Hydration in Heat

fastbelly

Just found this interesting article on Runner's World that given the recent stories of people strugling with the heat I thought would be good to share here.

Enjoy:

It must have been a decade or so ago that Hal Goforth took me by surprise. Goforth, an exercise physiologist and sometime winner of his age group in the Boston Marathon and BAA Half, said that he always drank a little Boston Harbor water before his Hopkinton-to-Boston efforts.

At least that's how I remember it. Of course, Goforth was pulling my leg. But he wasn't kidding about salty water. Goforth had conducted some unpublished research on the relationship between consuming salty water and the body's subsequent retention of that precious stuff. And he was convinced of this: more salt in your pre-exercise slurpy = less dehydration down the road.

What Goforth actually did at the Boston Marathon was add a little additional salt to the Gatorade he carried to Hopkinton. Then he quaffed the Saltyade just before the start.

Is it hot enough where you live? Same here. Hot enough to have me thinking about heat, hydration, and heading for the beach.

There's a key point that all runners must understand about the heat: It sucks, and there's little you can do about it. Nothing, and I mean nothing, will help you feel and perform well in the heat/humidity. Not more water, not some superade, and not a bag of ice in your running shorts.

Here's all you need to know about summer running: Change your expectations. Run less, run slower, run at 4 a.m., run under shade. Do whatever works for you. And accept that it's going to feel crappy anyway. Humans are better at running in the heat than most other animals, but that doesn't mean we're good at it. We're just less bad. And it still sucks.

The good news? October is due to reappear in two months. And then you'll feel zippy again, and will be able to fun farther and faster than now.

Until then, you might try adding just a touch of salt to your last drink five minutes before you begin a workout. It has worked for Hal Goforth, and it's mentioned in this excellent Running Times story that includes interviews with two heat-hydration experts (Jonathan Dugas, and Eric Goulet). One of my favorite running-in-the-heat experts (Douglas Casa) agrees that there's a place for added salt.

"Research has shown that salt will provide some benefit with fluid retention," Casa says. "But you have to be careful to find a middle ground. Add too much, and the taste is bad, and that might limit fluid ingestion."

As with so many other things, a lot more isn't better. But a little more might help.

srp2011

Thanks for posting! I live in Texas and it has been over 100 for 22 days now. I've kept running, and it feels crappy. I'm glad to know its supposed to and it's not just me :-) I'm ready for September!

kslindner

That makes sense... No wonder Gatorade has so much sodium in it... To prevent dehydration!

Great article! Thanks for posting.