Question about running in the heat and salt tablets...

emmaleigh47

Ok who has heat related experience. I have a bunch of questions...

1. I am getting sooo dehydrated ... how much am I supposed to be drinking?
2. I just started taking salt tabs ... on a 6 mile run I started taking them at mile 3.5 .... but I felt horrible until I took them and much better after I did... is this in my head or not. I sweat profusely when I run...
3. Do you change your fueling/carb routine in the heat
4. I am running faster paces now then I was in the winter... does this possibly mean that by next winter I will be even faster?

I have no colon (surgically removed) .... and I am just struggling struggling struggling. I am finishing my runs, but wow they are hard and I find myself struggling sooo much... I havent had an easy run in a looong time.

Any advice from all of you experienced runners?

sarah44254

Electrolytes are helpful! You don't need to buy expensive drinks or have a sugar loaded gatorade. Simply put a slice of fruit (for flavor) into water, then put some salt into that water, BAM. sports drink. Learned it in chem class :laugh: half body weight in oz for how much to drink, and another 8 oz for every 30 mins of activity, so if you are 240, and do a 1.5 hr jog, you'd need 120oz plus 24 oz for the jog, 144 oz or 18cups, well within a realistic day!

It is not terrible to take salt tabs, they are likely helping as much as you believe.

I never eat/drink when I go out to run, maybe that is why I do poorly!

absolutely reasonable that you are running faster and faster improvement!!

agleckle

Hi! I am from AZ, so I have experience running in the heat

First, I would suggest keeping a steady flow of water into your body all day... some people will chug a bunch of water before they run but that just makes you feel bloated and makes you run more slowly.

Secondly, I would suggest throwing in some sports drinks... obviously, the ones that are zero calorie... but they have a little sodium in them which helps you to retain water but not so much that it hinders your performance. Also, I would suggest that you take the salt tab before you run. At least, that is how my runner friends and I do it and during the Rock 'n Roll 1/2 marathons I have done, they are always passing out salt at the starting line, not during the race. And then I suppose it is up to you whether you want to take a little more later on in your run depending on how far you go.

And then of course, I would add sips of sports drink, as well as water, in during your run so you are getting more electrolytes as you sweat everything out.

I hope this helps a little

Elzecat

Electrolytes are helpful! You don't need to buy expensive drinks or have a sugar loaded gatorade. Simply put a slice of fruit (for flavor) into water, then put some salt into that water, BAM. sports drink. Learned it in chem class :laugh: half body weight in oz for how much to drink, and another 8 oz for every 30 mins of activity, so if you are 240, and do a 1.5 hr jog, you'd need 120oz plus 24 oz for the jog, 144 oz or 18cups, well within a realistic day!

It is not terrible to take salt tabs, they are likely helping as much as you believe.

I never eat/drink when I go out to run, maybe that is why I do poorly!

absolutely reasonable that you are running faster and faster improvement!!

the homemade sports drink sounds like a great idea! thanks for sharing that...

corinnak

Have you tried taking the salt tab before the run? Before a half marathon in heat I will take a packet of salt with some water and it seems like it makes a big difference to how I feel during and after the race.

I think you're doing amazingly well. I usually run slower in the summer so yes, you probably will be faster when the temps go down as well. With weight loss and training, you're likely to see rapid improvement in pace. On the other hand, the fact that you CAN run faster, doesn't necessarily mean that you must. When I started running, I had one speed and it was all I could manage. After about 6 months, I started to realize that I had all I could manage (which was faster than before) and I also had some easier speeds as well - I could run more slowly and recover as I ran, or just be able to run much farther at the slower speed while still feeling comfortable.

mslexie89

i like the homemade sports drink idea!!! Awesome!

sarah44254

Only reason I don't suggest 0 cal sports drinks is the fact that they add artificial sweetener instead of sugar. That is just something I don't consume, so I don't suggest it. If you drink that stuff - then by all means, have a zero powerade

QueenHanifa

from what I've learned about having your colon removed(chrohns patient) afterwards the body can't absorb sodium,so wouldn't it be true that taking salt tablets and or sports drinks be not benifical because theres no intestinal wall to absorb the salt? I would consult with my GI on the matter.Also drinking too much walter can rob your body of the little salt that is being absorbed

KetoMomRN

Thanks for posting this as I have had some similar questions about running in the heat (and I'm JUST starting out)

emmaleigh47

from what I've learned about having your colon removed(chrohns patient) afterwards the body can't absorb sodium,so wouldn't it be true that taking salt tablets and or sports drinks be not benifical because theres no intestinal wall to absorb the salt? I would consult with my GI on the matter.Also drinking too much walter can rob your body of the little salt that is being absorbed

I would agree with you that without a colon you have a much harder time absorbing sodium ... but you also have a harder time absorbing water ...

