Your Local Source for Fitness Match-Making
Posts tagged hydration
Nutrition Tip of the Week
May 22nd
Nutrition Tip of the Week brought to you by our friends at the Nutrition Hotline 888-587-3625
Happy Hydration
As spring afternoons start to heat up it’s a great time to get into a hydration habit. We all know that staying hydrated through a Texas summer is critical to making it though a workout and maintaining peak performance — but how?
Drinking 2-3 liters of water (or more!) is a great place to start, but only one part of the equation. Electrolytes are key to keeping the water you drink actually in the body. Taking in electrolytes as you drink throughout the day will help you to hydrate. Try taking in electrolytes with every other liter of water that you drink — one liter of plain water the next with electrolytes. Some popular electrolyte supplements include nuun, metasalt tablets, zym, endurolytes and many more. With day to day hydration try and keep your electrolyte supplement low in calories and save the sports drinks for during workouts.
***
Jess Kolko RD, LD, is the Healthy Eating Registered Dietitian and Culinary Educator at Whole Foods Market’s global headquarters. Jess is a co-founder of the Nutrition Hotline—a volunteer organization staffed by RDs to answer nutrition questions for those that may not have the funds for private consultation. When she is not knee-deep in nutrition Jess enjoys training and competing in long distance triathlon and running events.
How Much to Drink During a Marathon
Oct 11th
A recent article in the New York Times gives a great reminder about how much to drink during a marathon. It’s much simpler than you may think! (Full article here)
First, these highlights:
- You have all probably heard the saying “by the time you’re thirsty you’re already dehydrated, so stay ahead of your thirst”. Studies show that’s NOT TRUE. Thirst is an accurate indicator of hydration levels and it tells you when you need more fluids.
- Technically, losing more than 3% body weight is considered dehydration. So for a 150lb person, that means 4.5lbs
- Hyponatremia is a dangerous condition that can be fatal and is caused by athletes drinking too much water, diluting blood sodium levels. It causes the cells to swell to equalize sodium levels and is fatal when swelling occurs in the brain.
- Guidelines from the International Marathon Medical Directors Association explicitly say to drink only when you’re thirsty.
- A study from Loyola University says that nearly 50% of participants in the study (made up of experienced runners) are drinking too much during their event. That means many of you out there may also drinking too much!
Here’s what you need to know:
- Your thirst is actually an excellent indicator of your hydration level.
- Drink when you’re thirsty! Practice this during your training runs.
- Drink a mix of fluids that are water, and water plus electrolytes to keep your sodium levels balanced.
- Train with an experienced coach who knows the science behind endurance training. Don’t rely only on advice you may have heard along the way.
Visit MyFitList.com to find your ideal marathon training group: http://www.myfitlist.com/find/activity/running
MyFitList brings together the latest information on hundreds of local fitness businesses in Austin. We’re your resource for inspiration and information for getting and staying fit. Search hundreds of Austin fitness groups and services like running, triathlon, bootcamps, yoga studios, gyms and more all in one place! Check us out at www.myfitlist.com
Healthy Hydration with Nuun
Jul 13th
Don’t let summer and these 100+ temps get you down, athletes and weekend warriors. We know, it’s really hot. And you want to keep exercising, whether you’re swimming, cycling, running, or bootcamping outside OR even working out indoors – remember to stay hydrated with water PLUS an electrolyte enhanced drink.
Image courtesy nuun
You’re probably all familiar with at least a few electrolyte drinks (think Gatorade, Powerade). Now think of a healthier hydration product that isn’t loaded with sugar and won’t “undo” your hard work. Nuun is a great product to replenish electrolytes and minerals that you sweat out during your workout (or walking around town, let’s be honest). The best part: nuun has no sugar and each tablet contains less than 8 calories. Nuun comes in tablet form which means you can easily stash a few in your workout bag, jersey pocket or SPIbelt when you’re on the go!
Nuun recently released new flavors that are really light and refreshing – strawberry lemonade, grape, fruit punch, and tropical.
MyFitList has a stash of new flavors and classic flavors to giveaway! Enter by 1) Join the MyFitList mailing list or 2) Comment on our Facebook page to tell us what fitness activities you like to do that make you sweat!
You can also buy nuun at stores around Austin like: Mellow Johnny’s, Pure Austin, Mel’s Meals, Hill Country Running Company, Bettysport, Jack and Adams, REI and more!
For more information like nutrition and ingredients, be sure to check out nuun online here: www.nuun.com
**
MyFitList brings together the latest information on hundreds of local fitness businesses in Austin. We’re your resource for inspiration and information for getting and staying fit. Search hundreds of Austin fitness groups and services like running, triathlon, bootcamps, yoga studios, gyms and more all in one place and narrow them down based on location, time of day, and day of the week! Check us out at www.myfitlist.com