There are some foods that are easier to digest that can be eaten before you run. A few examples are toast with jam, fruit, or a bowl of cereal, says Hnatiuk.

Refueling after a run is an important part of optimizing your recovery, says Hnatiuk. But what you eat will depend on the intensity and length of the run.

Generally speaking, the foods you eat are crucial for replacing the nutrients that were expended. Both protein and carbohydrates should be included to give your body the nutrients it needs to start replenishing muscle glycogen and repairing damaged muscle tissue, explains Hnatiuk.

For instance, along with your carbs, you should be consuming at least 1. The amount of food you eat is as important as the type of foods you eat before and after you run. Some signs that you may not be taking in enough calories or fuel are being sick or injured often, having poor quality sleep, being unable to focus, and feeling moody and irritable, says Hnatiuk.

You may also notice changes in your body. This phenomenon is also referred to as bonking. But it can also yield more dramatic effects, and increased gastrointestinal symptoms.

Basically, your body needs fuel to perform and function properly, says Hnatiuk. Therefore, it is important to take in enough energy as well as the right kind of energy,. Staying hydrated and fueling your body are essential to feeling good when you run. When and what you drink and how frequently should be considered before, during, and after your run to ensure that your body receives enough fluids and nutrients.

Ensuring that your body is properly fueled is equally important. Speaking to a healthcare professional regarding your running plans is recommended for figuring out what your diet and nutrition needs may be.

Drinking sufficient water is important to stay hydrated while running. The length of your run as well as the weather conditions, will influence your need to replace the electrolytes lost through sweating.

Some running coaches recommend drinking every 15 minutes or every mile as a reminder to drink. Some side effects of not having enough fuel can include difficulty focusing, fatigue, poor sleep quality, feeling moody or feeling sick.

And the intensity as well as the length of the workout or run will serve as a guide on whether consuming more carbohydrates or fat is what your body needs. McDermott BP, Anderson SA, Armstrong LE, et al.

National Athletic Trainers' Association position statement: Fluid replacement for the physically active. J Athl Train. Klimesova I, Krejci J, Botek M, et al. Prevalence of dehydration and the relationship with fluid intake and self-assessment of hydration status in czech first league soccer players.

Journal of Human Kinetics. Magee PJ, Gallagher AM, McCormack JM. High prevalence of dehydration and inadequate nutritional knowledge among university and club level athletes. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. Kerksick CM, Wilborn CD, Roberts MD, Smith-Ryan A, Kleiner SM, Jäger R, Collins R, Cooke M, Davis JN, Galvan E, Greenwood M, Lowery LM, Wildman R, Antonio J, Kreider RB.

J Int Soc Sports Nutr. Hagger MS, Montasem A. Implementing intentions to drink a carbohydrate-electrolyte solution during exercise.

J Sports Sci. Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: protein and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. By Lauren David Lauren David is a Chilean-American Freelance writer.

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Measure content performance. Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources.

Develop and improve services. Use limited data to select content. List of Partners vendors. Beginner's Running Guide Beginner's Running Guide. Overview Running Basics. How to Start Running Treadmill vs. Outside Form Questions New Runners Ask.

Training Plans. Running Gear What To Buy: Shoes What To Buy: Leggings Running Apps Running Watch. Creating Playlists Running Is for Everyone interview Setting Goals How to Achieve Goals. By Lauren David is a Chilean-American Freelance writer.

Lauren David. Learn about our editorial process. Learn more. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates.

Medically reviewed by Jonathan Valdez, RDN, CDCES, CPT. Learn about our Medical Review Board. Table of Contents View All. Table of Contents. Drink to Thirst. Carry Water. Drink at Consistent Intervals. Maintain Hydration. Rather than a round one that is tough to grip, many athlete handhelds are molded to fit the curve of the hand.

A strap keeps the bottle secure, while an optional pocket allows a small spot to stash a car key or a gel.

Instead of a molded plastic bottle, the handheld soft flask uses a flexible polyurethane to contain fluids. As the runner sips from the bottle, the polyurethane compresses. Like its hard-molded cousin, this option comes with a strap to secure the flask to the hand as well as a small pocket.

Fitletic Hydra 12 Hydration Belt Amazon. Waist belts come equipped with holsters to carry bottles. Some are located on the lower back to carry a single, larger bottle, while others hold multiple smaller bottles often the same ones used in handheld hydration setups around the waist.

For very long runs, especially those without easy access to water sources, a hydration backpack is an excellent option. These packs come equipped with a water bladder made of flexible polyurethane that can carry one to three liters of water—the Duro 15 comes with a 2.

