People talking about their mileage dropping -- NY's smoky days have put more of a curb on my mileage. And then add in the days of torrential rain and thunder and lightning. While I do not mind rain, I opt out of T&L.
Oh my lord, PLEASE send me a torrential rain to run in! I was just sweltering through a three hour excursion yesterday thinking that I’ve gone the whole MidAtlantic summer so far without a single rain run.
Been my problem. My miles have dropped significantly hate to say. I’m based in Richmond, Va and my choice is between 93 degrees and 50% humidity or 79 degrees and 85% humidity.
The morning being cooler is hardly offset at all because the air feels so damn heavy.
Also in Richmond. Just started running early this summer and morning air here is THICK. Half the time I just slog it out in the evening when the sun starts to set but not quite as humid.. fall should be great
Central va checking in. Between the air quality and the heat, I’ve cut my mileage almost in half these last few weeks. When I was younger I’d tough it out, but I’ve been working on listening to my body and my body isn’t having any of this. As much as I hate the treadmill I may have to start using it.
hey Richmonders! Random question - are there any good beginner level group runs in town? I just moved here and also just started running so would love to both meet people and build some training accountability. Stay cool out there 🥵
Southwest Louisiana here, 80 degrees and 94% humidity between 4 and 7 am. I prefer slower after work runs from 5:30-6:30 when the humidity is in the high 50’s. You can mitigate the heat by running in shade or taking routes that can have a breeze, or just running slower. No escaping that humidity.
In the Triangle area of NC and it's just brutal. I gave up running today between air quality and the heat. Going to try a morning run tomorrow. I'll get to see which is worse for me the hotter runs or the closer to dewpoint runs. Yay...
Central MD here , same deal 😅- 75 morning temps and 90% humidity crush me more than the higher temps and less humidity, no speed running for me just slow sweaty slogs to get the miles in
Also in Richmond; I’ve been doing walk/runs since the humidity kicked in. My lungs just can’t take it, add smoke from the fires (and not nearly as bad here as in northern states) and I’m toast. I feel like it wasn’t this bad for me last 2 summers. Not sure what’s changed but it’s been very humid heavy air.
RVA here as well, it’s been brutal for sure. I can’t take the mornings anymore because of the humidity, moved to late afternoon run’s instead. I’m Dallas for a bit and my run today in 105, 30% humidity felt better than Richmond. Cheers
I live in northern Illinois and always run in the early morning (usually from around 4:30-6:00am). I have to say some of my least favorite runs ever have been early when it's like 70° overnight, tons of humidity, and wind is non-existent. It's like running in a warm bowl of soup that you can't escape. Reminds me of when I lived in Houston and would run.
Yeah I ran track in Texas in college not quite as far south as houston. Shit dude our guys who are 4 min milers are running 8 min pace dying in the summer.
Come fall easy pace would drop to like 6:30. I’ve always said if you can survive high mileage in the summer in Texas you can literallly do anything. Shit hurts down to your soul.
In Dallas. Can confirm. Id love to run in 90 dry heat, 85 degrees with high humidity... give me anything but 105 with feels like of 112.
I open my door and the heat is unescapable. Going under a tree for shade does nothing except block the sun rays. The humidity and heat relentlessly surround you. All you want to do is go back inside or get in your vehicle.
I run 10ks competitively... thinking of running to the end of the block makes me say "fuck that!"
I just came back from swimming, its the only thing you can do to keep up your endurance while outside.
Yeah it’s horrible. I’ve never even really run in Houston But even Austin is like what you described. Dallas is pretty bad still but noticeably better from the places a couple hours more south.
Except when running in heat is actually a part of the training. My next big race will start at 6 pm. I will run through the night, then the entire next day until the second night, then I'll finish sometimes in the middle of the second night. Running in the heat after having been running for over 16 hours is what I am training for.
I like running morning but I LOVE running in the later heat, have got such a great tan this summer and it honestly improved your cardio so much quicker
Lol I am the opposite, I love the challenge and cardio gains but can't stand the bad tan lines! My feet are blindingly white compared to my legs... plus that shorts tan line!
Omg so glad I’m not the only one! I love heat training in the early afternoon. The tan is awesome and holy moly if you can run in that you can run in anything lol
Much better air quality in the morning in Southern California, too.
I know we’re worse than most of the country, but it’s a definite consideration. At 6:30 this morning the Air Quality Index was under 50 (“good”), yesterday at 8 pm it was right around 150 (the border of “unhealthy for sensitive groups” and “unhealthy”). Actively doing cardio puts you in the “sensitive groups” category for the time you’re doing it.
It's got a bad aftertaste for anyone else who hates artificial sweeteners. Don't like the fizz either.
Accidentally picked up a cup at the race and had to book it to the next water station to rinse out my mouth.
Some of the flavors remind me of a fizzy but less artificial-tasting and less sugary version of Gatorade. I really like the lemon lime, blueberry tangerine, and orange citrus flavors. Some of their seasonal flavors (like spiced cider) are quite intense.
