Do You Over-Hydrate in a Marathon?

This is a subject I am a little passionate about. I get worried for others when I see runners making hydration mistakes in training and in races. While this post is mostly written in my opinion and is written in all my own words.  I did however, take tips and suggestions from qualified sources to prove point. Sources are sited below for those interested.

Runner Type 1  I once met a guy during a marathon who made it a goal to not stop and drink at any of the water stops the entire 26.2 miles. I've also met a few runners who have told me in a marathon they may only stop 2-3 times the entire race to take a drink.


Runner Type 2 I have seen runners who are stopping to drink water every single mile during a marathon. And others who carry hydration packs and fill them at water stops so they can sip on their own drink in-between each of those water stops between the mile markers.


Let's test your knowledge. 

Whom of those two types of runners listed above are at greater risk of death or other serious problems?


If your an experienced runner, you probably already know the answer. But if you are newer to distance running let me tell you. 


It's the runners who stop at every water stop or who carry hydration packs and sip on them between water stops then also drinks at the stops who are far more likely to have health issues and risk death during a race.

It's true.

FACT: Did you know there is actually no known case of a runner in a US marathon ever dying due to dehydration in a race? BUT there are several cases where runners have died from over-hydration during a marathon. (Hyponatremia is the official term for over-hydration.)

Yup, in fact, more runners will over-hydrate in a marathon than under-hydrate and that is even in the hot races.


For this reason and the fact that many runners aren't using their marathon training schedules to learn how to hydrate properly. There is a push from the Road Race Medical Community for races to begin to decrease the number of aid stations, to ONE every 2-3 miles along a race course.  Since some runners can't teach themselves to drink correctly, having the water spaced out more correctly on a course can help teach them and help them out so they will have less chance of hurting themselves.


I personally think this is very wise, and I give a lot of props to the races whom have already conformed over to this.


Many think marathon training means getting in shape and learning to stay on your feet for 26.2 miles. Which is correct.
However, so much more should be put into your training.
One of those is learning how to hydrate properly and learning to teach yourself not to over drink. While it can be dangerous to become severely dehydrated. The risks apparently are far higher to start getting into over-hydration drinking habits in races and even in training.

A few interesting facts I learned while researching for this post:

* Studies have shown runners who are losing 1.5%-3% of their body weight during a race from dehydration have actually performed better in a race, than those who over-hydrate.
(In case your wondering, 1%-2% body weight loss they found was a fairly decent average for most runners in a marathon by the end.) 

* Some marathon runners will finish a marathon weighing more than they did when they started the race, purely because they are over-hydrating. This is extremely dangerous for some and those doing it probably don't even know how big the risks are!

* Always start a race fully hydrated, especially an endurance race.
If you do, hydrate properly you should never need to stop at a water stop in a 5K or shorter races around that distance. On a side note, not stopping to drink in shorter races can improve performance and your race times. As well as drinking correctly and not over-hydrating can improve performance in a marathon as well.

* 3-4 miles is the perfect distance between water stops even in hotter temperatures. However, you may find in winter or colder months you can easily go a few miles further between stops. 
If you are currently training to drink more frequently already, you can easily begin work on correcting this in your marathon training plans.

* Getting headaches after you run, or feeling lightheaded or dizzy towards the end of a run or in the hours following a run are possible signs your not hydrating enough. Additionally, if you find you are cramping up far too often in a run or after may also be signs you are not hydrating properly.

* Urine test. As a runner you should aim to have your urine looking like the color of lemonade. If it's too dark, your under hydrated for your daily training. If it's too clear, you may be over hydrating daily.

* Don't get into the, I'll drink a gallon of water a day fad. For most people, that could be way too much. While the 8 glasses or 8 oz. water a day is a pretty steady rule for most, even that rule of thought is outdated info. (FYI: 8 glasses at 8 oz. is only about half a liter.)


Want to know how much you really need? Take your total weight and then divide it by 2.
The answer you get, is how many ounces you should be drinking each day. (For your normal hydration purposes - See below to add your water for workout purposes.)

* If you work out, you obviously need more water than on days you don't. While most people can tell based on signs and thirst factor, not everyone is intuitive with their bodies actual needs. For those who fit this, you can use the sweat rate test. 
Weigh yourself before you go out for a (1 hour is a good one) training run, then when you return weigh yourself again. For each pound lost, example 1 pound means you should drink about 1 pint of water to recover from your sweat rate.
Granted this test isn't fool proof. Weather, temp, speed and distance may each play a role in this test, so you may need to adjust for different circumstances.

