing” articles of clothing. Consume cold water when you can and ice cubes under the hat trick will provide extra relief.
Besides containing water, sweat contains electrolytes. If not appropriately replaced, water and electrolyte imbalances can develop and adversely impact exercise performance and health. Electrolytes affect and regulate the hydration of the body as well as blood pH, and are critical for nerve and muscle function. These include: sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, magnesium, hydrogen phosphate, and hydrogen carbonate. Electrolyte losses will vary from person-to-person but what remains standard is that our bodies‘ lose a great deal more sodium and chloride than any other electrolyte. For those athletes that crave salt on their foods in the summer...I think your body is trying to tell you something! In addition, you have a greater chance of losing what you consume, hence, those individuals who think they are salty sweaters...you are simply consuming larger quantities of sodium.
The best way to determine your hydration needs is to weigh yourself ‘nekkid’ before your training session and then after (remember to do so after your morning bowel movement). If you have more than a 2-3% loss of body weight post-exercise, you will need to increase your fluid intake before, during, and after exercise. Please note that the body cannot replace the deficit as quickly as it is losing it. The kidneys adjust to the increasing demands and blood flow to the kidneys decreases, making it OK to function with less water coming and going. Over-hydrating can cause hyponatremia, a dilution of serum electrolytes to dangerous levels, which can be deadly.
A good rule of thumb is take in 16-20 oz of fluid per hour (or .4 to .8 liters per hour depending on body type, activity, and environment), alternating water and a sports drink. However, you may need to adjust according to your post-exercise weight loss log and the color of your urine. Dark yellow is bad and “lemonade” is good! In addition, what you may need for a long workout session outdoors will be different from a short session indoors. Moderate your consumption of sports drinks since some contain high amounts of sugar, which can ultimately expedite dehydration pulling more water into our intestines. In addition, the extra calories are typically not needed for activities lasting less than 60 minutes.
Electrolyte replacements, similar to hydration needs, will differ from person to person according to activity and environment. The American College of Sports Medicine states, “During exercise greater than 1 hour, approximately 0.5-0.7 g of sodium per liter of water would be appropriate to replace that lost from sweating.” Since we are in a mid-summer heat-wave let’s discuss the research surrounding hot-weather replacement suggestions. Some expert dietitians suggest supplementing with 200mg of sodium, and about 50mg of potassium per liter of fluid per hour as a good starting place. Others have suggested 400-1000mg of sodium per liter of fluid per hour for ultra-endurance athletes. The bottom line is to replace your some of your losses and not just with sodium. The sports drinks I have listed below have been tried and proven to offer great results. Find what works best for you. And when in doubt, bring that banana along for some extra potassium!
My faves are-First Endurance EFS Drink, SUCEED! S-Caps, Clif Shot Electrolyte, & Saltstick Caps
Fun Facts~Total body water averages about 60% of our body mass
~Muscle mass or fat-free mass is about 70-80% water
~Fat tissue is about 10% water
~The more muscle mass we have, the more water we can store!
~1mL of sweat loss equals 1g loss in body weight
~Individuals looking to achieve rapid and complete recovery from dehydration should drink ~1.5 L of fluid for each kilogram of body weight lost over a period of time as opposed to one big bolus.
~A medium banana contains 450mg of potassium!
Be kind to your bodies, be smart, and be well on Your Journeys!
~Marisa L. Carter
carnival of pain, but he loved each stride because running distilled him to his essence and the heat hastened this distillation."
- James Tabor, from "The Runner," a short story
What an eloquent quote! However, I’d like to meet the person that feels this same way. One is more likely to illustrate a scene of delirium: wildebeest-like sweating, cussing, and stumbling across the pavement.
It seems as though 100 degrees F is commonplace these days. Exercising in these conditions can be dangerous, even deadly, if precautions are not taken to keep the core body temperature under control as well as staying adequately hydrated. Fortunately, our amazing physiology has a built-in cooling system. As our body temperature increases, a response system is activated. Blood flows to our skin and we begin to sweat (yes, sweat is a glorious thing!) Sweat evaporation provides the primary avenue of heat loss (cooling) during vigorous exercise in hot weather; however, sweat losses can be substantial creating the potential for dehydration. Also, keep in mind that dehydration and humidity can hinder sweating (cooling) and evaporation (cooling). In addition to sweating, consider wearing light-colored, light-weight fabric, and “skin-bearing” articles of clothing. Consume cold water when you can and ice cubes under the hat trick will provide extra relief.
Besides containing water, sweat contains electrolytes. If not appropriately replaced, water and electrolyte imbalances can develop and adversely impact exercise performance and health. Electrolytes affect and regulate the hydration of the body as well as blood pH, and are critical for nerve and muscle function. These include: sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, magnesium, hydrogen phosphate, and hydrogen carbonate. Electrolyte losses will vary from person-to-person but what remains standard is that our bodies‘ lose a great deal more sodium and chloride than any other electrolyte. For those athletes that crave salt on their foods in the summer...I think your body is trying to tell you something! In addition, you have a greater chance of losing what you consume, hence, those individuals who think they are salty sweaters...you are simply consuming larger quantities of sodium.
The best way to determine your hydration needs is to weigh yourself ‘nekkid’ before your training session and then after (remember to do so after your morning bowel movement). If you have more than a 2-3% loss of body weight post-exercise, you will need to increase your fluid intake before, during, and after exercise. Please note that the body cannot replace the deficit as quickly as it is losing it. The kidneys adjust to the increasing demands and blood flow to the kidneys decreases, making it OK to function with less water coming and going. Over-hydrating can cause hyponatremia, a dilution of serum electrolytes to dangerous levels, which can be deadly.
A good rule of thumb is take in 16-20 oz of fluid per hour (or .4 to .8 liters per hour depending on body type, activity, and environment), alternating water and a sports drink. However, you may need to adjust according to your post-exercise weight loss log and the color of your urine. Dark yellow is bad and “lemonade” is good! In addition, what you may need for a long workout session outdoors will be different from a short session indoors. Moderate your consumption of sports drinks since some contain high amounts of sugar, which can ultimately expedite dehydration pulling more water into our intestines. In addition, the extra calories are typically not needed for activities lasting less than 60 minutes.
Electrolyte replacements, similar to hydration needs, will differ from person to person according to activity and environment. The American College of Sports Medicine states, “During exercise greater than 1 hour, approximately 0.5-0.7 g of sodium per liter of water would be appropriate to replace that lost from sweating.” Since we are in a mid-summer heat-wave let’s discuss the research surrounding hot-weather replacement suggestions. Some expert dietitians suggest supplementing with 200mg of sodium, and about 50mg of potassium per liter of fluid per hour as a good starting place. Others have suggested 400-1000mg of sodium per liter of fluid per hour for ultra-endurance athletes. The bottom line is to replace your some of your losses and not just with sodium. The sports drinks I have listed below have been tried and proven to offer great results. Find what works best for you. And when in doubt, bring that banana along for some extra potassium!
My faves are-First Endurance EFS Drink, SUCEED! S-Caps, Clif Shot Electrolyte, & Saltstick Caps
Fun Facts~Total body water averages about 60% of our body mass
~Muscle mass or fat-free mass is about 70-80% water
~Fat tissue is about 10% water
~The more muscle mass we have, the more water we can store!
~1mL of sweat loss equals 1g loss in body weight
~Individuals looking to achieve rapid and complete recovery from dehydration should drink ~1.5 L of fluid for each kilogram of body weight lost over a period of time as opposed to one big bolus.
~A medium banana contains 450mg of potassium!
Be kind to your bodies, be smart, and be well on Your Journeys!
~Marisa L. Carter