Camelbak Circuit Run Vest with Crux 1. Like a backpack, a hydration vest allows a runner to carry more water than a handheld. However, a vest is more likely to carry the weight on the front of the body, in soft flasks held on the chest though some vests use a water bladder on the back, like a backpack.

Taylor Knibb's first Ironman was full of curveballs, but she talks about how she kept smiling almost until the end. He dives into what you need to know about the topic and then provides his top picks.

Categories range from socks to trail shoes to indoor cycling fans. jpg","description":"Our shoe expert is here to help you connect the dots between that perfect race-day pair and trainers that best complement them.

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There are some foods that are easier to digest that can be eaten before you run. A few examples are toast with jam, fruit, or a bowl of cereal, says Hnatiuk. Refueling after a run is an important part of optimizing your recovery, says Hnatiuk.

But what you eat will depend on the intensity and length of the run. Generally speaking, the foods you eat are crucial for replacing the nutrients that were expended. Both protein and carbohydrates should be included to give your body the nutrients it needs to start replenishing muscle glycogen and repairing damaged muscle tissue, explains Hnatiuk.

For instance, along with your carbs, you should be consuming at least 1. The amount of food you eat is as important as the type of foods you eat before and after you run. Some signs that you may not be taking in enough calories or fuel are being sick or injured often, having poor quality sleep, being unable to focus, and feeling moody and irritable, says Hnatiuk.

You may also notice changes in your body. This phenomenon is also referred to as bonking. But it can also yield more dramatic effects, and increased gastrointestinal symptoms. Basically, your body needs fuel to perform and function properly, says Hnatiuk. Therefore, it is important to take in enough energy as well as the right kind of energy,.

Staying hydrated and fueling your body are essential to feeling good when you run. When and what you drink and how frequently should be considered before, during, and after your run to ensure that your body receives enough fluids and nutrients.

Ensuring that your body is properly fueled is equally important. Speaking to a healthcare professional regarding your running plans is recommended for figuring out what your diet and nutrition needs may be. Drinking sufficient water is important to stay hydrated while running.

The length of your run as well as the weather conditions, will influence your need to replace the electrolytes lost through sweating.

Some running coaches recommend drinking every 15 minutes or every mile as a reminder to drink. Some side effects of not having enough fuel can include difficulty focusing, fatigue, poor sleep quality, feeling moody or feeling sick. And the intensity as well as the length of the workout or run will serve as a guide on whether consuming more carbohydrates or fat is what your body needs.

McDermott BP, Anderson SA, Armstrong LE, et al. National Athletic Trainers' Association position statement: Fluid replacement for the physically active.

J Athl Train. Klimesova I, Krejci J, Botek M, et al. Prevalence of dehydration and the relationship with fluid intake and self-assessment of hydration status in czech first league soccer players.

Journal of Human Kinetics. Magee PJ, Gallagher AM, McCormack JM. High prevalence of dehydration and inadequate nutritional knowledge among university and club level athletes.

Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. Kerksick CM, Wilborn CD, Roberts MD, Smith-Ryan A, Kleiner SM, Jäger R, Collins R, Cooke M, Davis JN, Galvan E, Greenwood M, Lowery LM, Wildman R, Antonio J, Kreider RB.

J Int Soc Sports Nutr. Hagger MS, Montasem A. Implementing intentions to drink a carbohydrate-electrolyte solution during exercise. J Sports Sci. Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: protein and exercise.

Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. By Lauren David Lauren David is a Chilean-American Freelance writer.

Use limited data to select advertising. Create profiles for personalised advertising. Use profiles to select personalised advertising. Create profiles to personalise content. Use profiles to select personalised content. Measure advertising performance.

Measure content performance. Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources. Develop and improve services. Use limited data to select content. List of Partners vendors. Beginner's Running Guide Beginner's Running Guide.

Overview Running Basics. How to Start Running Treadmill vs. Outside Form Questions New Runners Ask. Training Plans. Running Gear What To Buy: Shoes What To Buy: Leggings Running Apps Running Watch.

Creating Playlists Running Is for Everyone interview Setting Goals How to Achieve Goals. By Lauren David is a Chilean-American Freelance writer. Lauren David. Learn about our editorial process. Learn more. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research.

Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Medically reviewed by Jonathan Valdez, RDN, CDCES, CPT. Learn about our Medical Review Board. Table of Contents View All. Table of Contents. Drink to Thirst.

Carry Water. Drink at Consistent Intervals. Maintain Hydration. Rehydrate: Drink 16 to 24 ounces of water for every pound of body weight lost after exercise, advises the American Council on Exercise.

