Be it for event training or just general fitness – hydration is something that is often poorly managed in runners especially when the weather gets warmer.

When I completed my first Melbourne Marathon, the temperatures in October were considered above average with race day reaching 29 degrees.

Endurance -based activity requires optimal nutrition and hydration to ensure your body is able to achieve maximum potential. The last thing you need after doing all that training is for your body to fail on you due to a lack of fuel. Not only can severe dehydration have physical side effects but it can be as disheartening as running out of petrol in your car only kilometres from the petrol station and having to push yourself to the finish.

A marathon or any distance run as an elite or beginner is as much mental as it is physical and doing your research on food intake and hydration is an important aspect of your training.

Here’s a little about Hydration from the pros.

• Keep up your nutrition/hydration during training just like you would on race day to avoid gastrointestinal upsets (Murray., 1998)
• Don’t increase or change your eating habits, just substitute for the appropriate foods.
• Do your research – your body needs certain levels of energy stores pre, during and post race (Brukner & Khan., 2005)
• Water is not enough – you need adequate carbohydrates/sugars (Murray, 1998)
• Match carbohydrate intake to body weight ratio – endurance athletes undertaking greater than 90 minutes of exercise require a daily carbohydrate intake of between 8 and 10g/kg of body weight required to replenish glycogen stores. (Brukner & Khan., 2005)
• The most accurate way to determine your adequate fluid intake is to take a ‘sweat rate test.’ Weigh yourself before and after a 1hour run luid intake must be matched with weight loss.
• Only a small decrement in hydration has been shown to impact body functioning and performance running in the heat (Casa, Stearns & Lopez et al., 2010)

Race preparation

72 hours leading up to a race is when you should be starting to hydrate correctly.

• Increase your fluid intake by sipping on sports drinks, not just water throughout the day.
• Everyone is different depending on body weight but as a general rule of thumb – you know you are well hydrated if you void large volumes of pale coloured urine at least 6 times a day (Maharam & Lewis et al., 2006).
• Drink to thirst – thirst is the physiological feedback that protects athletes from over or under drinking (Maharam & Lewis et al., 2006).

Race day

• Be educated – wear appropriate clothing for weather conditions.
• Drink approximately 500ml of fluids the morning of the run, but cease drinking 1 hour prior to give your bladder a rest.
• Every 15-20mins during the race consume fluids at the drinks stations. Try to consume energy gels with water and consume electrolyte drinks separately to avoid gastrointestinal upsets (Kreiter., 2014).
• External water helps to cool your body temperature down.

Post race hydration

• You should slowly consume 750ml fluid (carbohydrate drinks such as Powerade) as soon as you cross the finish line and continue to do so for every kilogram lost. Eat protein and carbohydrates within 1 hour of race completion to allow replenishment of glycogen stores and for muscle repair (Kreiter., 2014).
• A weight loss or weight gain of more than 2% is a warning sign of drinking improperly and justifies a medical consultation (Maharam & Lewis et al., 2006).

My Hot Tip for first time marathoners

• Walking through the drink stations only takes approximately 10 seconds. With drink stations every 3-5km this will only add around 2 mins to your overall time – for adequate hydration it is worth the walk!