This week temperatures rose above 25°C in Belgium. Quite unique for this time of the year.... and for a runner it is not something that keeps us inside. That's why we share some tips & tricks on running when it's hot.
HYDRATING IS KEY
Most athletes don't realize that performance decreases with 10% when their bodyweight is only decreased by 2% due to exercise-induced dehydration. Our metabolism increases several fold during exercise, which produces heat that must be dissipated to the surrounding environment in order to prevent an excessive raise in body temperature. During hard exercise, especially in warm environments, heat is lost mainly through the evaporation of sweat to keep your body temperature stable. During the day before & after training sessions water is the most important fluid to keep you hydrated. However during training or competitions, especially sessions of >1 hour or in warm environments, isotonic drinks are essential. When our body sweats, we do not only loose water, but also plenty of minerals which are provided in isotonic drinks. Yesterday we tried 6d ISOTONIC SPORTS DRINK and we liked it a lot.
Thanks to its high salt concentration (900 mg sodium per liter), the “6d ISOTONIC SPORTS DRINK” restores the salt reserves in the body, next to providing carbohydrates which are essential for endurance athletes. It is particularly important for athletes who sweat a lot, and especially during exercise in a hot environment that causes high sweat losses. Despite the high level of electrolytes, the “6d ISOTONIC SPORTS DRINK” is still perfectly isotonic, which ensures the optimal absorption of both water and energy (sugars) simultaneously. Thanks to the neutral pH (~7.0), this drink is extremely suitable for endurance athletes because it is not “aggressive” on the stomach.
Concretely you should take the following guidelines into account.
Before you run:
Make sure you start well hydrated, if you can drink 0,5l - 1l of water before you start running. Coffee & thea are allowed. For a very long time it has been thought that coffee causes dehydratation, but good news for the coffee lovers this is not true. When you drink coffee, you'll need to pee quicker, but the amount urine will be the same compared to when you hydrate with water. A good indicator to verify whether you are well hydrated, is the colour of your urine. This should be light yellow
During the run:
1 golden rule - drink as much as you sweat... at least 500ml per hour & preferably an isotonic drink like the 6D ISOTONIC SPORTS DRINK which provides you with carbohydrates and electrolytes in the right amount. Hydratation backpacks or belts like the once from Camelbak are ideal to remain hydrated during your run
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