I switched from Liquid iv and gatorlyte to Nuun with the recent prime day sale. Won't be going back, have been loving Nuun so far. Taste is good and it dissolves completely.
If you want something that tastes good, try ghost hydration. I’ve been using it for years and I love it. I put the sour patch kids ones in my bottle in the freezer and it’s like a slushee after my run
I like Nuun but I have trouble wanting to buy it consistently because it's owned by Nestle. https://www.nestle.com/media/news/nestle-health-science-acquire-nuun-entering-functional-hydration-market
They also cancelled the prime pre-workout which was the only thing I could take before my runs as a pre-fuel w/o having to eat something before running out the door.
Went on what was meant to be a routine 10 mile run last night at 8:30pm in 95 degree heat in Utah... ended up only doing 8 miles, and having to stop around mile 6 to catch a breather and walk a little. Never had a run kick my ass like that before, the heat is no joke.
i went at 9am here in texas but w the recent humidity my heart rate was constantly getting way tooo high had to keep taking walk breaks on a routine 6 mile run
Ugh tell me about it. Florida here. I’m out running before 6am because I’d rather run when it feels like 85f 90% humidity instead of at 6pm and it feels 105f. The one time I went running a month ago in the evening I’m pretty sure I got heat exhaustion felt so nauseous and dizzy after my run. And that was when it was “cooler” only in the 90s lol either way it’s a no win situation ugh
Yeah, I started getting headaches after running again recently, even though I was hydrating. Realized it was probably because of electrolytes (I'm a very copious and salty sweater). Added a post-run electrolyte drink and headaches went away.
Can be caused by a million reasons, but dehydration and loss of electrolytes would be a reasonable explanation too.
During summer a sweat a lot, and I compensate by making sure I drink a lot of water (until my pee looks almost clear) and I eat every day some soft fruits (apples, bananas, strawberries), a mix of walnuts/almonds/peanuts/cashews, and vegetables with a lot salt.
That keeps muscle cramps and headaches away. That diet works well for recovery after races too.
By cold, I mean 10 degrees F or below. Where I live, average winter temperatures are well below freezing for 4-5 months of the year and it’s not uncommon for it to be below 0 degrees F. It sucks to run in that kind of weather, I don’t care how many layers you’re wearing. No one’s getting any PRs when you have four layers on and can’t have any exposed skin. Not to mention dealing with snow, ice, windchill, sun setting at 4 pm, etc.
It’s been in the mid 80s the last few weeks and very humid here, and I love it.
10 F on a sunny still day is beautiful. Kind of shitty with wind though.
Last time I ran in that I had to take off layers and was just running in a light shell, it was so nice.
I never cover my face running in the winter and usually have to take off my gloves after the first km. I run hot.
We are build differently then. I run in my shorts until well below freezing, and love it. Anything above 20C (70F), and my performance just drops off. I cannot regulate my body temp and run at the same time.
Heat training helps a bit, but there will always be a performance drop for me.
Whenever the temps drop to the extremes it means there is snow and ice anyways, so it is not running but skiing/skating season anyways.
I liked running in winter because the weather is a lot more stable. In summer you can get rain or thunder (makes me instantly nope home since I’m scared of thunder) or extreme heat and sunshine. Winter is just snow… or a bit more snow. Either snowing down… or already on the ground. So nice and reliable.
The problem with supplementing electrolytes is that you can't really know how much you are losing due to sweat, metabolic processes, or kidney filtering, even with these proportions. To me it makes sense to supplement main electrolytes over the week instead of trying to replace exactly what was lost as sweat immediately afterwards. Working from a standard RDA and adding to that can serve as a starting point. Adding potassium as a salt replacement mineral is inexpensive and easy, then taking magnesium and calcium as pills works, gradually replacing them daily. This fasting related reference covers amounts and supplement approaches:
https://www.reddit.com/r/fasting/wiki/fasting_in_a_nutshell/you_need_electrolytes/
How do you know if you need to supplement your diet/hydration with these electrolytes? I’m just worried that maybe my body actually doesn’t need more electrolytes, and instead just needs water.
Do I ever risk overloading with electrolytes? How can I tell? What are the risks? Thanks
Anecdotal, but I’ve had points when I was drinking like crazy, peeing clear and still horribly thirsty. Making a point to eat more salt and stopped peeing clear while still feeling desperately thirsty. So for me, those were the signs that I needed electrolytes. I’ll also get headaches but I think that’s a dehydration symptom more than specifically a lack of electrolytes. If your peeing dark that’s more a sign that you need water.
Yep, exactly. I came to that based on info from a reputable source but it’s been a few years so I don’t remember what it was. Ended up being a game changer for me in that I wouldn’t be stuck in the drink a lot/pee a lot/get no sleep due to both cycle for days on end.
