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Are you meeting your hydration needs?



You may think you are just working hard and that's why you are exhausted or need a long nap but the symptoms you are feeling may be from dehydration.... or not meeting your fluid and electrolyte needs. 

Increased thirst
Dry mouth
Tired or sleepy
Dizzy
Decreased urine output
Urine is low volume and more yellowish than normal
Headache
Dry skin

When it comes to meeting your hydration needs, there are two important things to remember: 
1) You have to stay on top of your fluid intake early and frequently
2) You need to find a way to carry adequate fluid intake to meet your needs (fuel belt, hand held, bike cages, camelback). 

For swimming, I recommend to plan 1 x 20-28 ounce bottle of water per hour mixed with a sport drink of 25-30g carbs and 100-200mg sodium for 1-2 hour workouts.
For cycling, I recommend to plan 1 x 20-28 ounce bottle of water per hour mixed with a sport drink containing at least 25-50g carbs and 200mg sodium for 1-2 hour workouts around 50g carbs and 200-400mg of sodium for workouts 2-3 hours (each hour) and around 60-80g carbs and 400-800 mg of sodium each hour for workouts over 3 hours. 

For running, I recommend to plan for at least 8 ounces of water mixed with 10-20g of carbs and ~50-80mg of sodium for every 30 minutes. 

The most efficient way to meet your fluid, electrolyte and carbohydrate needs are from liquid calories - sport drink/powder or gel mixed with water.

Plan to sip every 8-15 minutes, or as needed.
1 sip should be around 3-4 ounces (or at least 2-3 swallows) to ensure you are getting enough liquids/electrolytes/carbs. 

It can take up to 6-8 weeks to train the gut to tolerate nutrition while training so don't waste time on understanding your fueling needs in training/racing and making sure you are always staying hydrated during workouts.