Hydration can be very simple, but you cannot underestimate the importance of it. When you’re working out, especially in the heat, not having enough water and/or electrolytes can lead to dangerous situations. Dehydration (not enough water) and hyponatremia (not enough sodium) are both very real things to be aware of. Luckily I’ve stayed away from anything too serious, though I have had cramps during events from dehydration and been out hiking where I feel like I had some early signs of hyponatremia, since then, I always make sure to error on the side of caution for my long and/or hot workouts.
Below I will cover what I have found works for me based on short, moderate and long workouts though you will have to do some experimentation to find out what works for you depending on the specific time, workout type and environment. In all cases, I would recommend you err on the side of extra hydration. There are conflicting theories on how often to drink. I have found drinking when I’m thirsty and working in some extra sips before I’m thirsty works best. Most importantly, if you’re out and about and dehydrated, you can quickly find yourself in serious distress. Also, I would rather carry extra weight and not need it than save a bit and need it. Lastly, I’m often looking for reasons to stop a workout, why would I give myself 1 more? Experiment and do what works best for you, don’t worry if you’re the only one that’s lined up at a 5k with a hydration pack, you’re prepared for whatever comes at you.
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Before and After
It’s important to stay well hydrated throughout the day. Find a cup or water bottle that fits your lifestyle and just keep it around. Plain water is best and generally the easiest, but I will use some tricks to make it more interesting at times. I use a SodaStream Terra at home to have something different. Sometimes I will just drink the carbonated water as is, sometimes I will add flavor. When I am adding flavor to sparkling or still water, I like picking out inexpensive drink flavor packets such as these Starburst Singles To Go. This adds a few calories, but it often helps me drink a lot more water than I might otherwise, and I think it’s worth it.
Up to 2 hours before activities, I make sure I am drinking more water so I am not starting at a deficit. When I’m driving to the gym or an event, I’ll set little goals with myself to finish a certain bottle or cup of water before I get started. This makes sure I am ready to get started and my goal is to maintain rather than make up for lost time when my body may not be as interested in drinking water.
After activities I also make sure I have drinks available. If I’m at home, this doesn’t normally take much thought, just a cold glass of water. If I’m out and about, I might have a cooler with a cold bottle of water or sports drink in my car for when I finish. I found that hydration after activities is important to make sure your body jumps into recovery faster, it also seems to reduce the risk of cramps. Luckily, I’m more thirsty after the fact and a cold water or sports drink often seems like a nice reward.
Short (0 – 30 Minutes)
A lot of times for these shorter workouts, I will not bring anything. In the summer, I am more likely to bring a water bottle and may even put a Gatorade Propel packet in it, just to be safe, this also gives it some flavor to help it go down faster too. If I don’t finish it on my run, I will normally finish it shortly after I get home which will help recovery.
Moderate (30 – 90 Minutes)
For moderate workouts, I like to have at least one bottle, maybe more. If I need multiple bottles, I like to set it up where I have them in a cooler in my car, then plan to pass on a regular loop so I can get hydration when I need it without carrying the extra load. If it’s hot, I may add electrolytes to about half of my water bottles, leaving just water in the others. If you’re training for a specific event and they share what is available on course, give that a try before the event. If you’re okay with tasting the salt, I’ve had good luck with LMNT Electrolyte Drink Mix. If you’d like something without the salt taste, DripDrop Hydration Packets are another favorite of mine.
Long (Over 90 Minutes)
For long workouts, I will generally bring my hydration pack. I really like my Marchway Tactical Molle Hydration Backpack that I’ve been using for the last 18 months. It has a large bladder (you can always fill it less), it has quick disconnects for the tubing, it has a shutoff valve and the molle lets you expand it if you would like an additional pouch and/or water bottle holder. When I am using my hydration pack, I will fill it only with water and ice. I will bring a water bottle with electrolytes and/or use Gu Roctane Ultra Electrolyte Capsules to keep my electrolytes up during prolonged efforts.
Events
Each event is a little different, shorter events generally at least have a water station, longer events will generally have more well stocked aid stations that may include electrolyte options, gels, fruit or even hot food, once you get to the ultra distances. For every event, I try to find out what’s available at the aid stations and if interesting, I will buy some to try in my training runs as I never know if something won’t agree with me, and I don’t want to find out during the event. At the same time, when I go to these events, I go prepared as if there are no aid stations. Being a slower runner, you don’t know what’s going to be available when you get there. I have seen aid stations run out of certain items or even be packed up by the time I pass. You don’t want to carry extra if you don’t have to, but at the same time, you really don’t want to not have something that you need.
Summary
Hydration is critically important during running, this however does not mean it needs to be critically complex. If you’re a professional athlete, it’s worth doing the research and trying the different top of the line supplements to see how differences in formulations may affect your performance and recovery. However, for the rest of us, we just need to keep it simple. Ultimately it’s as simple as maintaining your levels of water and sodium while you’re engaged in exercise. Yes, some options may have better nutrient profiles or different compositions that may digest faster but if you’re drinking the right amount of water with enough nutrients to stay away from dehydration and hyponatremia, you’re doing great. You’re free to experiment from there, during training runs, not events, but make sure you get the baseline down right first.