* You can't hydrate properly for a long run or a marathon in a day or two leading up to a race. In fact, leaving it to last minute won't help you much at all.
You should be fully hydrated 8-10 days leading up to any long run or marathon.


* If you are training for a marathon, especially when you get to the longer runs and months leading towards the race. It's best to cut out all alcohol consumption, as drinking alcohol can lead to dehydration.

* MARATHON DAY TIP If running a marathon, drink your morning water 2 hours before the race start, and try not to sip on anything while waiting for the race to start.  Some runners find doing this, and a quick swallow or two of water just before the gun goes off reduces the need to stop at one of those not so lovely port-o-potties during the race. 
(FYI: This is what I learned to do, and it works amazingly, I rarely ever have to stop and use a bathroom along the course!)

* To keep you from getting too scared, One thing to note is, about 99% of the time most marathoners who finish a race are slightly dehydrated or slightly over-hydrated and they are perfectly fine and it is completely normal.

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Are you hydrating properly during a #marathon? Or Over-hydrating? http://goo.gl/MFvgVJ @runwybridlplanr #hydration #running

IN SHORT

How do you know if your drinking too much water in a race?

* If you find you are stopping to have to pee often in a race.

* If you are stopping at every single water stop at a race that offers them each mile and you are drinking more than 2-3 oz. each stop. 

* If you finish a run and are weighting more than you did when you started the race/training run.


Informative resources I used as a guide for this post:
(Disclaimer, I was not asked by any of these news sites to promote their material. I purely used them as educational resources.) http://www.wsj.com/articles/ease-up-on-the-water-during-that-marathon-1424715632
http://www.biomechfit.com/2011/09/07/dehydration-vs-overhydration
http://www.runrocknroll.com/medical/hydration/
http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Formula-Drinking-Water-916033


 Did you learn anything today?
If you train for marathons. Do you find you drink too much, or too little or just about right when you race?
Do you make sure to practice hydration training along with any race training?

Disclaimer: I wrote this based on research and my own opinion. I am not a doctor or trainer and information in my posts should only be taken as my opinion not be taken as advice. If you have further questions on this subject, I recommend asking your doctor or a skilled nutritionist/trainer on the subject.

My Review on ORAL I.V.

I received an amazing opportunity to test out and review Oral I.V.  In case your wondering what Oral I.V. is, like I did before I tested it out.  This is an amazingly different Hydration Recovery Product, that can also be used to help prevent Dehydration during a workout.

If you are anything like me, you are probably wondering how it tastes.  To be honest, when I received it I was expecting it to taste salty to some extent.  However, I couldn't of been more wrong!  It actually tastes just like water.

I actually tested this out back in August, and a few times since then.  In August I was still able to run a bit and I was doing a lot of hiking. 
One day that I was going hiking, I decided to take one of the capsule's with me and try it out.
I popped the top off, and couldn't resist taking a little taste, just to see how it was.  It tasted exactly like water, no after taste or anything. 
The directions say you can either take it alone, or with 16oz. of water.  So I threw a water bottle in with my other water hydration pack just for this purpose.  I took a couple of sips from the bottle to make room for the Oral I.V. and then poured it in and shook it up.

I decided to drink the water with the Oral I.V. first that day.  It was a hot day, and we hiked several miles and did a lot of climbing.  I won't say I noticed any major differences, but will say that even after a hot day I did not go to bed that night feeling any symptoms of dehydration from spending all day hiking around in the 95 degree temps!

A few weeks later I noticed I was experiencing some bad headaches, and it seemed like no amount of Tylenol or Excedrin Migraine were helping them.  For days I had a lingering headache that would get worse as the day wore on. 
A family member asked me if I was dehydrated.  It was then it occurred to me that I very likely could be.  It wasn't that I wasn't drinking water, but I really hadn't been drinking much each day.  We had been having several weeks of 90-100+ degree temps.  So a little dehydration made sense.
I remembered I had the Oral I.V. and thought this would be a unique way to test it out.


It was morning, and I had woken up with the same bad headache that I had been having for days.  So poured an Oral I.V. into a 16oz. bottle of water and drank it as I got ready that morning.  A few things to note, I did NOT take any pills for the headache, I only took the water with the Oral I.V. 
I can honestly say that my headache was near non-existent about 45 minutes after I finished the drink.
I didn't think I needed another Oral I.V. since it would already be in my system, so I just drank water normally through the rest of the day.  The remaining headache eventually left me entirely a few hours later, and did not return. 
Based on my previous days experience with the pills not working, and then taking the Oral I.V. I am pretty confident in assuming that the Oral I.V. helped rehydrate me faster than just drinking water alone!

