Can you hydrate too much before a race?
Whatever the reason, athletes going too hard with 'topping up' their fluid levels and overdrinking before a race can raise the risk of exercise-associated hyponatremia. In many athletes' eyes, dehydration is still the one true evil which must be avoided at all costs.
You know that not drinking enough water can lead to dehydration. Drinking too much fluid right before your run could also cause stomach problems (such as fluid retention) and leave you feeling nauseous.
Aim to drink about 2-3 mL perpound of body weight at least 4 hours before your run. If you chug an entire liter of prerun water, the kidneys will flush it out, causing frequent midrun bathroom breaks.
Timing your pre-race hydration can be tricky, but here are some time-tested suggestions: drink frequently to fully hydrate until two hours before the race--then stop until just before the starting gun to avoid the inconvenience of having to urinate midrace.
Runners can also go overboard on electrolytes during taxing runs. “If you do choose to take salt tablets, be sure to drink a sufficient amount of water,” warns Dalzot. “A large intake of sodium without water can cause bloating as water moves from the bloodstream to dilute the sodium concentration.
Whatever the reason, athletes going too hard with 'topping up' their fluid levels and overdrinking before a race can raise the risk of exercise-associated hyponatremia. In many athletes' eyes, dehydration is still the one true evil which must be avoided at all costs.
Drink a strong electrolyte drink (like PH 1500) with 500ml/16oz of water about 90 minutes before you start.
It is possible to drink too much during exercise. Over-hydration, in rare but severe cases, can lead to death. To avoid over or under-hydration, it can be useful to know your sweat rate. That way, you can work out exactly how much you should be drinking.
- Limit the amount of fluid you drink, often less than 4 cups a day for several days.
- Sometimes, take medicines that make you urinate more (diuretics, sometimes called water pills)
- Be cared for in the hospital to adjust your fluids and electrolytes if they are severely out of balance.
Overhydration floods the body with fluid and causes the concentration of sodium in the blood to drop to abnormally low levels. Cells absorb the excess water, which causes swelling, most threateningly in the brain, where it can result in seizures, coma, respiratory arrest and even death.
Should I chug water before running?
One of the best ways to prevent dehydration during training and racing is to make sure you're hydrated before you start, meaning you have a larger reservoir of fluid to draw from during your session. But this doesn't mean chugging lots of water before heading out the door.
For serious runners, those who sweat heavily, are running in extreme heat, or are running for more than an hour, it becomes more of a science experiment. A general rule of thumb in this situation is to consume an electrolyte tablet or sports drink about an hour before running.
Stop drinking fluids about 30 minutes before your run and always make one last bathroom stop before heading out. And, if you have bladder issues or you aren't sure of how things will go, it's not a bad idea to plan your running route around a bathroom stop.
Before and during your run, rehydration should be your main priority. When training in warm conditions, rehydration will allow you to maintain fluid balance and stay cool. Accordingly, your best choice before and during your run would be water, a heavily diluted sports beverage, or water with electrolyte tablets.
But just like anything, too many electrolytes can be unhealthy: Too much sodium, formally referred to as hypernatremia, can cause dizziness, vomiting, and diarrhea. Too much potassium, known as hyperkalemia, can impact your kidney function and cause heart arrhythmia, nausea, and an irregular pulse.
Go into your race hydrated
This means hydrating the day & night before and the morning of the race. The night before: Drink 12-16 oz of an electrolyte drink. If your race is over 1.5 hours, and you've been carb loading, the extra water you drink with your carb load will help, too.
We grab a bottle of water and guzzle it down, often in one go, to satisfy that thirst. But that's not really the best way to hydrate, says Lindsay Baker, PhD, a senior principal scientist at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute. “In general, it's best to sip a little bit throughout the day,” Baker says.
For most people, dehydration is the much greater issue. However, if you suspect you may be overhydrated, look for symptoms like cloudy thinking, nausea and vomiting, muscle weakness, spasms or cramps and headaches. In severe cases symptoms could include mental confusion, seizures, unconsciousness and even coma.
Essentially Dr Hew-Butler says that, while there's definitely a relationship between how much we drink and the color of our pee, it doesn't necessarily always correlate with our actual hydration status at blood and cellular level (where it really matters).
Taking in too much water can also be problematic. It can leave you feeling bloated and may even result in hyponatremia, a dangerous condition in which sodium levels drop too low. Try drinking 16 oz. of water two to three hours before the start of any race.
Is Pedialyte better than Gatorade for runners?
Both are good as oral rehydration solutions, but Pedialyte may be better in cases of diarrhea (since sugar promotes diarrhea and Pediatlyte is lower in sugar). For sports, Gatorade's high sugar content may help fuel athletic performance and duration.
Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier is the perfect tool for athletes to increase their level of hydration. One serving in 16 ounces of water can provide 2-3x the hydration of water alone.
This excessive amount of water, when internalized, causes dilution of body fluids. Cells may swell in this condition. While the cells in other organs can cope up with a bit of swelling, the cells in the brain can't. This causes serious implications, especially in the central nervous system.
A lot of athletes think that drinking electrolyte enhanced drinks like Gatorade or Pedialyte will prevent EAH, but Dr. Greenan says those drinks aren't significantly better than drinking plain water. Symptoms of over-hydration occur quickly and include headaches, nausea and confusion.
Drinking two gallons of water per day may be excessive for most individuals and is generally not recommended. The amount of water a person needs to drink daily depends on several factors, including body weight, activity level, and climate.
