Hydration for running

You're rounding that last corner before the home stretch. It's hot, you're dripping, and you're so close. But your head starts pounding and you're not feeling that great. Maybe those three cups of coffee you had that morning weren't the right hydration strategy for this 30+ degree run. And what about the those drinks you had yesterday at the family reunion? Only two, or was it three? Maybe that wasn't such a great idea either.

Water is best

When you sweat, you loose electrolytes, especially sodium and potassium, which your muscles and your circulatory system need to function properly. But unless you're training for a half or full marathon, you can save your money and avoid plastics by sticking to water and a balanced diet. As long as you're consciously fuelling your body with healthy food, including fruits, veggies, lean protein, legumes, nuts and seeds, you should be getting enough sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and other needed minerals.

I drink a glass of water with a pinch of Himalayan salt and a squeeze of lemon juice in the morning to re-hydrate after sleeping. If I'm running within an hour or so, that's usually good enough. Then I make sure to have another glass or two when I'm back with a handful of salted, roasted pumpkin seeds. If I sweat a lot--it sometimes gets above 30 degrees Celcius in Ottawa--I might drop in an electrolyte tablet. If you like to make your own electrolyte drinks, here are some ideas from Bucket List Tummy.

Potassium and sodium work together

While both potassium and sodium are important for cellular hydration and muscle function, most Canadians eat too much sodium, according to Health Canada (processed foods are the worst culprits), and not enough potassium. And while high sodium levels push your blood pressure up--not good--you do need an adequate level to help you retain water and stay hydrated. Potassium, meanwhile, helps your kidneys flush out excess sodium and relaxes your blood vessels, easing blood pressure.

Runners World discusses the topic of what is too much sodium in great detail. They highlight a study showing that enough potassium can remove almost any risks associated with high sodium levels. You'll often find boxes of bananas at the end of a race to help all those runners with cramping legs because the average banana has more than 400mg of potassium.

LiveStrong has compiled a good list of potassium-rich foods. Top choices include salmon, white kidney beans, lima beans, avocados, swiss chard, potatoes, acorn squash, pinto beans and lentils.

Calcium and magnesium are also key

We should all know by now that calcium and magnesium are key for strong healthy bones. Your muscles--including your heart--however, also use both minerals to function optimally. Not only that, according to Nutrition for Running, Calcium in needed for proper heart contractions and helps "...your body secrete hormones, manage glycogen, and perform cell division," (https://nutritionforrunning.com/calcium-for-runners/).

Magnesium plays key roles in energy balance and metabolism, as well as oxygen and electrolyte uptake. It also plays a role in the timing of your heart contractions. So if you ever experience heart palpitations, magnesium deficiency is one of things to look into. See this Women's Running article for more on magnesium.

Keep in mind that it's easier for your body to get rid of excess calcium and magnesium from food sources than supplements. Some magnesium-rich food choices are pumpkin and chia seeds; almonds, cashews and peanuts; and spinach, endamame beans, and potatoes with skin. The National Institute of Health (NIH) recommends women over 30 years of age consume 320mg a day.

The NIH recommends women over 20 years old get 1,000mg of calcium and women over 50 years old get 1,200mg daily. Calcium-rich food sources include dairy products; canned sardines and salmons with bones; and kale, broccoli and bok choi.

Coffee or tea - a little is good, a lot is not

There is some evidence that a bit of caffeine before a run can help your performance. But it is a diuretic, so consuming more than that would be working against optimal hydration. Just think of all those times you've needed to excuse yourself because you had too much coffee or tea.

But a small amount of caffeine, such as what's in a little cup of coffee, just before your run, can help boost your performance and fight fatigue. In fact, long distance runners sometimes use caffeinated gels or chews during their races when they begin to slow down. Run Street has a good article detailing the effects of caffeine on running performance.

Alcohol - keep it to the minimum

I have to say that one of the best parts of finishing the 10k at Ottawa's Race Weekend, aside from the medal, is getting that cold beer. But is it really good for me? I've definitely earned it, but does it help or hinder recovery?

First of all, alcohol can affect your sleep. Something I've definitely noticed on those rare occasions when an evening out leads to more alcohol than I would normally consume in a regular week. It interferes with your sleep patterns, reducing the overall amount of deep restorative sleep you need, which will impact your body's recovery time.

Alcohol is also a diuretic because it inhibits your body's production of vasopressin, or antidiuretic hormone (ADH). But according to GoodRX Health, "Alcoholic beverages that contain less than 5% alcohol probably don’t block ADH." So a regular beer is not going to do much damage here.

As with everything, moderation is key. Keep drinks to a minimum and you'll also avoid excess alcohol's interference with muscle building and the extra strain it puts on your liver. So I'll keep getting that beer at the end of a race, but I may switch to some lighter drink options for social gatherings this summer. And if you want to learn more, Running Shoes Guru has an in-depth article on this topic.

So to sum up, if you're drinking enough water, eating enough potassium, magnesium and calcium, and limiting your caffeine and alcohol, you're giving your body the best chance to get stronger and faster. The more you run, the better you'll feel, and hopefully, the better you feel, the more you'll run.