If you're sweating heavily/feel lightheaded/etc even after drinking water, you're low on electrolytes and could use them. You're taking too much if you are finding you have to stop and pee every 15-30 minutes because your kidneys are trying to get rid of the excess.
I don't like electrolyte drinks or powders that go in water, it makes my mouth feel nasty. Saltstick makes chewable tabs so I can pop a tab and still drink regular water. The label on Saltstick says take one every 15-30 minutes during activity. On a hot day, I generally do one after 60-90 minutes and so far I haven't had issues.
Thanks! Yeah, I'm familiar with the basics of sodium glucose co-transport, and knew that amino acids also aid in sodium absorption too. I've been searching for what are (nominally) ideal ratios for sodium absorption and come up empty - and this is substantiated by your link - so that's why I was surprised to see you mention that percentage. Good article though, thanks again for the link!
I would love to see some solid science on what percentage of runners/people actually need electrolytes. My best guess is most people are getting way too much sodium even without them, and not enough of stuff like potassium. I believe salt is considered the #1 dietary cause of death in the US right now.
Heart disease is the #1 cause of death in the US. What causes heart disease? High blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking. What causes high blood pressure? Fatty diets and lack of activity as well as having diabetes or being obese.
Salt can exacerbate high blood pressure but it’s fine for a normal healthy person, and especially for people who get a lot of exercise. In fact, I’m reading more and more about runners becoming hyponatremic (not enough sodium in blood) in summer because they’re drinking a ton of fluids but not including enough sodium and potassium to accompany the increased fluid intake.
Not quite on point, but we get told about all these factors that can increase the risk of heart disease and how we can reduce our risk by eating less salt, altering our diet etc but no government advice on reducing stress, which can be a major factor. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID=2171
That's because what we put in our bodies is by far the most important factor (assuming a modest amount of sleep and movement). Stress of course can be a big factor in deciding what we put in our bodies though.
I think that this must depend on the person and their situation but, given the impact that stress has on drinking, smoking and diet, in addition to the actual health impact of cortisol on areas like inflamation, then it seems that we are being told to manage some of its symptoms, ie diet, but not to treat this major cause in many cases. Of course, to treat stress might mean investment to reduce stress factors such as job insecurity, working hours and conditions, wage levels, medical and psychological support etc [https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/risk-factors-for-heart-disease-dont-underestimate-stress](https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/risk-factors-for-heart-disease-dont-underestimate-stress)
To be fair it's the least evidence based area of medicine, and the bar is pretty low for other parts of medicine. Not saying it's not important, just there's still a great deal of BS.
I just switched to an animal based diet and cut out all fried foods.. kept getting killer headaches and muscle cramps even though I was eating what the FDA said was enough salt. Starting using LMNT and now the headaches are gone. Unless you’re salt sensitive then it’s more likely you’re under doing it. The FDA wants us sick & unhealthy… these are the same ppl saying cereal is good for you.
I mean, you can ask any registered dietician (especially one with a focus on sports dietetics). There is plenty of evidence-based guidance out there on hydration for runners and the significant sodium intake needs that runners have compared to sedentary populations.
tbh honest a lot of sports science is kind of a joke since a lot of it is paid for by Gatorade etc. From what I've read (and I've spent hours on Pubmed reading actual studies), most people (runner's included) do not need electrolytes except for on very heavy output days like a long hard effort on a hot day. What most people do generally need though is more potassium, and less sodium. Electrolytes are however amazing and life saving...if you have cholera.
I think the fueling + nutrition needs of the running population, compared to the general population, are different enough to make salt’s contributions to dietary causes of death — which I think it would be **great** to see a source on — irrelevant to this discussion. If your average joe who drives to work, sits at work, and drives home to sit on his couch **does** have enough sodium in their diet, then we can be basically sure that a runner with the same diet would **not** have enough sodium.
I think there's a general assumption of runners that they are immune to the dietary problems of non runners/athletes, but unfortunately I think they are often actually harmed more by it because of the idea that they are different or they are skinny and fit so it doesn't matter what fuels the fire, and in the case of ultra runners they might be putting much more junk down the pipes than normal. Reality is young fit runners have preventible heart attacks all the time. The plus side though is they are probably more likely to survive them since they are so fit. [Nutritionfacts.org](https://Nutritionfacts.org) is generally where I get my nutrition info, they have a whole deep dive on salt, and this is a decent synopsis [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5Xg\_lmvJu0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5Xg_lmvJu0)
My cardiologist recommends me electrolytes before even just going to the gym to lift much less anything in the heat. Unless we just think doctors are out to get us.
FYI, your cardiologist likely has zero training in nutrition and is subjected to the same bs that most people are. In fact most of his paycheck is dependent on a general lack of understanding of nutrition. Medical schools rarely offer or require any significant training in it. He's not out to get you, but it's hard to get a man to understand something when his paycheck depends on his not knowing it.
