Hydration Tips

Hey folks! Its pretty hot outside during our Central Texas summers. Make sure you are getting proper recovery, and a big part of that starts with hydration. Did you know you should drink 3-4 liters of non alcoholic/non caffeinated fluids on non exercise days?

Consider drinking fluids on runs over 60 minutes during the hottest months in the summer. This will mean you recover quicker. Every ounce of water your body avoids losing means about 1.5x that amount you don’t have to replace.

Do a sweat test for various conditions and temperatures/humidity levels. Weigh yourself before and after your run and see how much weight is lost. Replace 1.5 x the amount you lost with electrolyte/hydrating agents such as Nuun, Skratch, Tailwind, milk (surprisingly is very hydrating). Remember 16 oz = 1 lb

Avoid drinking alcohol as a recovery drink! Alcohol will dehydrate you and can also affect your quality of sleep. So really no solid benefit to drinking post runs.

Also know on the other hand there is something such as over-hydrating. This is why the sweat test is really helpful because it measures what you are actually losing. So try it out in a few different temperatures and humidity levels, and let us know if you can tell the difference.