Hydration for Runners

Founded by two practising pharmacists, O.R.S Hydration Tablets are an electrolyte supplement which not only hydrate but taste great! Formulated in line with World Health Organisation (WHO) oral rehydration standards, O.R.S went through more than 50 rounds of taste testing to get the flavours just right.Whether you run short distances or you regularly run huge marathons, having electrolyte balance and being sufficiently hydrated is of paramount importance. Without proper hydration levels, not only will your performance be impaired but you also put your body at risk of serious health complications.Proper hydration for runners is advised not only in the summer months when it’s even harder to stay sufficiently hydrated but all year round as your body creates heat regardless of weather. This heat saps your body of water through excessive sweating so hydration can be challenging. It is more difficult to stay hydrated during the hot weather when your body is already creating more heat than normal. However, being properly hydrated is not a challenge that can’t be overcome, quite the opposite. Using the right hydration options for runners will make a huge difference to fluid levels and help to improve overall performance while protecting your body from trauma.

WHY DO RUNNERS NEED TO BE HYDRATED?

Firstly, let’s establish why hydration is important for running performance. When you run, you put your muscles under pressure. They get hot and use sweat to disperse this heat. This is why you lose fluid. So if you don’t replace lost fluid, you put added pressure on your heart to work harder, pumping blood round your body. Additionally, you run the risk of overheating your body and you lose glycogen. Glycogen stores glucose in the body and you need glucose for energy. When you lose glycogen, you reach a point of “hitting the wall” when you feel sapped of energy and unable to continue.It’s believed that even just 2% of fluid lost from your total body weight can make it much harder to perform. Drinking water is a huge priority but not just during your run. You need to be hydrated enough beforehand so you can cope with it and also you need to drink afterwards, to make sure you restore correct levels of fluid. It’s not just water that’s lost, it’s fluid which contains sodium, electrolytes and minerals which means that plain old water is not enough for runners. There are other hydration options for runners to help performance and protect your body. Using an O.R.S tablet in your water is something which will help to restore hydration levels and properly replenish the body with lost sodium, electrolytes and minerals.

HOW MUCH WATER IS THE RIGHT AMOUNT FOR RUNNERS?

Obviously, it’s important to drink sufficient amounts of water – but how much is the right amount? This is the question lots of people ask – even seasoned runners. The truth is everyone reacts differently. Some people sweat more than others, temperature and climate also play their part. It is a good idea to determine what you need for your own healthy running performance and devise your own hydration plan.If you sweat a lot when you exercise or you work-out on top of running then it’s really important to make sure you sufficiently replace the lost electrolytes and fluid. This is why a hydration supplement tablet such as O.R.S is invaluable. O.R.S fully supports hydration levels and stops you losing vital minerals present in your body. It’s especially important to use one of these hydration tablets if you are planning to exercise again within 12 hours of your last run.Before you go out for your run, you should make sure to drink approximately 30 ml per 4.5 kg of your body’s weight. Do this between 2 and four hours prior to going out. You can check hydration levels by looking at the colour of your urine, it should be pale yellow. Now, for those of you who run first thing in the morning the important thing here is to be properly hydrated before you go to bed. Adding one O.R.S tablet to your water will keep your sodium levels up – particularly important if it’s going to be a hot day ahead but whether hot or cold it is advisory.One thing you shouldn’t do is fill your belly with water just before you go running. Doing this will affect your performance and you’ll be conscious of the water moving around inside you. Obviously if you go for a morning run you won’t be able to drink as much beforehand which is why being hydrated the night before is important.For a run lasting more than 45 minutes in warmer months, you need to plan to stay hydrated as much as possible during your run. The International Marathon Medical Direct Association guidelines say to drink when you feel thirsty. However, don’t be tempted to over-drink because this can also lead to medical problems such as liver and kidney failure and hyponatremia. Hyponatremia occurs when sodium levels drop to abnormally low levels and symptoms include headache, confusion, seizures, nausea, muscle spasms and vomiting. Without wishing to frighten you – sever hyponatremia can lead to coma.When you run it’s important to have a guideline of what you need to stay hydrated and everyone is different. As you know, some people sweat more than others so will need more hydration. It’s easy enough to calculate and it’s wise to work it out because there’s the risk of over-hydration too. Drinking too much water dilutes sodium levels in the blood which affects electrolytes. Drink when you need to – so always take a bottle of water with you.