Hydration and Nutrition: What Should One Know?

Let us, together with sports nutritionist and marathon runner Eva Baltabek find out how to maintain the water balance and gain the energy during the running.

Let us, together with sports nutritionist and marathon runner Eva Baltabek find out how to maintain the water balance and gain the energy during the running.

Why is it so important to drink water even if you do not want to?

Many people think that drinking during the running is not compulsory, especially if the distance is short or weather is cool. However, it is a wrong belief, which may cost the endurance and the result. Even a slight loss of water – only two percent of the body weight – reduces the physical capability by ten–fifteen percent.

Let’s suppose: you had been preparing for the race for several months, training, choosing the pace of running, sleep and meal schedule, but you failed to drink water in the first kilometres, and your organism is not already working at full capacity.

We lose liquid not only with perspiration. We lose water when we are breathing, speaking and even just standing at the start line under the sun. Hot weather accelerates the process, and dark clothing intensifies the overheating. Even at the temperature of +20 °C, one may dehydrate considerably if one chooses a black outfit or thick synthetic material.

What happens upon dehydration?

Perspiration is not just a water. It is a solution of vital minerals – sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and chlorine. These elements are in charge of muscle activity, heart performance and nerve signalling. When their quantity is reduced, imbalances occur: even five percent of loss of liquid results in spasms, fatigue and dizziness, and ten percent may lead to a heat stroke or even fatality.

This is not a scare story, but a physiology. That’s why it is important to not bring the organism to the state when the thirst becomes sharp.

How often and how much should one drink?

The key rule is to drink before the thirst perception appears. The organism gives this signal with a delay when there is already a water deficiency. One should not miss any catering point at the marathon distance. Some draughts are enough to maintain the liquid balance and not overload the stomach.

If it is hot, one may pour a part of water on oneself – it will help to cool down the body and prevent overheating. However, one should not drink litres of water at once: the organism needs a time to absorb the liquid.

How do professional runners do?

Professional runners practice the technique of drinking “in the run” in advance. Bottles with previously prepared solution, usually it is an isotonic or hypotonic containing water, electrolytes and fast-acting carbohydrates, are transferred to them along the track.

Experienced amateurs do not stop at the catering points as well: they take a glass, make one-two draughts, pour the remaining water on themselves and proceed running. “Finish is always sticky, wet, but no way round it”, marathon runners laugh. It is actually a part of the process.

What should one drink in the distance?

Water is a basic option for short runs and light trainings. However, if a distance exceeds ten kilometres, just drinking water is not enough yet: the organism needs minerals and carbohydrates.

Electrolytes are water with minerals, without calories and sugar. They replenish the loss of salts, improve the recovery and reduce the risk of spasms. They are suitable for not only the sports, but also for the daily consumption – in hot weather, in case of sickness or migraine. Even a common Rehydron is an electrolyte solution.

Isotonics are carbohydrate drinks with electrolytes, which composition is maximum similar to the blood plasma. Thereby, they absorb quickly and efficiently maintain the level of energy and hydration. Isotonics are used in the long-time trainings, half marathons and marathons. However, one should remember that they contain calories and are not suitable for the trainings aimed at the weight loss.

Gels are concentrated carbohydrates in the convenient packaging. One gel contains about forty-fifty grams of carbohydrates, which is equal to about three bananas in terms of caloric value. Some gels contain caffeine or amino acids improving the concentration and endurance.

What can the sports nutrition be replaced with?

At the ultra-distances, when the running takes hours, athletes may use common food: bananas, baby nutrition, rice balls, marmalade or raw bars. It is essential that carbohydrates absorb quickly and do not make heaviness in the stomach.

However, it is hard to ensure the required quantity of energy by common food only. The sports nutrition is formulated with the exact aim to dose carbohydrates, salts and vitamins in a compact and accurate manner.

How can one choose the quality nutrition?

At the CIS’s market, sports supplements and dietary supplements do not pass the strict certification as medicines do, so the composition specified in the packaging is often inconsistent with the reality. Laboratory studies often show that the actual content of protein or carbohydrates is significantly lower than the declared one.

Choose products of international brands ranking top among the world producers and avoid cheap analogues without laboratory tests. The good composition shall contain both monosaccharides (glucose, fructose) and polysaccharides (maltodextrin, isomaltose), just their combination ensures the even energy supply.