Here is some pretty cool information about Oral I.V.

What is it?  It's a Hydration Aid - It is used to assist in hydration, not to be used solely as a hydration source.
Why DOESN't it have a bad taste?  It doesn't have Sugars, Caffeine, Stimulants or any additives, artificial ingredients.
So whats in it?  It's a formula of Crystaloid electrolytes and purified water.
Why/When should I use it? 
*  Use it to aid in Marathon Training, Cycling, Hiking, Climbing, Professional Sports or other Strenuous physical activity or even in your daily life, like on the job. 
*  It's small, can easily fit in a pocket or sports pack to carry with you.
*  Contains no sugars or stimulants.
*  Shorter your recovery times from exercise and exertion.
*  ALL NATURAL ingredients.

Want to learn more about Oral I.V?  
You can visit their website HERE

Disclaimer:  Oral I.V. Provided me with free samples to try for my opinion and honest review of this product.  I was not required to write a positive review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Beat the Heat, Hydrate Properly!

So for Fitness Friday today, and with the summer heat increasing daily.  I thought I would offer some of my own hydration tips I have used through the years to avoid dehydration and get proper hydration while out running.

FIRST the best times to run to beat the heat.  Early in the morning before the heat comes on.  If this isn't possible run in the evening when the sun is going down.

DO Set water bottles out on your course in places you'll know where they are to pick them up.  I generally pick area's that I can hid them, but still recognize the spot. I do this a lot in my long runs of 16-20 miles.

DON'T carry a water bottle in your hand.  If you are just going a mile or so, it might not be so bad.  But if you are going to be going several, just that small imbalance can effect your running and believe it or not, has been known in some cases to cause knee or leg injuries.  (I know it sounds funny, but it's true.)  Besides, who really can enjoy running with a heavy bottle of water sloshing around in their hand???

DO Pick a course that has parks or stores that have drinking fountains you can stop at.  For me I have several of these on many of my favorite courses.  I don't mind a bit walking into my local Walmart all sweaty and taking a nice cold drink out of the fountain:)  They don't mind either, (I spend a lot of money there at times.)  Besides, its Walmart my sweaty running attire is still far more classy than what most wear who venture into the store! (You know you just smiled because that is true!  If you didn't smile and are clueless to that, then maybe you should re-think your shopping wardrobe, just saying:) ha ha

DO carry a camel pack.  Okay, I am not going to lie, I don't actually do this (but I hike with one!)  However, I have talked to a lot of runners who do and they seem to like it for longer runs, and say they even freeze part of it to keep things cool.  One tip if you do this, I have been told the chaffing can be a nightmare (I believe them on that).  So make sure the shoulder straps are either over a shirt, or you use lots of glide or Vaseline and take some with you!  I would imagine if the pack bounces at all, even something to protect your back or more glide on that would be helpful...

DON'T take a nice ice cold drink after a long hard run that you feel slightly dehydrated from!  It's not good for your body to get an immediate swish of cold after a hard workout, especially if you might be a little dehydrated.  It might not sound as great, but you'd do better to drink just tap cold water until your system is ready to take something cooler.  Let me just say if you don't, that cold rush of water in your system may cause some vomiting... Just a warning:)

DO drink Gatorade or other Sports Drinks.  Normally I don't drink these, just to save myself the calories.  But running in the sun, can deplete your body of its salts.  Drinking one after a run can help replenish some of these at the same time as hydrating you.

DON'T think that running shirtless or in just a runners bra will help keep you cooler on your run.  It will actually do the opposite, letting the sun just bake your skin.  Even though you may feel a t-shirt is too much clothing on a hot day, a light weight moisture wicking fabric will actually keep you cooler than bare skin will! 

DO wear a runners moisture wicking hat.  I know the cute headbands are all the trend right now.  But if you want to keep some heat off your head and additionally provide a little protection from the sun on your face as well as a little shade for your eyes.  Pick up the hat and leave the cute band behind!  I know this from many years of running.  That hat will keep shade on your head, which will in return help you keep a lot cooler and reduce your overheating chances.  (You can save that cute stylish headband for a shorter early morning race:)

A FEW OTHER TIPS THAT MAY HELP

*  Keep hydrated all the time, in your daily life!  It may sound gross, but you should keep an eye on your pee color.  A light hint of yellow is the perfect color.  Clear, you are drinking too much.  Dark yellow or brownish, you need to get water in your system.  You should be having to use the bathroom every 3-5 hours, that is normal!
*  Drink regularly and get the liquids in early on in a run or race!  If you start getting thirsty in a long run or race, it's too late to do anything about it.  What you drink in miles 3-8 determine how you are going to feel in miles 16-26.2...

