Q & A: Hydration and Running

Q: Do I need to drink on runs that are less than an hour long?

A: It depends a lot on the weather. You can get by without fluids on easy runs on cool mornings, but go without during a hard, 50-minute effort on a midsummer afternoon, and you’ll likely pay a price. You may fatigue sooner, recover more slowly, or even temporarily put your body in “stress mode,” which affects the immune system. Studies repeatedly show that losing 1 to 1.5 percent of body weight through fluid lost can hinder performance, and it’s easy for most of us to lose that in warm conditions in less than an hour. Hydration needs vary from person to person, but a good rule of thumb is to drink about two ounces (a couple of mouthfuls) every 10 minutes during warm-weather runs. –John Seifert, Ph.D.

Use the same guidelines at the gym. If you are sweating a lot, you should be replacing fluids. Sports drink vs. water? If your workouts are of moderate intensity or less and under 2 hours long, water should be just fine.

Runners: Wait or Weight at the Gym

“Many runners don’t weight train out of fear of bulking up and slowing down, but if you focus on muscular endurance, it can help your running. I use light weight and high reps… I lift three times a week; it’s about quality, not quantity.”

Desiraye Osburn, eight in 2007 USA Cross-Country Championship

Q & A: Out of breath...

Q: I've been running for a few weeks, but I still get winded easily. How can I avoid this?

A: Try a longer, more gradual warmup. Your heart, lungs, and muscles simply need a gentler introduction to running. First, walk for three to five minutes. When you start running, keep the pace easy--one or two minutes per mile slower than you usually run. Also, insert one-minute walk breaks every one or two minutes for about 15 minutes. After that you should be able to gradually increase to your normal training pace without getting winded.