Posted: March 11, 2006

Multisport by Lance Watson: Planning for Hydration

By Lance Watson - www.LifeSport.ca.

Many triathletes underestimate the importance of proper hydration while training and racing. After only 1-2% of a persons body weight is lost through sweating their performance will be affected negatively. Dehydration is a major cause of fatigue, poor performance, decreased coordination and muscle cramping. All active people can increase performance and delay fatigue or muscle pain by staying properly hydrated. How can you keep track of how well hydrated you are or figure out if you are dehydrated? We all know what thirst feels like, and in exercise, if you feel like you are dehydrated then it's way too late.

Most people are familiar with the standard hydration plan: drink eight glasses of water a day. While this advice is useful, athletes and active people need a plan that is tailored to their training needs.

The most basic way to start to figure out hydration begins in the morning. When you first wake up and use the washroom take a peek at your urine. If it is clear or slightly yellow then you've done a good job; you kept yourself hydrated throughout the previous day. You took in as many fluids as your body eliminated through sweat and urine and that kept you hydrated. This means you can consume fluids at the same rate that you did the previous day, taking into consideration your duration and intensity of exercise. On the other hand, if your urine is bright yellow then you are likely dehydrated. Think back to what you did the previous day. Did you have a long workout in heat and how much and how frequently did you drink? If your urine is very yellow in the morning then you just didn't get enough fluids the day before and you must increase the amount and frequency that you drink.

Most people are unable to accurately calculate how much fluid loss their bodies are experiencing during their workouts so to take the guess work out of hydration use a scale. The scale will help you to figure out how much water your body loses during certain workouts. Weigh yourself before and after a workout. The difference in weight can be attributed to dehydration (sorry, but you haven't lost fat!). Once you figure this out you can plan ahead by increasing your fluids before, during and after a training session to initially top yourself up and then keep your fluid levels up throughout the workout and the rest of the day. For each pound of sweat you have lost you must drink 24 ounces/700mL of water in order to replace this fluid.

Tips on Maintaining Hydration:

• Consider 'pre hydrating' by drinking 500-600mL of water/fluids 2-3 hours before exercising and then another 200-300mL of fluids 10-20 minutes before beginning an activity. Starting an activity with fluids in your stomach will allow your body to get used to digesting and absorbing fluids while the demands of your activity are present. The chances of getting a stomach cramp in the middle of a workout or race will be lessened if your stomach has been trained to deal with this fluid.
• Keep fluids on hand and accessible. Use a water belt to carry fluids with you or place them somewhere near by so that you can "top up" while continuing through your workout. Many long distance runners will drive to a couple spots along their routes before they begin their runs to drop off water bottles.
• Use your watch for more than timing the duration of the session. Plan to drink at certain intervals (such as every 20 minutes during a 2 hour run) whether you feel thirsty or not.
• Clothing can also lead to dehydration. If you train with too many layers of clothing during the cooler months of the year your body will begin to sweat at an increasing rate whilst trying to cool itself down. Plan to do a warm up loop and come back to a place where you can safely store you clothes. This will allow your muscles to stay warm until they are warmed up and then allows them to keep cool efficiently when you begin to work hard.
• The hot sun can be great to train in but keep in mind that your body will lose more fluid during the summer or in hot weather. It is important to take this into consideration and plan for it. Keep drinking after the session, and when in hot climates, sip all day long.
• Learn to drink on the bike. More than one sub par performance has been caused by neglecting to drink on the bike. Practice the skill of riding with one hand, and pulling out your bottle and drinking while continuing to pedal .

Proper hydration is paramount to performance and recovery, so next time you head out for a workout make it a goal to come back at the same weight that you left.

Thanks to Suzanne Weckend for her contribution to this piece.

Over the past 20 years, Lance Watson has coached a number of Ironman and Olympic Games Champions.
Beginner and experienced triathletes can contact him at LifeSport Coaching (coach@LifeSport.ca) or visit LifeSport.ca.

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Posted with permission from LifeSport.ca.

© Copyright 2006 Lance Watson Professional Coaching Inc.