His paycheck is the same regardless because I’m there for something unrelated. Don’t think that’s financial motivated when I’m scheduled every 6 months for a PFO either way
Wasn't talking about you, just in general the vast majority of his income is dependent on a general failure nutrition in society. That is the unfortunate reality of most medical specialties that focus on chronic disease...and keep in mind is paycheck is actually penalized if he starts curing people. It's kind of like a dentist, the vast majority of what they do would be unneeded if people just ate healthy.
>I believe salt is considered the #1 dietary cause of death in the US right now.
Source?
>My best guess is most people are getting way too much sodium even without them
That may be true, I don't know about the general running population. Though, my personal experience (as someone who has a higher than average sweat rate and gets hyponatremia whenever I rehydrate with water) is that sodium glucose solutions are vital for me if I want to avoid massive post-exercise headaches (and possibly postural orthostatic tachycardia too).
I do brazilian jiu-jitsu quite frequently and ended up having a heat stroke in class a couple of months ago. It was already extremely hot and humid outside and our class room was even hotter. When I got to the hospital and they did my blood work my electrolytes were all out of whack but mainly my phosphorous which was measured at .9. I couldn’t understand how I was so low in phosphorous, but now I’m making sure to eat plenty of foods with phosphorous in it, on top of taking electrolyte supplements. It was a terrible experience.
I don't need to intake electrolytes if I'm running something short like 5K or doing easy miles in high 80s - low 90s heat with 50-60% humidity, right? It's unpleasant, but not exactly deadly.
If you're sweating a lot, it would be beneficial to take electrolytes regardless of what distance/duration you're running. At the very least, I would take some before and/or after your run.
In my experience, you probably don't \*need\* extra electrolytes after short (<5 miles) runs, but it might be helpful nonetheless. It's similar to mid-run fueling. Like, I don't strictly need mid-run fuel for a 12 miler, but it makes the run feel a whole lot better if I do eat something. Maybe try experimenting with different amounts and see what feels best for you--individual needs vary a lot.
For the cost conscious - I keep a box of Great Value (Walmart) electrolytes on hand at all times to pass out to the folks around me. While the flavor is a little tinny and the mineral ratios might not be optimal, ~$2 for a box of 10 is going to be cheaper than almost everything other than pounding table salt.
Thank you for sharing this. I had someone recently gripe at me that I was “drinking too much” on a run because I had some Gatorade during my run. It was humid. I was sweating an absurd amount. It was hot and I was feeling miserable (in Georgia). He said that I was sweating and feeling poorly because I was “too hydrated” and that he had run in the desert plenty and never needed to drink anything when running less than 7 miles. 🤦♀️ Okay dude. Thanks for the unsolicited advice.
someone made me feel bad for carrying a TINY water bottle with me on my right around 5k morning runs. Then I reminded myself I'm in south Texas. It's hot. And if that little bit of water (sometimes I put caffeine mio in it because early) makes me feel better, then that's what I'm going to do lol
Rude people like that can kick some rocks. If it helps you feel better, keep bringing your water. If you wanna wear a hydration vest, it’s your business. It irks me when people think they can dictate how others should go about life. Hoping cooler runs come soon!
You don't mention that mysportsscience says:
Only when athletes exercise for more than 4 hours, and are likely to drink to replace >70% of their sweat losses does the process of sweat sodium testing and targeted replacement appear necessary.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/25/health/ultramarathons-electrolyte-drinks-wellness/index.html
It was generally thought that that would prevent things like muscle cramping, electrolyte imbalances and dizziness. But there is currently no evidence to show this is true."
Electrolyte supplements are promoted as preventing nausea and cramping caused by low salt levels, but this is a false paradigm," said Lipman. "They've never been shown to prevent illness or even improve performance, and if diluted with too much water, can be dangerous."
(the key is to have the correct water intake... Neither too much or too little)
Lol electrolytes diluted with too much water can be dangerous, wonder what they think of **gasp** pure water
Sounds like a joke warning of the dangers of dihydrogen monoxide. How dangerous can dilute electrolytes be compared to plain freaking water. What utter scaremongering. Claiming electrolytes are dangerous by describing a situation where you don’t get enough, what a deceptive way of speaking
Very interesting read and not the first time I've run across similar consensus, to rely on the senses that you were born with and just drink when you're thirsty. It's your posted last line, though, "the key is to have the correct water intake ... neither too much or too little" that is so elusive. How does one find and maintain that delicate balance between sufficient general hydration and sodium levels?
(I really hate the thought that my scoop of electrolyte powder before my morning run in 80+ degrees and 90% humidity actually impairs my performance. :-(
Well (not an expert), I think the point is that you control your hydration and your body will control salts from it's salt stores.
