Runner’s Hydration: 4 Simple Steps!

Runner’s hydration is so much more than drinking water.

You want to be strategic with your hydration, electrolytes, amounts and timing because it’s one of the best ways that you can support your body and performance. Make it a goal to go into every workout well-hydrated, especially for high-intensity workouts and workouts that are >1 hour.

Let’s take a look at why your hydration is so important and then we’ll break your hydration down into 4 simple steps so you can optimize your hydration and best support your running.

Runner’s Hydration: The Benefits 

First, it’s important to understand why your hydration matters.

Benefits of adequate hydration:

• Protects your joints and tissues
• Supports your digestion and metabolism
• Helps to regulate your body temperature 
• Supports your muscles (fun fact: your muscles are 75% water)
• Aids in the transportation of nutrients, oxygen and waste products throughout the body
• Supports your cardiovascular system
• Supports your training and racing performance

The goal of your hydration is to prevent dehydration but also to prevent overhydration (excessive fluid intake) as both have serious consequences. Let’s break down your hydration into 4 steps so that you can hydrate properly. 

Step 1: Hydrate Well on the Daily 

Your first focus should be on your daily hydration. To estimate your daily fluid requirements, take your weight (in pounds), cut it in half and that’s how many ounces of fluids to aim for each day. A 180 lb runner should aim for 90 oz of fluids/day. 

Understand that this is only your baseline fluid needs and you’ll need to hydrate before, during and after running too.

What fluids count? All fluids! Water, sports drinks, milk, iced tea, seltzer, juice, etc. Be proactive with your hydration and start sipping early in your day. When you make yourself a cup of tea or coffee in the morning, sip on a glass of water. 

Sip fluids all throughout your day. Chugging isn’t necessary or effective. There is only so much your body can absorb at once. Bring a water bottle with you wherever you go, keep it in view to remind yourself to sip and set a daily goal for yourself such as 3, 40 oz water bottles/day. 

One of the most simple ways to keep an eye on your hydration status is the good ‘ole pee test. Dark colored urine can be a sign of dehydration. Clear urine may mean that you’re overhydrating. You’ll want your urine to be a light lemonade color, that’s a sign of adequate hydration! 

Step 2: Hydrate Before Running 

How much fluid to drink before your workout depends on how long you have before your workout and when your workout is. For early morning runs, drink 1-2 cups within an hour of your workout. If you have a few hours beforehand, sip on 16-20 oz over the course of a few hours. 

Gearing up for a speed workout or for a workout that is >1 hour? Adding a sodium-rich electrolyte drink the night before and the morning of your workout can help you optimize your hydration, especially if you anticipate that you’ll lose a lot of sweat during exercise.

Step 3: Hydrate During Running

The goal of hydration during running is to prevent dehydration, to prevent overhydration, to maintain electrolyte balance and to support your performance. 

You will want to be aware of the signs and risks of dehydration and overhydration. 

Signs of dehydration:

• Weight loss of >2% during a single session of exercise 
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• GI issues like nausea and vomiting
• Dark colored urine
• Dry mouth and skin
• Excessive thirst

Dehydration carries several consequences such as increased body temperature, greater risk for heat-related illnesses like heat exhaustion and heat stroke, increased stress on your cardiovascular system, increased glycogen usage and decreased performance. 

Signs of overhydration: 

• Weight gain during a single session of exercise
• GI issues like nausea and vomiting 
• Headaches
• Weakness and lethargy 

Overhydration can lead to exercise-associated hyponatremia which occurs when your blood sodium concentration drops below 135 mmol/L.

Endurance athletes that have excessive fluid intake and drink plain water without taking in sufficient electrolytes are at greater risk for this condition. Exercise-associated hyponatremia can result in seizures, coma and death.

Below are the general guidelines for fluid and electrolyte intake during running. Important note: the recommendations are based on duration of running, not mileage.

Signs that you’re a salty sweater (you have higher sodium losses) during running:

• Gritty, white crystals on your skin
• Sweat tastes very salty
• White stains on the brim of your hat or white stains on the neck of your shirt

Options for adding sodium in during your workouts:

• Choose sodium-rich gels such as Humagel Plus
• Add sodium-rich powders into your water like Skratch Labs Sport, Nuun Endurance and Tailwind Endurance Fuel
• Take salt capsules and chews such as SaltStick Electrolyte Caps and SaltStick Electrolyte FastChews

Please note that the above are general guidelines. Fluid & electrolyte needs are very unique to each runner and depend on individual sweat rate (amount of sweat lost per hour of exercise) & sweat electrolyte composition. A sweat test like hDrop or Levelen can help you identify your individual needs. 

Exercise intensity and environment can have a significant affect on sweat rate. Understand that your sweat rate can change, especially as the seasons and temperatures change. Because of this, you may need to make adjustments to your fluid and electrolyte plan.

Step 4: Hydrate After Running

After running, focus on replenishing fluid and electrolyte losses asap. A general rule of thumb is that for every 1 lb of body weight lost during exercise, replenish with 16-24 oz of fluids. If you are a heavy, salty sweater or you ran >1 hour, have a sodium-rich electrolyte drink after your run. 

Throughout the rest of your day, be intentional about continuing to replenish fluids and electrolytes. Don’t forget that we can get electrolytes through food too, not just supplements! 

Takeaways

The goal of hydration is to prevent dehydration, to prevent overhydration, to maintain electrolyte balance and to support your body and performance. 

To optimize your hydration, break your hydration up into 4 steps. Your first step is to hydrate well on the daily. Next, dial in your hydration before, during and after running. 

Every runner has a unique sweat rate and sweat electrolyte composition. Use the general guidelines and then work on creating your own individualized fluid and electrolyte plan! 

Understand that your sweat rate can change, especially as the seasons and temperatures change. Because of this, you may need to make adjustments to your fluid and electrolyte plan.

Hydration and nutrition should be individualized to the athlete. Looking for individualized 1:1 nutrition support? Apply or reach out and let’s work together to create a personal plan for you!