Discussion: Water

I'm not able to reach the 'targets' either, 2L a day I think it is. I'd explode if I tried it. Another case of profits over sanity?

Yep - the curve of an $18billion per year sports drink industry profits matches the increasing frequency of over-drinking water instances leading to hospitalization.

Also salts - eat more salt, excrete more salt. It's all evolved human capacity developed to hunt commuter cyclists on the Serengetti.

Thirst alone is fine - drink a bit. Solved. Thirst and dehydration is the problem tho. Plenty of winning marathoners have up to 4% loss in body weight with no ill-effects.

I've made similar observations recently to friend and family. "Back in a day" plain water was just fine and when I ran 10k+ I never even thought about carrying water or looking for a tap unless it was 35 in the shade. Then at all these fun runs, it was water stations every 5km and then every 2km and now you can choose - water or sports drink and free bottles from sponsors at the end.

Makes sense doesn't it, if you were a caveman chasing a mammoth across the plains all day, would you stop every 15min to drink water and electrolytes? More recent research says that our bodies are designed to run slightly dehydrated. Far more people get into trouble from hyponatraemia than dehydration in endurance events. Part of the problem is that they are treated with iv fluids (the only way to replace the sodium) so they think, ooh i ended up on a drip so next time i'd better drink even more.

I get a stitch if I drink too much before running. Is it somehow related?

I get a sore foot if someone stomps on it. Is that the same?

No I don't think so. There's no water involved.

More recent research supports 'stitch' related more to suspensory stuff holding diaphragmmy stuff in place 'n stuff. Interestingly, the best way to stop getting a stitch is to get older = less frequent, less severe. A 2012 publisht study found that those people with better core stability and stronger (thicker) transversus abdominis muscles had much fewer incidences of stitch. So tRicky, run more, adapt ur body to running, improve ur core, don't shove too much food or fluid into your gut before running.

Improve my core... moreso than I'm doing now?

Ab implants.

It's rotten.

If I recall correctly, the research the 2L/day of water figure was based on included water contained in food as part of the 2L, something which got lost somewhere along the way.

Are you 7 foot tall and 100kg or 5 foot tall and 50kg?

Depends if I'm awake or dreaming.

I am old and don't get the stitch, but I drink beer?

You also don't run.

Blair, you have an admirer! I wonder which version of you is the dream boat?

Oi Tooms - that was a comment about me, not Blair.BTW I'm closer to 5ft/50kg than the others.

I know... Just trying to prod lurkers into having a bit o' a laff!

Did the keynote reference the new book coming out by Tim Noakes?

I generally have to set a timer or get a teammate remind me to have a drink, not to get a required amount in, just because I rarely get thirsty.

No, he didn't actually - although the fellow doing the intro. mentioned he'd been researching for a definitive publication on the topic for over 20 years. Much of the research he refers to was produced by the American military back in the 70s and 80s - but when published by the authors would be named "2L of water to be consumed every hour to avoid performance decrements" rather than "Not one of 50 subjects suffered dehydration after losing >4% of bodyweight" and then the fallacy is perpetuated over the years.

This is probably very similar to what the keynote was all about...
http://www.humankinetics.com/2012-releases/2012-re...

I wonder if thirst works as well as an indicator of dehydration in a humid climate? I'm prompted to ask this as a result of my experience this morning - went for a long run on a morning which felt outwardly cool but was very humid (24 degrees, 90% humidity, fresh easterly wind - I'm currently in New Caledonia), and a run which had been good up until then fell to pieces after the 90-minute mark, presumably because I either ran out of fuel or ran out of water (and I doubt it was the former). Unfortunately I don't have access to scales here so don't have an indication of the bodyweight loss, but if the amount I've drunk in the following hours is any indication it was considerable.

Good point. In a possibly related scenario I never ever felt thirsty at swim training, even in 2hr sessions, despite clearly sweating buckets due to the 26.5 degree water and hard work. I suspect the answer in humid environments may consist of pre-establishing what your likely sweat loss will be (litres) and aim to not lose more than 4% of your bodyweight during that session.