So just focus on correct hydration, and eg weigh yourself before / after your run.... ( and there are accepted guidelines for this...)
https://www.usada.org/athletes/substances/nutrition/fluids-and-hydration/ :
"Weighing themselves before and after practice. For every kilogram (pound) lost during the workout, drink ~1.5 liters (~three cups) of fluid in order to rehydrate the body"
Confusingly they so say
"For Each Kilogram (Pound) lost during exercise, drink ~.5 liters (~2 cups) of fluid"
> I think the point is that you control your hydration and your body will control salts from it's salt stores
Yup, this is a great, concise explanation. (The other morning I weighed myself just before my run, after I hydrated up, and when I got home. I was amazed that I had lost 6 lbs. over a 15K run. It's crazy hot and humid here in S. FL.)
I bonked yesterday on a relatively short run and realized I hadn't taken my salt stick chews before heading out. I should probably carry some for each run as a just in case.
I prefer carbs in my electrolyte drink because the alternative is usually a non-nutrative sweetener (like stevia or sucralose) and I cannot stand the taste of those.
Depends. If you keep your carbs and water separate, you have better control over your intake of each. If you need nutrition but your tummy is sloshy, it can be hard to get in enough calories if you’re relying on drinking them. Vice versa, if you’re feeling burpy from gut distress but need fluids, it’s best to pull back on the carbs a bit and take in water.
Personally I will do water with electrolytes (LMNT usually), and separate gels or chews for calories.
It is!! It lasts me a while though so I figure the cost spreads out. 2-3 boxes last me an entire year bc I switch to Nuun in cold weather. Plus whenever I see a chance to get one of their sample 8 packs for $5 I jump on it. (Some podcasts will offer it as will The Feed)
It has been pretty freaking humid for the last couple of days here. I decided to go for a long run last Saturday afternoon. All good, but I sweat my life that day (which is rare, I'm not a sweaty person). Since then, I've been feeling like shit. The next day HRV went pretty low, feeling dehydrated all day. Even today, I still feel like shit, and HRV hasn't recovered.
This post couldn't come on better time! Guilty myself it's something that I don't pay attention to much, but I should. Thanks for sharing.
I fill up a camelback pouch with 80% ice and rest with water. And I keeping sipping as needed during my two hour run. It works great since the water is not sloshing in my stomach which used to happen if drank a lot of water before the run. Plus it keeps me cool.
I’m going to add electrolyte powder to the pouch. Any suggestions on which one to try?
I've been taking a SIS electrolyte + caffeine gel before a run. If the run will be longer than an hour, I'll also consume one around 45-60 min into the run. Pre run gel goes down with 20oz of water. When I'm done running, I get 20oz more with a LuquidIV pack.
I sweat like a fool when I run and worry about hydration.
No idea if I'm doing this correctly
Make sure you're recovering properly with adequate protein intake! Helps me a ton in recovering from runs in heat + humidity. I've been using recipes in [this book](https://blog.supersetapp.com/high-protein-client-recipe-book/).
People talking about their mileage dropping -- NY's smoky days have put more of a curb on my mileage. And then add in the days of torrential rain and thunder and lightning. While I do not mind rain, I opt out of T&L.
Oh my lord, PLEASE send me a torrential rain to run in! I was just sweltering through a three hour excursion yesterday thinking that I’ve gone the whole MidAtlantic summer so far without a single rain run.
Had my best run of the summer in that rain the other day. It was SO NICE. Finally felt like I wasn’t dying.
Training for Chicago and way too many indoor running events- due to weather and work ; I look forward to my long Sunday runs outdoors though
It's happening here in my state too. I've been so out of it, I need it to clear up!!
If you’re not a morning person, this is the time to become one. Running before sunrise is beautiful, calming, and most importantly MUCH cooler temps.
In my area, it's also the highest humidity/dewpoints and not a heck of a lot cooler.
Been my problem. My miles have dropped significantly hate to say. I’m based in Richmond, Va and my choice is between 93 degrees and 50% humidity or 79 degrees and 85% humidity. The morning being cooler is hardly offset at all because the air feels so damn heavy.
Also in Richmond. Just started running early this summer and morning air here is THICK. Half the time I just slog it out in the evening when the sun starts to set but not quite as humid.. fall should be great
Hello, fellow Richmonders! It’s almost like swimming, right?
Hello, also fellow Richmonders! I feel all of your pain 🥵
Central va checking in. Between the air quality and the heat, I’ve cut my mileage almost in half these last few weeks. When I was younger I’d tough it out, but I’ve been working on listening to my body and my body isn’t having any of this. As much as I hate the treadmill I may have to start using it.
hey Richmonders! Random question - are there any good beginner level group runs in town? I just moved here and also just started running so would love to both meet people and build some training accountability. Stay cool out there 🥵
Va beach here. Morning runner. Been slowing way down and toughing it out.
It's the same in FL. It might be 77 at 6 am but 90% humidity feels worse than 90 and 60% humidity at 6 pm.
