Breakthrough Study Reveals New Guidelines Regarding Running Hydration

Road Runner Sports Run Today Newsletter

Whether you're a novice runner or have been running (and perhaps racing) for years, you're surely familiar with the importance of staying well-hydrated. For years runners have been told that they needed to drink before feeling thirsty in order to avoid dehydration. However, the recommendations that runners, particularly those taking longer than 4 hours to finish a marathon, should drink "as much as possible" have changed. United States of America Track & Field (USATF) recently issued new guidelines regarding hydration.

New Hydration Recommendations

• Long-distance runners should consume 1 liter of fluid for every liter lost during a race or long training run, equaling a 1:1 ratio
• Runners should begin races and training runs well-hydrated. You'll know you're well-hydrated when your urine is clear or pale yellow, not dark yellow.
• Drink only when thirsty during a race or long training run, not every mile or so.
• Rather than plain water, drink a sports drink that contains sodium and other electrolytes, like the following:

• Drink fluids only until your urine is clear. It isn't necessary to keep drinking (particularly the night before a race) so often that you have the need to urinate every 15-30 minutes.
• On hot, muggy days try to avoid training during the late morning or early afternoon hours. Run early in the morning or in the evening when the air is cooler.
• Never train in a sweat suit or nylon suit during hot weather to acclimate yourself to heat training or to lose weight.
• Choose sports drinks containing sodium and electrolytes rather than plain water for hydration during training and racing.
• Drink enough of a hydration sports fluid to give you clear urine prior to a training run or race, then drink only when you start to feel thirsty.
• Monitor your body. Some people sweat more than others. Some people also lose more minerals in their sweat then others. If you're the kind of person who finishes a workout caked with white salt around your hairline and/or under your arms, you may need to take in more of a sports drink than someone who loses less.
• If you're running a marathon, pay attention to signals that you may be developing dehydration, over-hydration or a heat-related illness. If you start to feel woozy, overly fatigued, tingling in your fingers or toes and you feel a headache coming on, stop running and let medical personnel know that you need attention.

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