Whether Global warming is just a conspiracy theory or not, one things for sure the summer seems to have started early this year. The dry, warm weather means that people training for the Enniskillen 10k on the 9th June will have to think about hydration now, whilst training, and on the big day itself.
Although opinions differ about exact levels of fluid required for optimum performance, researchers do agree on one thing: you need to start a run or race hydrated. By drinking 500ml of fluid two hours before a run - try water, a sports drink or diluted fruit juice - and another 150ml of fluid just before you run, you'll have enough time for your body to clear what you don't need before you set off.
Replacing fluid after a run is just as important. For every kilogram of bodyweight you lose, you need to drink one-and-a-half litres of fluid. Try to drink around 500ml in the first 30 minutes after your run and keep gulping every five to 10 minutes until you have reached your target. If you pass only a small volume of dark yellow urine, or if you have a headache or feel nauseous you need to keep drinking - a sports drinks or diluted juice (with a pinch of added salt) are your best options.
Hyponatraemia, caused by overdrinking, is causing some bad press in running journals currently. Hyponatraemia means "low blood sodium" and is caused by excessive water consumption, which lowers the concentration of sodium in the blood. In its mild form, hyponatraemia will cause bloating and nausea; in a few extreme cases it has lead to brain seizure and death. However this is really only a risk in people running very long distances eg marathons whilst drinking many litres of water. Also, they may have had other risk factors such as medication.
You will undoubtedly need to replace sweat with fluids during some training runs and races so what should you drink and when? Water, diluted juice and sports drinks are all good fluid replacers. If you've been running for less than an hour, plain water is a good choice, but, if you have been running hard for longer than an hour, drinks containing sugar or maltodextrin (a slow-release carbohydrate) and sodium may speed your recovery. Researchers at Loughborough University found that when runners drank a sports drink (5.5g carbohydrate/100ml), they improved their running time by 3.9 minutes over 42km compared with drinking water.
You may need to try different approaches to hydration in your training to establish a strategy that works for you and remember: you're an experiment of one.
The Eniskillen 10k route will have two water stations at approximately one third and two thirds of the way round this year.
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