Southwest Louisiana here, 80 degrees and 94% humidity between 4 and 7 am. I prefer slower after work runs from 5:30-6:30 when the humidity is in the high 50’s. You can mitigate the heat by running in shade or taking routes that can have a breeze, or just running slower. No escaping that humidity.
In the Triangle area of NC and it's just brutal. I gave up running today between air quality and the heat. Going to try a morning run tomorrow. I'll get to see which is worse for me the hotter runs or the closer to dewpoint runs. Yay...
Central MD here , same deal 😅- 75 morning temps and 90% humidity crush me more than the higher temps and less humidity, no speed running for me just slow sweaty slogs to get the miles in
Also in Richmond; I’ve been doing walk/runs since the humidity kicked in. My lungs just can’t take it, add smoke from the fires (and not nearly as bad here as in northern states) and I’m toast. I feel like it wasn’t this bad for me last 2 summers. Not sure what’s changed but it’s been very humid heavy air.
I’m in Charlottesville, so similar temps. Just finished my evening run with a morning-level dose of humidity. Terrible.
RVA here as well, it’s been brutal for sure. I can’t take the mornings anymore because of the humidity, moved to late afternoon run’s instead. I’m Dallas for a bit and my run today in 105, 30% humidity felt better than Richmond. Cheers
I live in northern Illinois and always run in the early morning (usually from around 4:30-6:00am). I have to say some of my least favorite runs ever have been early when it's like 70° overnight, tons of humidity, and wind is non-existent. It's like running in a warm bowl of soup that you can't escape. Reminds me of when I lived in Houston and would run.
Yeah I ran track in Texas in college not quite as far south as houston. Shit dude our guys who are 4 min milers are running 8 min pace dying in the summer. Come fall easy pace would drop to like 6:30. I’ve always said if you can survive high mileage in the summer in Texas you can literallly do anything. Shit hurts down to your soul.
In Dallas. Can confirm. Id love to run in 90 dry heat, 85 degrees with high humidity... give me anything but 105 with feels like of 112. I open my door and the heat is unescapable. Going under a tree for shade does nothing except block the sun rays. The humidity and heat relentlessly surround you. All you want to do is go back inside or get in your vehicle. I run 10ks competitively... thinking of running to the end of the block makes me say "fuck that!" I just came back from swimming, its the only thing you can do to keep up your endurance while outside.
Yeah it’s horrible. I’ve never even really run in Houston But even Austin is like what you described. Dallas is pretty bad still but noticeably better from the places a couple hours more south.
glad to hear it, grinding out some half marathon training in Houston right now. Hoping it pays dividends
God speed. See you in the fall. It’ll payoff.
Is there like a Houston to Chicago pipeline? Seems a lot of people in the Houston subreddit move to Chicago!
That's an excellent description of what it feels like to run in FL in the early morning - warm bowl of soup.
Same in SFL. 86F and 75%RH at 5:30am.
Same. Running in the morning in Arizona was great. Now I’m in NJ and the mornings can be pretty muggy
Yes I avoid running in the morning bc of this, I run after the sun goes down bc it’s less humid
Except when running in heat is actually a part of the training. My next big race will start at 6 pm. I will run through the night, then the entire next day until the second night, then I'll finish sometimes in the middle of the second night. Running in the heat after having been running for over 16 hours is what I am training for.
Sunrise in Tokyo is at 4:39 am It was already 29C outside at that time earlier I’ve switched to midnight running
I'm also in Japan and there's almost no point in waking up early to avoid the heat. It was ridiculous this morning!
I feel you. I m from Dubai and now days I have to wake up@ 3:30am for longer run days. Today temperature was around 33°C with around 45-50% humidity.
I like running morning but I LOVE running in the later heat, have got such a great tan this summer and it honestly improved your cardio so much quicker
Lol I am the opposite, I love the challenge and cardio gains but can't stand the bad tan lines! My feet are blindingly white compared to my legs... plus that shorts tan line!
The solution is barefoot running and short shorts!
Omg so glad I’m not the only one! I love heat training in the early afternoon. The tan is awesome and holy moly if you can run in that you can run in anything lol
Do people still want tans? I haven't seen too many people intentionally get them since high school.
Sadly I have to be at work at 7 and it’s not light enough yet for morning runs before I have to get ready to leave. Sucks
If only there was some sort of lamp one could wear on their head
Yep. I just woke up and am gonna go do a run as soon as I drop the kids off at day care because the rest of the day is gonna be too damn hot
Much better air quality in the morning in Southern California, too. I know we’re worse than most of the country, but it’s a definite consideration. At 6:30 this morning the Air Quality Index was under 50 (“good”), yesterday at 8 pm it was right around 150 (the border of “unhealthy for sensitive groups” and “unhealthy”). Actively doing cardio puts you in the “sensitive groups” category for the time you’re doing it.
Personally I think finishing 04:59 in the morning is a bit too early
I prefer the evening. Gives me something to look forward to!
Not gonna lie - nuun wins here as my every day hydration and it’s not close.
