Obstacle Mud Runner - issue 6

obstaclemudrunner.co.uk ForEliteAtheletes toFunRunners 14 do you know your Hypotonic from your Isotonic? HEALTH : HYDRATION ...some prefer electrolyte drinks which contain low levels of carbohydrates and sodium but do you know your Hypotonic from your Isotonic? There’s a lot to be said about having a coffee before you hit the trails too but how do you decide which is best. Let’s face it, we obtain advice from all angles. We aspire to our favorite athletes, we read and follow groups on social media, our next door neighbour’s, brother’s cousin who bought a sheep from Auntie Mavis has told you stuff too. How do you decide who to listen to and do you really understand what the body needs? Firstly, did you know you can actually consume TOO much water? This is called Hyponatremia so it’s important to know how much water you should be consuming. You could follow the good old saying “8 glasses a day”, but who decides what size glass it is? The other factor to consider is, if you sweat A LOT, you will lose more fluid than Granny who just walked to the shop that morning and you must be aware that all fluids lost, need to be replaced. Recommended hydration for optimal performance. The average adult female should consume around 2.7 litres per day whilst the average adult male around 3.7 litres. That’s not to say you’ll end up spending the majority of your day in the bathroom, remember our food contains fluid too – around 0.5-0.7l is made up from the food you eat daily. How sweating affects our fluid intake? We all know, our body temperature rises when we exercise right? The rise in temperature causes us to sweat and it’s the evaporation of this sweat that cools our body down. Over heating can be detrimental so it’s important to dress appropriately during exercise. Some athletes can lose up to 3 litres during very intense exercise but how do we measure exactly how much? This is really rather difficult if the workout or race you have just done is a one off, but if it is a regular session, then here’s what to do. Weigh yourself around an hour before and an hour after exercise. For every 1kg (2.2lbs) you lose, around 1 litre of fluid has drained from your body. You will need to replace this ON TOP OF your recommended daily intake. Pre exercise: Ensure you are fully hydrated. 5-7ml/kg at least 4 hours before. During exercise: Aim to replace 80% during your session if exercising for more than an hour. If this isn’t possible, take on as much as is comfortable as soon as you can after. Post exercise: Anything over an hour will most likely result in dehydration and it is vital you rehydrate sufficiently. Now you know how to work out your loss during your session, you know how much that should be right? What about those ‘Sports Drinks’? With a vast selection of sports drinks out there, what’s different about them and what do they do? n Hypotonic is a good thirst quencher, is absorbed quicker than water and ideal for recreational sports. n Isotonic is again a good thirst quencher and provides energy, is absorbed the same as water. n Hypertonic provides energy, absorbed slower than water and is ideal for less strenuous exercise. So now let’s talk dehydration. Dehydration occurs when we lose more fluid than we take on. The body will struggle to function properly and extra strain is placed on our heart, lungs and circulatory system as blood volume decreases. Even a drop of just 2% can impair performance. Symptoms of dehydration include: Dizziness, darker urine, dry mouth, weakness, headache and upset tummy. It’s absolutely vital to consume the recommended daily intake of fluid to keep body and mind healthy. (By the way, that does not mean alcohol). Add on top of that the fluid expelled through exercise and you’re probably on your way to a fair daily volume of the wet stuff. Now excuse me, I’m off to the pub... (I mean kitchen tap.) What’s your tipple? Learn to love water, it’ll keep you in tip top shape and looking more youthful on the inside and out. If you really can’t stand the taste, try adding lemon or lime slices. Some swear by good old fashioned H2O...