It’s All About Balance.
It is ALL about keeping a balance. This is particularly true when considering hydration and the role of sodium, electrolytes and water intake during exercise. Water, although essential, is not enough to maintain the delicate balance of proper hydration, particularly during running, endurance activities and distance sports.
For example, when you train your long runs or race and compete, you may notice the classic burning in your eyes and the gritty taste of salty fluid as you hit your stride. At many races and distance events you may also notice the tell-tale white markings on many athletes shirts and shorts. If you consider what the body is losing you may understand why and how water alone is not enough to replenish during these activities.
The Ups and Downs of Water loss
When you engage in exercise for an extended duration, particularly endurance activities or body work in hot and humid weather, your body attempts to prevent temperature from rising too dramatically. It responds with a complex system whereby the blood vessels supplying your skin dilate, pulling blood away from the inner organs and directing it outward. Sweating allows the body to boost the mechanism of cooling and evaporation via air convection over the skin.
This water loss causes a decrease in plasma volume in the blood as well as total blood volume. This is critically important for endurance activities, as the when the blood volume decreases there is accompanying lowering of your heart’s stroke volume. Less blood per heart contraction means reduced oxygen flow to your muscles and a limited ability to keep pace or workload. Additionally, your heart will beat faster to compensate for the decreased in stroke volume, and together the strain as your body becomes increasingly dehydrated compromises performance.
But that’s not the entire story…
The Balancing Act
When you sweat, the resultant water loss is also accompanied by sodium, chloride, and other mineral loss (hence the taste and white marks). Without a proper balance of these, critical nutrients and oxygen will not flow in and out of the cells. As such, when we increase the duration of activity without maintaining this balance, essential metabolic processes, nerve function and muscle contractions are negatively impacted and therefore physical performance and endurance is compromised.
Additionally, if you over-consume water to compensate or attempt to manage dehydration, you potentially offset the ratio of sodium and electrolytes to water. Specifically, drinking TOO MUCH water during endurance activities, can dilute the sodium content of your blood. A condition of hyponatremia can result if the sodium level in the blood is abnormally low, and resultant headache, nausea, muscle cramps, fatigue, vomiting and more may follow.
A Simple Fix
To maximize your body’s hydration balance during long exercise and offset any negative effects of over hydrating, it is important to include electrolytes with your fluids, such as those contained in certain sports drinks or tablets. The addition of these key minerals – namely sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and chloride – with adequate fluid intake will ensure you can maintain proper hydration balance throughout.
You may also find pre-hydrating and consuming a small amount of electrolytes prior to your event, race or workout is helpful at reducing the effects and speed of dehydration. Depending on the duration of your planned event, consuming fluids and a modest amount of electrolytes a few hours or days prior is a good way to make sure you body stays properly hydrated.
Considerations…
It can be helpful to stray away from gels, gus or beverages that are overly high in sugars. Although helpful to keep fuel reserves high, sugar may potentiate cramping, stomach distress or feelings to urinate during the activity. In addition, it is always key to pay attention to your body and how it reacts to your hydration strategies. Consider reducing your water intake or boosting electrolytes if you feel like your intake is not having any effect on how you are feeling or if your experience negative symptoms.
Paying attention to signs of both DEhydration and OVERhydration are critical to maintaining a proper balance and success for the duration of your event or activity!
Hint: Want to get nutrition or race tips…Maybe some prep in? Check out what is available for eBooks and online coaching programs. You may find something that can stick with you and get to the finish line!
