Training Marathon
Drinking and Running
Your body is close to 70% water, it is in this water where your muscle cells live and function. Your fluid levels must be consistently high in order for your cells to function properly when you need it most, like during training or a marathon. Your increase in fluid intake has many benefits. For example in order for your cells to function properly, they need adequate water supply. Another reason water intake is important it acts like an internal air conditioner. When you exercise in hot weather, your body produces sweat, which is mainly water. This sweat cools your body temperature, if you have a lack of fluids in your system your body will not produce enough sweat to cool you down properly which in turn will cause overheating and in extreme but rare occasions even death..
The Best Drink
There is much debate on what is the best fluid to drink while training or running a marathon. The one thing that many agree on is the amount of fluid that is required. As far as what to drink, both water and sports drinks such as Gatorade are excellent, its all depending on what exactly you need replaced. Sports drinks have electrolytes and usually less than 10% carbohydrates. Sports drinks get absorb into the system faster then water due to the carbohydrate content. Drinking a sports drink before and during a run longer then an hour will help; towards the end of the run, the carbohydrates will give you the extra boost of energy. However, drinks containing too much carbohydrates, such as soda pop and fruit juices, will not only slow you down physically, but also slow your fluid absorption and re-hydration. Another reason sports drinks are so popular among many runners is they prefer a drink with a little taste to it. The sodium enhances the flavour and as a result, athletes are prone to drink more then if they were drinking plain water.
Water is however more convenient and cheaper. Under normal circumstance it is recommend that we drink at least eight glasses water a day. Drinking water throughout the day, such as during meals, is the best way to achieve this amount. The recommend amount may increase close to 12-16 glasses in warm weather or if we are sweating a lot due to increase in activities.
When and How Much Fluid?
The best way to ensure you will not run out of water is to go into training or a marathon with the most amount of body fluid possible. During marathons, the best way to keep fluids in your system is to stop at every possible station. Better yet, bring a jug of water with you or have a friend or family member standing on the sidelines with water, this way you will not waste valuable time waiting at the water stations when crowded. After your runs, either training or marathons keep drinking your fluids; this will ensure you consume an adequate amount. The thing to remember is to keep consuming these fluids so the next time you run the fluid is already there.
When to Drink?
Besides drinking fluids throughout the day there are four very important times you should consume fluids.
- Two hours before your run drink 16 fluid ounces; this will make sure you have the right amount of fluids needed for the start of the race. Many racers prefer a sports drink to water at this stage for the added carbohydrates.
- During your run, it is important to stay hydrated, especially on hot, humid days that you will be running long distances. You should drink fluids early in the race instead of waiting until you are thirsty. Once you feel that thirsty feeling, your body is dehydrated already so you should always stay ahead and keep consuming fluids. How much you need depends on many factors, your size, how long you will be running, what the weather is like. This is something you will have to practice during your training. If your runs are 30 minutes or less fluid intake will not be necessary for such a short run. As far as what to drink, at this stage many prefer plain water, since they have stocked up on carbohydrates before the start of the race.
- Immediately after your run, start drinking fluids for at least two hours afterwards. It is recommended that you drink at least two cups for every pound lost during your run. This is a good time to restore the carbohydrates that were lost during the last half of your run. This is why many runners prefer sports drinks; it helps replenish not only carbohydrates but also the glycogens that have been lost.
- Remainder of the day and night before a run you should continue to drink fluids to help maintain what you lost during the day through sweat and urination. Sports drinks are not necessary at this point, as long as you continue you to drink water and consume enough sodium through your meals.
Are You Drinking Enough?
There are two easy ways to determine if you are consuming enough fluids during the day. The method used by most runners is by checking their weight. Weigh yourself everyday at the same time. It is recommended that you do it in the morning with an empty bladder. Give yourself about a half-pound margin both ways to allow for fat gain and reduction. Experts recommend drinking one and a half times the amount you have lost. To figure what your loss is take today’s weight and yesterdays weight, for example say there is a difference of 2 pounds, you should drink at least three pounds of fluids. Sounds like a lot, but one pound of fluid is only 16 ounces, so in this case you would need to drink 32 ounces of fluid or four cups. This amount is in addition to what you should drink on a daily basis.
The second method of tracking your fluid intake may be used along with the weight tracking system. This method is monitoring the quality and quantity of your urine. When you are dehydrated, your urine will have a dark yellow colour and the quantity will be low. If you are getting enough fluid your urine will be a pale yellow colour and you should be going frequently.
With fluid intake, the old saying, “too much is not enough” fits well. You do not have to worry about drinking too much; your body will rid its self of the unneeded fluid through urination. A good tip to remember is always drink a few cups more then you think you need.
.Heat Acclimatization
You cannot control how hot or humid it will be on marathon day, but you can prepare yourself for running under those conditions. Our bodies prepare naturally for change in seasons, but depending on where you live the weather can change rapidly day to day not allowing you to prepare for the changes. If you normally train in cool weather and will be running a marathon with hotter weather, you should use this training method starting three weeks before the race.
Dress warmer then you normally would for training, this will give the affect of warmer weather, also prepare for more fluid intake, you will be losing more water through sweat during this training period. During the first week or so, you should decrease you training intensity to allow your body time to adjust to the dramatic change. You will be much more prepared on marathon day by following this routine. Another good point of advice is if you are entering a marathon in a different location check to see what the weather will be like on marathon day. If it is going to be considerably different then what you are used to training in, you should prepare properly and well in advanced for the change.
What to Drink in your Daily Diet:
Your body is mostly water, so in order to maintain good balance and function; you need a good, fresh supply of water every day. You never have to worry about drinking too much water as the excess will be flushed away by your kidneys. You should avoid chronic dehydration for many reasons. One main reason runners worry about is it causes an increase in your appetite which will lead to weight gain.
You should be drinking at the very least six glasses of fluid a day. When exercising your body requires twice this amount and it is recommend that well over half of that should be water. Coffee and beer are two drinks that are top picks for some runners but these are highly controversial, see below.
Coffee
Coffee contains very high amounts of caffeine. Some runners will testify that having caffeine before a race improves their time. However, too much caffeine will cause irregular heartbeats, and if you suffer from ulcers, gout, or high blood pressure. Caffeine will only aggravate these symptoms. It has been proven that 20 percent of the population has a negative affect from too much caffeine. It can also cause stomach spasms and hyperactivity. Caffeine is also known to cause headaches, sleeplessness, high anxiety, and diarrhea. Studies have also proven that caffeine will increase your heat production, if racing on a hot day that is the last thing you want. To see how caffeine will affect you, do a long practice run after drinking a few cups of coffee or tea. Take note on how it affects you.
Alcohol & Beer
When your goal is to achieve adequate fluid intake you should avoid caffeine and alcohol. It is proven that both cause body fluid loss. Now they are not saying avoid caffeine and alcohol all together, its all about the timing and common knowledge. For example, you would not drink a beer or a coffee while training or in a marathon. If you are to consume alcohol or caffeine the night before do it in moderation and follow the recommend fluid consumption above.
Beer contains B complex vitamins and in one quart of beer, there are about 450 calories. Beer does cause frequent urination, which will cause dehydration. Studies have shown that one beer will lower your heat tolerance for up to 3 days. One beer or two in the evening before a big race will help you relax and help you sleep. However do not over do it more then one or two beers will affect your performance the next day.
