Effects of Dehydration on Running

Published: 12th March 2010

Views: N/A

Copyright (c) 2010 Julie Austin

Runners will try different things to cut their running time, but one of the worst things they can do is to become dehydrated. This will not only impact their time, but could cause serious health problems.

Dehydration can occur when the body loses water and essential body salts.

It?s easy for pros and beginners alike to underestimate how much water they need to drink to stay hydrated. Once they get to the point of being thirsty, dehydration is already setting in. 2% of your body weight can be lost before you actually feel thirsty.

Marathon trainers will tell you to start hydrating several days before you begin training. You need to drink more water than usual when you are training. Drink at least sixteen ounces of water or sports drink several hours before you go running and drink a few ounces of water or sports drink at least every fifteen minutes during your run. Drinking cold water will keep your body at a normal temperature.

Some of the symptoms of dehydration include:

Thirst,

Fatigue,

Confusion,

Dizziness,

Headaches,

Dry skin,

Skin flushing,

Muscle weakness,

Increased heart rate.

A good way to determine if you are drinking enough water is by checking urine color. It should be light or clear in color. Check urine color to make sure it's not dark, which could signal dehydration. This is a sign that you need to start drinking more water.

Running in the heat accelerates dehydration. That?s why you need to take precautions to avoid both dehydration and heat stroke. Acclimating to the heat for about two weeks is recommended for runners.

Water and electrolytes are lost through sweat and need to be replaced. Essential body salts, such as sodium, potassium, and phosphate need to be replaced. This can be done with a good electrolyte drink mix. Since you'll be more hydrated, your running performance will be improved. It's important to replace sodium during long runs.

Sodium helps the body to retain fluid and potassium is essential for muscle and nerve function. The body needs a balance of these to function properly. If you have too much or too little sodium it could seriously affect your performance. You could cause problems with your nervous system if you have too much or too little potassium.

An electrolyte drink that is balanced will improve a runner's performance. Drinking enough water and taking in enough sodium will help give runners the edge they need to succeed.

------

Julie Austin invented swiggies wrist water bottles after passing out from dehydration while running. swiggies are hands-free water bottles that attach to your wrists.

http://www.swiggies.com