Want to know how important triathlon hydration is? DO you know how much you should drink during a triathlon? This article from the Rock Star Triathlete Academy is made to teach you all you need to know about triathlon hydration so you can rock in training and racing.
Here are some facts about triathlon and hydration:
You can expect cycling speed to decrease by 2% for each 1% of body weight lost through dehydration.
At the start of thirst you may have lost 2% of you overall body weight.
A 3% body weight loss means dehydration has happened.
Loss of fluid can vary. It usually averages 34 oz. per hour (it can be more 3x’s that in hot and humid climates)
* Hyponatremia, which is just as dangerous as dehydration, is a term used to describe “water intoxication” and can occur with excess water intake above 30oz of water an hour.
Acclimatized individuals, who train in hot climates, can reduce fluid loss by 50% in the heat.
Based on these facts, it would pretty important to make sure your triathlon hydration is properly planned. Here is how to do it:
Take you body weight and devide it in half. So if you weight 160 your number is 80. This means you should aim to take in 80oz’s of water a day. Some nutritionist will tell you drink more but it is important to note you will take in about 20% of your fluid from the food you eat.
During a triathlon aim to take in 17-25 oz’s an hour or 2-8 oz’s every 15-20 minutes. A large water bottle is usually 20-25 OZ’s. In hotter and longer races such as half and full Ironman you can aim for 28-30 oz’s per hour all though smaller individuals will probably need less.
Before multi hour exercise aim to take in 17-35 oz of water per hour in the 2-3 hours leading up to exercise. Taper in this fluid consumption in the lead up to exercise to avoid, “sloshing stomach” issues.
30 oz’s or more of fluid consumption can lead to blood dilution, which can be very dangerous. Thus high end fluid intake should only be in hot and humid conditions.
Here are a few other triathlon hydration tips you need to be aware of.
To avoid taking in too much fluid, combine hydration with cooling methods such as dumping water on your head and chest or putting ice or sponges in your race jersey.
For those that excessively sweat and cramp a glycerol supplementation can maximize water storage however this is illegal in some events so use caution.
Cold water is absorbed in the body faster to warm water.
take note of your urine color. Light yellow is optimal. If your urine is still dark a few hours after event continue to rehydrate.
It is possible to loose a pound of glycogen, fat and muscle tissue during a 3+ hour training session. Be aware of this when re hydrating or when weighing your self to see how much you have lost.
* Remember…you still evaporate water in cooler training environments, so if you’re training in cold weather, triathlon hydration is still important!
There are lots of drinks that are full of fructose, glucose and full of artificial coloring and sweeteners. Theses drinks should be used sparingly and used only when doing multi hour training sessions during which calories are necessary or when no pure form of water is around.
Lastly, whenever possible in your triathlon hydration, choose clean, filtered water and so your best to aoid water in plastic bottles especially those that have been exposed to high heat.
Looking for more tips on Triathlon hydration and other ways to make your triathlon performance rock? Then go to Rock Star Triathlete Academy and sign up for your free tips today!
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