HUMIDITY VS. DRY CLIMATES - This is one of the biggest mistakes I see runners make who travel to run.  A person training in a humid climate goes to a dry climate to run.  They are used to seeing the sweat (humidity) all over their body, and they're used to using that for their subconscious to tell them it's a sign to drink water to replenish.  They go to a dry climate and notice they are not sweating much, so they figure they don't need to drink as much.. (BIG MISTAKE!)
I've also seen dry climate training runners go to a humid climate to run a race and make mistakes too.  They feel they are sweating to death and think they need more water than they do.  What they don't realize is in a humid climate all the moisture they see on their skin clothes is not all entirely sweat, they end up over drinking.
Knowing how to drink correctly, and knowing what your body needs through practice and training will help you combat any climate!  Sure at times and on super hot days, your going to need more water than on cooler days.  But practice in training running in different conditions or times of the day!  It's all about learning and becoming a smart properly hydrated runner!  Training to run a race isn't just about the fitness part.  Training means, experimenting and learning all aspects of the sport and hydration is a BIG part of the training process!

ALSO - Do you ever see those runners who pull over to the side early on in a race, even before miles 5 because they have muscle cramps and they are making an over dramatic fuss?  (And you are like, what is their problem it's only mile 3?) Or has this ever been you? (Hope not:)  Did you know there is a pretty good chance that this person was not hydrated properly before starting the race?  It's true, not being properly hydrated before running can cause muscle cramping early on...

A WARNING - Don't over drink in the heat or in a hot race.  I'm not going to go into all the problems for this, but google it or speak to your doctor for more info.  But you can actually poison yourself by drinking too much water, and in extreme cases it can cause death.
If you are running in a hot race and you get dehydrated and start chugging and chugging the water down in large quantities hoping to get the hydration back, its not gonna won't work!!!  Your best chance is to pull out of the race, or even better don't allow yourself to get into that situation to start with!  
Drink properly in a race.  Most people start drinking water at mile 3 (some at mile 2).  Drink as you have been training.  Just because some larger races have water stops every mile, doesn't mean you should stop every mile for a drink.  Drink smart, don't over drink and don't under drink!
- A person can't really tell you how much to drink or when to start drinking when running even though generally a runner will drink a cup or cup and a half every 2-3 miles.  You need to be your own judge of that.  Practice in training, after all that is what training is for.  Learn what your body needs to drink smart and get the liquids in early so that when you do enter a race, you already know how much you need!

Okay, I could go into this more, but I think that is enough for now:)  Be a smart runner, and stay hydrated properly!!!  You don't want to be one of the ones I run past early on in a race and roll my eyes at because I can't believe someone who spent so much $$$ to enter a race wouldn't spend a little time learning about how to hydrate properly for it!  Ha ha.. (Yes I do that!  In fact I also roll my eyes at the ones who come to a race under-trained too, but that is post for another day:) ha ha ha...

(If I offended you with my sarcastic humor because you've made any of these mistakes before, I am sorry!  But on the plus side, maybe you've got enough info now to put you on the right track so hydration isn't a problem in the future!)

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MY PERSONAL INJURY UPDATE

So on a side note, I have some good news about my injury that has kept me from running for the better part of the past 5 months.  You may know I took several weeks off work, and then only walked around on crutches and avoided walking on my injured foot/ankle as much as possible for the past 4 weeks.

The good news is, I felt a significant difference yesterday when I started walking on it again (even if for only a short time).  I can feel it is on the mend now.  It's an odd feeling, the pain is pretty much non-existent.  But I have a sense that its teetering beyond the brink of healed and injury.  So I know I need to be careful not to cause re-injury.
Originally, I had a predetermined date that I set a few weeks back in my mind.  I was bound and determined to start slowly running on it again next Monday.  However, after careful thought I believe at least one more week is needed to allow the healing time to really set in.  So next week, I only have plans to start walking on it, likely a little more each day.  Additionally, I will begin some physical therapy to strengthen the weakened areas.  I will see how next week goes, before I decide when actual running will begin!

I've been off running for this long, and I have spend a lot of money on doctors bills and then there is the loss of income from not working for the past 4 weeks.  I think it would be stupid of me to get to "runner happy" and get out there running on the recently healed areas too soon.  I'd hate to have to start this process all this over again.  One more week may or may not be all it needs, but the fact that I can walk on it now virtually pain free is a very, very excellent sign!  I have a really good feeling about it all this time, so I guess we will see:)

 

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