Water: an Athletes guide. When to drink and when to stay away

“We are mostly water… as such we should act accordingly”

Today is the international day of Water… as such I thought it fitting that, to honor this precious liquid, I would write an article about the athlete’s ultimate helper.

As everybody knows water is a compound composed of two molecules Hydrogen and oxygen (H2O)… what few people do not know is that a person may starve for up to 2 weeks and not perish, but will only last a little under 20hrs without any sort of liquids in his system…

For a Runner or any sort of athlete water is essential, you live and you die by the bottle.

But what most athletes do not know is that hydrating yourself is a tricky business… it’s no longer a case of whether or not you are drinking enough water, but whether or not you have had enough.

You see, in the body’s battle to hydrate itself, there are two extreme situations that may accord

In one corner we may dehydrate and in the other, the less known, but equally dangerous we may suffer from hyponatremia (over hydration and a diluting of blood-sodium levels), such is the case in many Marathons (were water is in abundance). In 2002 a young woman was struck down and died of this condition… suddenly runners did not know what to do or how to act.

Truthfully there isn’t a guideline on this subject… some say drink when thirsty, while others argue that it is normal for an athlete to finish any competition with at least 2% dehydration (signaling that Marathon winners usually never reach for any sort of liquid during a race).

"There is no evidence that you have to replace 100 percent of lost fluid during a race."

Lewis Maharam, M.D., medical director of the ING New York City Marathon and chairman of the board of governors for the IMMDA.

And this is normally true for person who is highly trained and weights only between 45-60kg after all 2% dehydration is at the most about 2000cc, but for a normal person lest say someone with an estimated weight of 75kg, this translates to 3100cc… and that is not taking into account weather conditions, humidity and level of endurance. As such this is a tricky subject.

Then there is the other advice:

“Drink an hydrate yourself before a run”

Once again there is debate in the medical community as to the veracity of this. After all there is no clear evidence that this is will help.

"Your body's thirst mechanism is giving you real-time feedback on your internal fluid balance."

But here is the problem… your body is also tricky in its ways, sometimes it translates other elements and emotions as thirst (Heat stroke, nerves, hunger, pain)… a list of conditions that is ever present in any sporting event.

As such the best advice you can come across is the following: “think before you drink” and do not over compensate… little by little you will get the hang of it, you will train your body to know when it thirsty and when it has had enough.

But for all those who are not so fluent in this language and wish to have some sort of tip or idea as to when to have a sip of water… well there are some basic guidelines to measure how much liquid you loss during a run.

First of all your gender matters… the ladies sweat much less than the guys, so take that into account.

Second and most important measure your sweat levels, that way you will know how much liquid you will need to consume after a race... this will also help you in finding the right degree of water that you will spend during a race, and as such may compensate.

1. Take of all your clothes and see how much you weigh.

2. Run at a normal pace for a sustained period of time.

3. Arrive home, imminently after your run, strip down and towel your self off.

4. Weigh yourself once again…

5. Subtract how much weight you have loss during your run and covert it into ounces or liters… (1kg= 35ounce or 1lt).

6. Do this with different paces, times and temperatures… that way you will have a clear understanding how much water you loss in winter, spring, summer and fall.

As a conclusion it important to hydrate yourself, but also to be wary of over compensating because, down that route there is also disaster. Be cautious of different advices and know that on this subject every person is different (don’t simply pick up a magazine and do as it says… do a little homework, and find out for yourself How much is enough)… perhaps for your neighbor drinking a liter of water during a race will help him… but you are not your neighbor, you do not have the same physical dimensions, nor the same genetic makeup… each runner or athlete is a unique individual as such the main rule is to know your body and its needs.

“Control the situation, do not let it control you”

Peanut Butter a Friend to athletes

The other day I was in Chinatown, where you not only find the most unusual food supplies in the universe, but also those elements that have yet to become popular in Argentina. In-between the aisle lay the peanut butter.

For anyone who has, at some point, visited the United States, it is common knowledge that North Americans, from an early age feed on this bottle sweet. In the same way that an Argentine recognizes “ el dulce de leche” as a constant companion... the Yankees have the same respect for the Peanut Butter ... going from the creation of their legendary Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich, and venturing onto the King’s (Elvis Presley) diet which n turn was based on his famous: fried banana sandwich with peanut butter.

Now, why is peanut butter so popular? Why is it considered, in many countries as a key for growth and empowerment of youth? Why do doctors recommend it to athletes, children growing and anyone who needs help to form muscles?

Easy ... peanut butter ... a good batch, with little refinement and without so many chemicals ... are pure, pure calories. 74% comes from the fat that it has, while the rest is divided between your carbs and proteins. But these particular fats are good fats. Known as: Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated ....

Now for those who do not care for science and truly only require the facts ... How can Peanut Butter help you?

First a tidbit about appearance’s, you can find it both forms smooth and chunky… secondly: it fights cholesterol, it creates a satisfied feeling and destroys states of anxiety, even in small doses, it can count for all the days worth of minerals and vitamins, it combats stress and is one of the few foods that contain resveratrol (a substance, that not only aids digestion but kills fungi and bacteria in the body) ... and finally after 20 years of studies, it was concluded that it helps in the prevention of neurological problems including Alzheimer.

As an added bonus for runners, athletes or people with a hectic life, peanut butter they can provide a lot of energy ... the main marathon runners and competitive sprinters swear by this substance.

Nancy Clark author of Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook and authority on these issues exclaimed the following:

"When it comes to food choices that a runner may have, there is nothing better than peanut butter."

It creates a sense of complete filling, which may be kept during the day. Unlike sugar, that only triggers your insulin levels, gives you that well sought out burst of energy and then plummets halfway through your... Peanut butter gives you protein, fiber, good fats and carbohydrates, and their properties will slowly be incorporate into your bloodstream, keeping you energy and strength throughout the race.

A word of caution: for ordinary people with a normal regime of 2000 or so calories a day, this substance can be counterproductive… after all it is pure calories and Fats… so a word of warning, “handle with care”.

But for people who burn energy like hummingbirds, or people who have very tight schedules with little or no time to eat: Peanut Butter is a rich, healthy and highly recommended food source, far better that any protein bar in kiosk.