Have at least 16 ounces 2 cups of water within the first 30 minutes after your run. If you feel light-headed, nauseous, or have a headache, keep drinking. Drink enough so that when you pee, it is very light in color. Disclaimer: When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission - at no extra expense to you.

We only do this for products we have tried or come highly recommended. Learn more. Some people swear by sports drinks, others only drink water, and many love hydration tablets. The best advice is somewhere in the middle. Water is the most essential fuel for your runs, but adding additional ingredients will help you recover better from very hot or intense workouts.

Salt and electrolytes will speed up your recovery and allow you to rehydrate more quickly. I recommend water for most runs but add a sports drink or an electrolyte tablet for long runs or workouts in intense heat or humidity.

I love Nuun tablets because they offer the electrolytes you need to replenish your body after intense runs without the added sugars of many sports drinks. There are low-sugar sports drinks, however.

Another option I learned from my track coach is to mix one part water and one part sports drink to reduce the amount of sugar and rehydrate after long runs. Another option to replace the minerals you lose through sweat is to drink plenty of water and eat foods rich in potassium, magnesium, and calcium.

Related Post: Running Fuel Guide. Drink at least 16 ounces 2 cups of water 2 hours before your run. Either carry water on your run or plan a route where you can stop at drinking fountains. Some runners also stash water bottles on their routes, which can work for remote areas where no one is likely to take the water bottle.

Use the timer on your phone and set it to go off every 20 minutes to remind you to drink. Bring a credit card or set up your Apple Pay so you can stop and buy a drink if you need additional hydration on the run.

Rehydrate and drink enough water to replenish lost electrolytes. Include electrolytes in your rehydration program if you have just done a long run or speed workout.

Be flexible in high heat and humidity. If the weather is hot or humid, you will need to adapt your workout and avoid peak heat times, stay in the shade, and lower the intensity of your workout.

Some mild dehydration is normal with running, which is why replenishing your body is crucial. Dehydration means your body loses more fluids than you take in. If you lose too much water without replenishing it, you can get sick and have severe health issues.

For more severe dehydration, rehydrate and use a sports drink or electrolyte tablets. If you are running in heat or humidity and have symptoms of dizziness, headaches, or confusion, stop running and go to a cool place and rehydrate. There are many options when it comes to running hydration gear.

Some runners like running and carrying water bottles or fuel belts, while others prefer hydration packs or vests. Here is an overview of your options:. Hydration packs allow you to carry all your essentials on long runs or intense workouts. You can stash your running fuel for long runs, keys, and a water bottle, flask, or bladder for your water or sports drink.

Some hydration packs are running backpacks with back pockets to store water, and some are running vests with front pockets. Ultimately, it comes down to individual preference, but here are some things to look for:.

Access to water. Some packs come with built-in bladders and long tubes to serve as an accessible straw. While these can be convenient on the run, they require more cleaning, so keep this in mind.

Other hydration packs have front storage that makes it easy to grab your flask or water bottle. Zippered pockets are essential to keep your phone and valuables secure. Adjustable straps allow you to loosen the pack for winter layers and tighten it in the summer.

My top pick for hydration packs is the CamelBak Hydration Pack. This lightweight running backpack is easy to use and convenient for carrying water and fuel on long runs or other items for run commuting.

Your sports hydration plan starts long before the marathon itself. To understand what your body needs you must test it. This means checking how much you sweat during exercise. A good way to do this is to weigh yourself before and after a long run at least 1 hour. For every pound 0. A bit over half a litre basically.

So if you sweat heavily and lose 1kg over a 2 hour run, you need to be supplying your body with about 1. That's just over a litre. Before the marathon itself, all runners should be aiming to drink about ½ litre of water about 2 hours before the run, alongside some food.

Then around 15 minutes from the start have a further glass of water about 6oz. This is also a good time to start feeding your body electrolytes via a sports hydration drink or hydration tablets.

Both of these will quickly add all-important electrolytes and potassium, sodium and magnesium which help maintain and regulate a wide variety of bodily functions including hydration. The best approach is to sip regularly rather than drink a lot in one go.

This is to avoid getting sloshy-belly and over-diluting sodium levels. These days, though, there are sports drinks and gels which can and should be consumed over long-distance runs or marathons. Sports drinks, or powders which you can add to your water, contain electrolytes.

Electrolytes are essential for keeping bodily systems functioning efficiently. They are responsible for maintaining and regulating nerve and muscle functions, hydrating the body quickly, balancing blood acidity and helping rebuild damaged tissue. Additionally, sports gels are now a common practice amongst marathon and long-distance runners.

