Sweat Rate and Hydration Levels
Here we are smack dab in the middle of the summer heat sweating our bums off. If your working out outdoors, staying hydrated can be a challenge.
Today I did a little hydration test to see if I could stay hydrated during my run. I weighed myself (without clothes) before and after my run. In apporximately one hour I stopped at three water fountains. Two during my run and one after. I came home, took off my clothes and stepped on the scale. I was down 3 pounds!!! Which means I lost 3 pounds of fluid during one hour of running!
Losing as little as 2% of your body weight can cause an increase in perceived effort and a decrease in performance. Which means my workouts are physically and mentally harder because I’m not drinking enough water. Silly me.
It’s hard working out in this heat and I’ve been making it even harder with my poor hydration levels.
I know I have a high sweat rate, but I was astounded at the results. Here’s how to tell if you are properly hydrating for your run.
- Weigh yourself without clothes on before your run.
- Weigh yourself as soon as you return home from your run.
To read more on hydration and to find out how to replace the lost fluid check out The Candid RD’s post on Fluid Recommendations.
Wow, I never really would have thought about a sweat rate and the hydration after a workout in the heat! I obviously drink a ton of water after any form of exercise but wow, probably not nearly enough!
Training for a marathon during an Arizona summer has turned me into a hydration machine! I am not a Gatorade fan, so coconut water has really saved me
Thanks for this post! I weighed myself after a run the other day and I was two pound lighter and didn’t know why! Glad you cleared that mystery up!
BTW-tomorrow or Tuesday I am having a giveaway on my blog that has something to do with one of the pics in the post.
I am with you on this! I always do that & for me, it is about 1.5 pounds so I guess I am hydrating OK since I do a pretty hard core workout! Good info especially with this heat to make sure people stay hydrated!
Great tips on weighing yourself before and after a run for hydration status…I did not have a run this weekend, but it was SUPER hot and I was outside….and did up some coconut water in a watermelon smoothie to stay hydrated! It’s SO important!!! I feel for you running in this heat!!! Sure it was rewarding though!
Great tips! I’ve been really trying to hydrate during these hot and humid days we’ve been having!
That is pretty interesting to do a test like that. I will definitely be checking it out tomorrow when I work out!
Great reminder! I’ll have to do the hydration test…
I’ve been wanting to try this coconut water. I’ve heard it’s even better than Gatorade for replenishing after a run!
So your run was as hellish as mine this morning??
Yes, Theodora it was hellish. =)
Great post and tips, hydration has been a major challenge here too with our triple-digit dry heat. I just ordered a new hand held water bottle for running that I can’t wait to try, but I also need to start weighing myself as my runs get longer.
Thanks for that! I’m terrible at hydrating because I rarely get thirsty. Have to make it a priority in this heat!
Did you have any cramping with the coconut water? For whatever reason my body gets super sensitive to any liquids too close to when I start running. And stopping for water always ends terribly for me.
That’s a neat little test. Hopefully you drank your body weight back again
Thanks so much for the link to my post!! I’m glad the information was helpful. I completely believe that you lost 3 lbs of water weight during your run. This is why I workout indoors during this time of the year, I simply KNOW I can’t keep up with my sweat, and I’m not really into running anyway so it doesn’t really bother me to stay inside.
Glad you’re taking some good advice and (attempting to) staying hydrated. I LOVE a nice cup of coconut water after a sweat session!
I don’t run (blush) but I drink like a camel during my rides and lifts. It’s the rest of the day when I’m a bit of a slacker on the H2O!
Wow, that is crazy to think about how much hydration we could lose exercising – thanks for the reminder!
Good call on weighing before and after, never really occurred to me. When you are running with that intensity, you need the full on calories, electrolytes, etc from a proper sports drink.
I need to try weighing myself before and after a run. On Saturday, after running, I ended up sleeping for almost 2 hours – I only ran 3 miles! I drank 3-4 glasses of water but maybe it wasn’t enough – this would be a good test.
Thanks for the tip!
3LBS whoa that is a ton!!! I need to try that and see. I always have my water with me though and at least drink two bottles..so who knows.
That’s crazy that 3 pounds were lost in just one hour! It shows just how important it is to stay hydrated. I know that when I’ve ran in the intense heat and haven’t properly hydrated I’ve gotten to the point of feeling a little light headed before, and that’s certainly no fun!
I find it hard to drink enough sometimes whist running because there aren’t any water fountains on my route (or anywhere in the UK for that matter!) and I don’t like to carry a heavy bottle. I generally take about 250ml with me on runs that are over 40 minutes and nothing for a shorter run.
Interesting! I will have to try that. I know yesterday I did not have enough water because my legs hurt all day. As soon as I hydrated I felt better.
Wow 3lbs in an hour?!?
BTW, I love ZICO! I am posting a review about it this week!
whoa love me some coconut water, too! and yes hydrating in the summer is soooo important!
OMG I was just talking about this Coconut Water thing with running on my blog this week! I have to get some right away. Do you love it?