Normal people when they start to get dehydrated the colon holds on to as much water of possible for them ... I do not have that ability. I have talked to my GI ... unfortunately he is not a runner and his response is "well dont run so long, maybe its not possible for you." I refuse to accept that ... I just continue to try other things.

In the winter ... I trained for my half with 3 bottles of half gatorade and half water... and I was fine... my second half I trained with 2 bottle water and 2 bottle full gatorade... but this summer has been much harder...

I have not tried salt tabs prior ... hmmm ... thats a great idea!

emmaleigh47

Electrolytes are helpful! You don't need to buy expensive drinks or have a sugar loaded gatorade. Simply put a slice of fruit (for flavor) into water, then put some salt into that water, BAM. sports drink. Learned it in chem class :laugh: half body weight in oz for how much to drink, and another 8 oz for every 30 mins of activity, so if you are 240, and do a 1.5 hr jog, you'd need 120oz plus 24 oz for the jog, 144 oz or 18cups, well within a realistic day!

It is not terrible to take salt tabs, they are likely helping as much as you believe.

I never eat/drink when I go out to run, maybe that is why I do poorly!

absolutely reasonable that you are running faster and faster improvement!!

I agree with everything you said... and I drink tons of water all day ... and after I run. But I am trying to figure out how much I am supposed to be drinking during the run to avoid feeling sooo yuck...

sarah44254

oh DURING the run! I really have no idea, then.

suzycreamcheese

thats really interesting. I feel really dizzy after a while running in the heat. Maybe a proper sports drink would help.

jeffrodgers1

I have heard that the average person will lose (ok sweat) out between 500 ml and 1.5 litres of water per hour with strenuous exercise. I suppose that some of us (ok... I am included) sweat considerably more than 1.5 liters/hour while running. Probably more in the summer heat .

The average person absorbs fluids at a rate of 700 ml to 1200 ml per hour.

This is interesting in the context that once you start losing the water, you may not be able to hydrate sufficiently during the course of a race to replace it.

So how to deal with it? And I am answering within the context of my own experiences as both a runner and a coach.

1. Prehydrate -> Obviously starting a race while dehydrated is not in anyone's best interests. Make sure you start a run with fluids already on board. Make sure you start with fluids already being absorbed as well. Drink a bottle of sports drink before you run.

2. Commit to taking fluids as often as possible. Personally I take 250ml every 20 minutes and adjust according to heat. I prefer the sports drinks as they also include electrolytes and replace energy.

3. Try not to get thirsty. Dehydration has already started by the time you are feeling thirsty. Try to prevent yourself from reaching this level.

4. Pay attention to your urine color (easier to do pre race) Urine color is a good indicator of your hydration levels. Dark colored urine indicates insufficient fluids... time to top it up!

5. Carry fluids with you. I typically run with a 2 liter Camelback. This allows me to monitor my water intake a little easier and replace fluids a little easier (adding 5 pounds helps with training as well...

6. Listen to your body. Heat stroke and sun stroke can develop quickly and can be very serious medical conditions. Symptoms include stopping sweating, headache, vomiting, confusion, disorientation, difficulty breathing (and others) If you feel you or someone around you may have heat stroke, stop and get medical help IMMEDIATELY.

I am also tagging a few links on the end which deal with Hydration. Hope these help.

From Runners World;

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-302--4814-0,00.html

About Heat Stroke;

http://www.umm.edu/non_trauma/dehyrat.htm

emmaleigh47

Any other opinions?
Anyone else use salt tabs?

feisma

bump....have totally been dealing with heat related issues, too. Those long runs on the weekends are getting ROUGH with this heat!

emmaleigh47

anyone else?