These add much needed energy carbs to keep the body running smoothly. So, during a marathon you can take a bottle of water and add a satchel of electrolytes to it and sip as you go. Pair this with a sports gel to keep you going. This could be a practical discomfort if you are running with water bottles in both your hands so investing in a running hydration vest a lightweight jacket with pockets for water bottles and straws is probably a good idea.

Also, it allows you to have a bottle for water and a bottle containing a sports drink high in electrolytes. Once the marathon is over well done , you should still be giving your body fluids to help rehydrate properly. Again, it is a good idea to weigh yourself to see how much weight you have lost over the run.

Alternatively, sports drinks or hydration tablets can provide the body with what it needs too. Another essential thing is of course food. You may not feel hungry after such a physically exhausting challenge but you should try to eat some carbohydrates such as bananas, peanut butter and jam sandwiches, fruit or yoghurt.

Use sports drinks, hydration tablets and gels to add much needed electrolytes and carbs before and during the event, invest in a hydration vest to assist you practically. Next Article Why is hydration important in sport?

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Smash Your Goals. FREE UK NEXT DAY DELIVERY OVER £ How to stay hydrated during a marathon By Tim Hutchinson Posted: 13 Mar, It is a severe mental and physical test, where success is far from guaranteed. Yet, if you drink too much , you may also face problems. So, it is a bit of a balancing act that requires a little consideration to get right.

However, as a general rule of thumb, consuming ml to ml of water an hour should suffice. It can be tricky to calculate how much water you should consume during a marathon.

Put a little thought into who you are as a runner and what race day will be like. For example, consider:. Your weight.

How much you sweat. How long it will take you to finish the race. What the conditions will be during the race. A good rule to follow is to try to consume around ml to ml 2 hours before the start and another ml 15 minutes before the run. Then, make sure you continue to drink at regular intervals throughout the marathon.

Girling says that you can perform your own sweat test to determine how much sweat you lose during an hour of exercise and, therefore, how much water you should be drinking to replace that. Doing the sweat test allows you to dive deeper into the optimal amount of water to consume throughout the race.

But there are still other factors and conditions to consider, like your running pace, the temperature, and your weight. To do your own sweat test, follow these tips:. Weigh yourself before you run with no clothes on and make a note of it.

Bring a controlled amount of water with you on your run, around ml will do. Run at a comfortable pace, or your typical race pace, for 60 minutes.

Make sure you consume all the water you bring with you during your run. When you finish, undress, dry yourself off, and weigh yourself again. Make a note of the weight and compare it with the weight before you ran. Anything past this point without hydrating properly can lead to issues while you run — which you want to avoid, especially during a marathon.

Once you have your post-run weight, you can convert the difference into millilitres and then add it to the ml that you consumed while you ran to find your total fluid loss. For example, if your weight difference was 0.

Keep in mind that this will vary depending on the conditions you run in, so it can be worth conducting the sweat test in a few different conditions leading up to the marathon to have the most accurate picture.

According to Girling, studies have shown that over-hydrating in the run-up to a marathon has proved ineffective. The best practice, he says, is to hydrate normally in the run-up to the day of the event.

Putting in some effort to stay hydrated in the 48 hours leading up to race day is often just as important as staying hydrated throughout the race itself.

If you do this, you run the risk of becoming bloated and messing with your sodium imbalance. Though check this with your GP if you have any reason to be wary of high caffeine intakes. Make sure you drink the optimal amount around an hour before the race starts. This way, you can ensure you have time to go to the bathroom if you need to and you also have time to replenish the water you might have lost.

Why long-distance runners 'hit the wall' and how to smash through it 5 min read. Runners standing in front of two fans to cool down after a marathon © ©Virgin Money London Marathon. This is also going to work in a similar way if the weather on the day of the race is going to be a bit colder.

A runner with his arms around two volunteers helping him stand up © ©Virgin Money London Marathon. There are multiple signs of dehydration and overhydration, with hyponatremia — where your blood's sodium levels are too low — being a condition that can be caused both by having too much fluid or not enough.

Average electrolyte tabs are around 0. A person handing out Red Bull cups to runners during a race © [unknown]. As well as providing electrolytes, energy drinks provide carbohydrates, which help replenish glycogen stores which generally run out after two hours of exercise , meaning you can maintain blood glucose levels and avoid ' hitting the wall'.

Getting this from a glucose-fructose mix at a ratio will improve your ability to digest it and reduce the chances of gastrointestinal distress. At the London Marathon, for example, there are water stations every two miles starting from mile 3.