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General Info

KLUV interview with Bob Wallace and Dick Beardsley.

by Dr. Patrick Doyle of Koala Health Care & Welness, Inc.

The following information was provided by Dr. Doyle in a lecture to our running classes .

1. Body weight composed of up to 50-70% water, depending on body fat.
2. Proper hydration is not only required for proper organ/brain function, but also muscle function and coordination.
3. Improperly hydrated muscles are more susceptible to injury.
4. Hydration can be a key factor in the sudden lack of performance and/or hitting the wall.
5. Improperly hydrated muscles not only lose performance, but they also lose function. End result? CRAMPING/INURY.
6. So how do you hydrate properly?
7. Athletes should drink half their body weight in ounces a day, minimum. Every pound lost during exercise must be replaced with 500ml (16oz.) H20.
8. This does not include H2O in coffee/soft drinks.
9. Sports drinks should be used to compliment water, not replace it.
10. When possible, always cut sports drinks 50/50. With the exception of Pedialyte, most are a diuretic.
11. Electrolyte balance is essential for endurance athletes to maintain performance and it’s essential that you maintain a constant intake of electrolytes, primarily sodium, during long duration events of an hour or more.
12. The ACSM recommends that during exercise sessions of less than one hour, there is little evidence of physiological/physical performance benefit from the consumption of electrolyte drinks. Water is the best fluid replacement here. However, for longer events over an hour in duration, electrolyte replacement may help prevent cramping and fatigue.
13. Stay away from simple sugars 30-45 minutes prior to exercise. Could lead to a hypoglycemic state.
14. How do you monitor your hydration level?
15. A) Urine color. Clear or straw color is good. Concentrated color, possibly from the night before? Not good.
16. B) Monitor your heart rate and performance. A sudden rise in HR, or loss in performance could indicate dehydration.
17. Signs of dehydration- HR, cramps, dry mouth/skin, dizziness, HA’s, cease to sweat. Stop running immediately and get evaluated, as these are also signs of heat stress or heat stroke. How to differentiate?
18. Heat Stress- cool clammy skin, cramping profuse sweating.
19. Heat Stroke- Hot dry skin, unsteady gait, and disoriented, bizarre behavior. Life threatening!!! Get immediate medical attention.
20. All coaches are trained in the danger signs. If not sure, ASK!
21. Can you over-hydrate? Yes, but it’s difficult. An endurance athlete can perspire up to 1 liter/hour. That doesn’t include other losses through the lungs, urine and stool.
22. Signs of hyper-hydration: light-headedness, nausea, vomiting headaches, malaise (feeling sick), and in worse cases collapse and/or total confusion.
23. Even though water stations may be provided on your runs, it’s always a good idea to carry your own mixture of water, and whatever electrolyte replacement you prefer, especially on those hot and humid days.
24. Recovery. VERY IMPORTANT! Carb/Protein replacement essential. Endurox is a great choice.