One of the most frequently asked questions from runners is how much water should you drink before, during, and after marathons. Tons of advice coming from sports nutrition experts and coaches about the matter created conflict all over the web.
Over the years, it’s been accepted that putting a figure on how much water should be drunk by runners is quite tricky. The situation went on for some time until the sweat rate test came into existence.
WHAT IS A SWEAT RATE TEST?
A sweat rate test, as the name suggests, measures the amount of sweat a person loses during physical activities. This is highly beneficial for athletes, such as marathon runners, to strategize and control their fluid intake all throughout their training course or sports events.
WHY IS THE SWEAT RATE TEST IMPORTANT?
The human body is made up of approximately 60% water. This much water in our bodies helps every part to function the way it should. For marathon runners, maintaining the fluid’s given estimation is extremely important to achieve their goals to finish without exhausting themselves.
Thirst is the first sign of dehydration, and drinking water is the best way to prevent it. Knowing the sweat rate can help runners decide the amount of water that they should consume prior to, in the course of, and later after their runs.
On another note, plain water may not be very effective for a very active sport such as marathons. This is why most marathon runners turn to sports energy drinks or sports drinking water for the electrolytes. QURE Alkaline Water is one of the best alkaline water in the market that’s not only known for its pH-balanced water but also for its electrolytes-infused alkaline water.
HOW TO FIND YOUR SWEAT RATE?
Sweat tests are not precise. However, it’s good enough to help marathon runners anticipate how much they sweat while doing marathons and how much water they need to replenish their body fluids. According to Runners World, here’s how to do it:
1. Get nude and weigh yourself before running. (Don’t forget to document the results)
2. Go for an hour of running and keep an eye on how much you drink, preferably in ounces.
3. After the run, weigh yourself nude again.
4. Subtract your weight from step one and convert it to ounces. After that, add the ounces of water from step 2. The result will show how much you sweat within an hour of running. At the same time, the same result determines the amount of water that you should drink all throughout the race.
Hydration is without a doubt a necessity for marathon runners. A good strategy in drinking water brings every runner closer to their goal. Sweat tests may seem easy but it needs complete self-control and practice to master it. With that said, it’s best to make sweat testing a habit to verify what works best for you.
