How To Stay Hydrated Before, After And During Your Run

Staying well hydrated is essential for keeping your body functioning at its best, especially when you’re running. Proper hydration helps you perform at your peak and supports all your body’s vital processes.

• Regulates Body Temperature:
  During summer runs, we lose a lot of water through sweat. As sweat evaporates, it carries heat away from your body, helping you cool down.
• Prevents Dehydration:
  Dehydration can happen in both dry and humid conditions:
  • Humid Weather:
    When the air is humid, it’s already saturated with moisture. This slows down the evaporation of sweat, making it harder for your body to cool itself. As a result, you may feel hotter, sweat more, and need to slow your pace.
  • Dry Weather:
    In dry conditions, sweat evaporates quickly—sometimes almost as fast as you produce it. This can lead to faster dehydration and puts extra strain on your heart.
• Supports Heart Function:
  Dehydration decreases your blood volume. With less blood to circulate, your heart has to work harder and beat faster to deliver oxygen and nutrients to your muscles.
• Coping with Heat and Sun:
  Hot, sunny conditions raise your body temperature, making running feel even more challenging.

Even if you’re well hydrated, it’s normal for your running pace to slow down as your internal temperature rises. Staying on top of your hydration helps you manage these challenges and keep your runs safer and more enjoyable.

While plain water is important for hydration, it often moves through your body quickly and doesn’t contain the sugars needed to kickstart your recovery process. That’s where sports drinks can be especially helpful for runners.

Sports drinks are designed to do more than just quench your thirst:

• Provide Energy:
  They contain a mix of quick and slow-releasing sugars. This combination gives you both immediate and sustained energy for your run.
• Replenish Electrolytes:
  Sports drinks are rich in electrolytes such as sodium, chloride, and potassium. These minerals help replace what you lose through sweat, keeping your body in balance.

Choosing the best sports drink depends on your specific needs:

• Are you looking to rehydrate?
• Do you need to replenish energy before, during, or after your run?

Your choice should match your activity level and hydration goals.

Sports drinks generally fall into three main categories:

• Isotonic:
• Balanced levels of carbohydrates and electrolytes, suitable for most runners during exercise.
• Hypotonic:
  Low in carbohydrates and electrolytes, ideal for quick hydration.
• Hypertonic:
  Higher in carbohydrates, best for post-run recovery and energy replenishment.

Selecting the right type will help you maintain hydration and energy levels, making your runs more effective and enjoyable.

Isotonic sports drinks closely match the body’s natural balance of electrolytes and carbohydrates. Because of this, they’re excellent for quickly rehydrating and re-energising during exercise.

• Carbohydrate Content:
  These drinks usually contain 6–8% carbohydrates, making them effective for replenishing energy levels while you run.
• Absorption Rate:
  Isotonic drinks are absorbed by the body at a medium rate—faster than high-carb drinks, but with the added benefit of energy. As a rule, the higher the carbohydrate content, the slower the absorption, but isotonic drinks strike a good balance.
• Most Common Type:
  Isotonic drinks are the most widely available sports drinks and are a popular choice among runners.

Isotonic sports drinks are ideal for:

• Shorter duration runs
• High-intensity exercise
• Situations where maintaining energy is more important than pure rehydration

• Electrolytes: Medium
• Carbohydrates: 6–8%
• Ideal Use: Re-energise before and during your run

With their balanced formula, isotonic drinks help you stay energised and hydrated when you need it most.

Hypotonic drinks have a lower concentration of carbohydrates than your blood, but they contain the highest levels of electrolytes among sports drinks. This unique combination means they are absorbed by your body very quickly, making them perfect for rapid rehydration.

• Fast Absorption:
  Because of their low carbohydrate content, hypotonic drinks are taken up by your body faster than other types of sports drinks.
• Primary Purpose:
  Their main goal is to replace the water and electrolytes you lose through sweat, rather than provide energy.

Hypotonic drinks are best suited for:

• Running in hot weather
• Challenging races where staying hydrated is more important than topping up energy
• Situations where quick rehydration is your top priority

• Electrolytes: High
• Carbohydrates: Less than 6%
• Ideal Use: Rehydration during your run

If rehydration is your main concern, especially in hot or demanding conditions, hypotonic drinks are your go-to option.

Hypertonic drinks are packed with energy, containing a higher concentration of carbohydrates than your blood. With an average carbohydrate content of 8% or more, they deliver the most calories of any sports drink, making them ideal for refuelling and recovery after exercise.

• High Energy Content:
  The elevated carbohydrate levels (8% or higher) help replenish your energy stores after a strenuous run or workout.
• Slow Absorption Rate:
  Due to their high carbohydrate content, hypertonic drinks are absorbed more slowly by the body. This makes them less suitable for use during a run, as the slow absorption can actually leave you feeling fatigued once the initial energy boost fades.

Hypertonic drinks are best for:

• Recovery after long or intense runs
• Refuelling energy stores post-exercise
• Supporting muscle repair and glycogen restoration

• Using hypertonic drinks during exercise can lead to fatigue once the sugar rush wears off.
• They are not absorbed quickly enough to keep you hydrated while running.

For optimal recovery after a tough run, choose a hypertonic drink with a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein. This combination helps your body recover faster and more effectively.

• Electrolytes: High
• Carbohydrates: Greater than 8%
• Ideal Use: Recovery (after your run)

Hypertonic drinks are your best option when it’s time to recover and refuel, not when you’re still on the move.