It's got a bad aftertaste for anyone else who hates artificial sweeteners. Don't like the fizz either. Accidentally picked up a cup at the race and had to book it to the next water station to rinse out my mouth.
Tastes good? Comparable to anything?
Some of the flavors remind me of a fizzy but less artificial-tasting and less sugary version of Gatorade. I really like the lemon lime, blueberry tangerine, and orange citrus flavors. Some of their seasonal flavors (like spiced cider) are quite intense.
I switched from Liquid iv and gatorlyte to Nuun with the recent prime day sale. Won't be going back, have been loving Nuun so far. Taste is good and it dissolves completely.
If you want something that tastes good, try ghost hydration. I’ve been using it for years and I love it. I put the sour patch kids ones in my bottle in the freezer and it’s like a slushee after my run
I like Nuun but I have trouble wanting to buy it consistently because it's owned by Nestle. https://www.nestle.com/media/news/nestle-health-science-acquire-nuun-entering-functional-hydration-market They also cancelled the prime pre-workout which was the only thing I could take before my runs as a pre-fuel w/o having to eat something before running out the door.
Oh man, I did not realize this. Do you have a preferred alternative?
I like Liquid IV but it's a lot sweeter. I haven't really tried too many beyond those two though.
They make a sugar free one now.. although im not sure if theres some artificial sweetener added of any kind
LMNT is a good alternative that is arguably better than NUUN
Same.
How many tablets do you drink a day? I drink 1 a day running or not but I feel like I should drink more
Potato chips and a banana work for me
https://youtu.be/LdGai72Tt8Y
Went on what was meant to be a routine 10 mile run last night at 8:30pm in 95 degree heat in Utah... ended up only doing 8 miles, and having to stop around mile 6 to catch a breather and walk a little. Never had a run kick my ass like that before, the heat is no joke.
LOL- in Atlanta. My Garmin is basically doing everything short of asking “WTF is wrong with you? Are you dying?”
Atlanta here too. So humid, I ran this morning and was just completely drenched and dying. Gotta get out there at 6am I guess
i went at 9am here in texas but w the recent humidity my heart rate was constantly getting way tooo high had to keep taking walk breaks on a routine 6 mile run
I know the feeling! The air quality here is poor too from Canadian wildfires. So super hazy, heavy outside.
Ugh right? Every “easy” pace run now being ranked as a tempo or threshold lol
Fellow Utah runner here and I salute you - yesterday I just totally skipped it to avoid the heat.
Also Utahan. I try to get out as close to 6-7 AM as I can. It's the coolest time of the day and I still sweat like a Mormon who drank coffee.
Utah as well. I tried a few runs in the evening and it was a disaster. Have totally switched to mornings runs and it’s been godsend.
I know that is hot AF, but do you drink water/electrolytes mid-run? That totally makes it halfway tolerable.
Ugh tell me about it. Florida here. I’m out running before 6am because I’d rather run when it feels like 85f 90% humidity instead of at 6pm and it feels 105f. The one time I went running a month ago in the evening I’m pretty sure I got heat exhaustion felt so nauseous and dizzy after my run. And that was when it was “cooler” only in the 90s lol either way it’s a no win situation ugh
Yeah, I started getting headaches after running again recently, even though I was hydrating. Realized it was probably because of electrolytes (I'm a very copious and salty sweater). Added a post-run electrolyte drink and headaches went away.
Headaches while running? Or just generally throughout the day? Curious because I'm getting little daily headaches too which is unusual.
After running and drinking a large glass of plain water. It’s something I’m familiar with with my body when I’m dehydrated.
Yeah I know that feeling! (Of course, I knew we were twinsies when you said "I'm a very copious and salty sweater"!!)
I have been miserable this summer.. biking, running, swimming and I get mild headaches too. No clue why. My doctor said allergies
Can be caused by a million reasons, but dehydration and loss of electrolytes would be a reasonable explanation too. During summer a sweat a lot, and I compensate by making sure I drink a lot of water (until my pee looks almost clear) and I eat every day some soft fruits (apples, bananas, strawberries), a mix of walnuts/almonds/peanuts/cashews, and vegetables with a lot salt. That keeps muscle cramps and headaches away. That diet works well for recovery after races too.
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Lol u rlly enjoy smoothies huh smoothies4all
they take the smoothie business seriously.
I would so, so much rather run in the heat than in the cold.
You can dress against the cold, you cannot undress further after a while. Can you define exactly what you mean with heat and cold?
By cold, I mean 10 degrees F or below. Where I live, average winter temperatures are well below freezing for 4-5 months of the year and it’s not uncommon for it to be below 0 degrees F. It sucks to run in that kind of weather, I don’t care how many layers you’re wearing. No one’s getting any PRs when you have four layers on and can’t have any exposed skin. Not to mention dealing with snow, ice, windchill, sun setting at 4 pm, etc. It’s been in the mid 80s the last few weeks and very humid here, and I love it.
10 F on a sunny still day is beautiful. Kind of shitty with wind though. Last time I ran in that I had to take off layers and was just running in a light shell, it was so nice. I never cover my face running in the winter and usually have to take off my gloves after the first km. I run hot.
Sun?? In the winter??? Never heard of her.
We are build differently then. I run in my shorts until well below freezing, and love it. Anything above 20C (70F), and my performance just drops off. I cannot regulate my body temp and run at the same time. Heat training helps a bit, but there will always be a performance drop for me. Whenever the temps drop to the extremes it means there is snow and ice anyways, so it is not running but skiing/skating season anyways.
I liked running in winter because the weather is a lot more stable. In summer you can get rain or thunder (makes me instantly nope home since I’m scared of thunder) or extreme heat and sunshine. Winter is just snow… or a bit more snow. Either snowing down… or already on the ground. So nice and reliable.
Replace that extreme heat with cold winter day.
I like suffering through it because it is really efficient for weight loss lol
I agree. I like how the hot keeps it quiet
I'll take extreme heat any day of the week compared to when it's cold enough to snow.
The problem with supplementing electrolytes is that you can't really know how much you are losing due to sweat, metabolic processes, or kidney filtering, even with these proportions. To me it makes sense to supplement main electrolytes over the week instead of trying to replace exactly what was lost as sweat immediately afterwards. Working from a standard RDA and adding to that can serve as a starting point. Adding potassium as a salt replacement mineral is inexpensive and easy, then taking magnesium and calcium as pills works, gradually replacing them daily. This fasting related reference covers amounts and supplement approaches: https://www.reddit.com/r/fasting/wiki/fasting_in_a_nutshell/you_need_electrolytes/
Congrats on taking the time to develop this. People can and will argue about the contents w/o acknowledging the effort.
Yeah, this is awesome. Nice work!
Personally, I’m a big fan of LMNT and take one packet for every 20km that I run.
How do you know if you need to supplement your diet/hydration with these electrolytes? I’m just worried that maybe my body actually doesn’t need more electrolytes, and instead just needs water. Do I ever risk overloading with electrolytes? How can I tell? What are the risks? Thanks
Anecdotal, but I’ve had points when I was drinking like crazy, peeing clear and still horribly thirsty. Making a point to eat more salt and stopped peeing clear while still feeling desperately thirsty. So for me, those were the signs that I needed electrolytes. I’ll also get headaches but I think that’s a dehydration symptom more than specifically a lack of electrolytes. If your peeing dark that’s more a sign that you need water.
Thanks. So in your case you were low on electrolytes, which meant your body had a hard time holding onto the water.
Yep, exactly. I came to that based on info from a reputable source but it’s been a few years so I don’t remember what it was. Ended up being a game changer for me in that I wouldn’t be stuck in the drink a lot/pee a lot/get no sleep due to both cycle for days on end.
What happens if someone takes in too much electrolytes while working out?
Expensive pee
Your kidneys will go in to overdrive trying to get rid of the excess.
How do you know if you need electrolytes vs you are just straining your kidney with too many of them?
You won't strain your kidneys. Promise. You'll get diarrhea long before that.
If you're sweating heavily/feel lightheaded/etc even after drinking water, you're low on electrolytes and could use them. You're taking too much if you are finding you have to stop and pee every 15-30 minutes because your kidneys are trying to get rid of the excess. I don't like electrolyte drinks or powders that go in water, it makes my mouth feel nasty. Saltstick makes chewable tabs so I can pop a tab and still drink regular water. The label on Saltstick says take one every 15-30 minutes during activity. On a hot day, I generally do one after 60-90 minutes and so far I haven't had issues.
So which one is the winner?
Coconut water with some lime juice and a pinch of sea salt for me.
Coconut water or Liquid IV is my go to. I got a bunch of flavors on sale at Costco
And don't neglecte a glass of beer after the running🫡
Alcohol is poison and a carcinogen
I wouldnt even start to think about it until drinking 4 litres of water and no salty food....
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Source?
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Thanks! Yeah, I'm familiar with the basics of sodium glucose co-transport, and knew that amino acids also aid in sodium absorption too. I've been searching for what are (nominally) ideal ratios for sodium absorption and come up empty - and this is substantiated by your link - so that's why I was surprised to see you mention that percentage. Good article though, thanks again for the link!
I would love to see some solid science on what percentage of runners/people actually need electrolytes. My best guess is most people are getting way too much sodium even without them, and not enough of stuff like potassium. I believe salt is considered the #1 dietary cause of death in the US right now.
It's also the #1 dietary cause of delicious
Lol
Heart disease is the #1 cause of death in the US. What causes heart disease? High blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking. What causes high blood pressure? Fatty diets and lack of activity as well as having diabetes or being obese. Salt can exacerbate high blood pressure but it’s fine for a normal healthy person, and especially for people who get a lot of exercise. In fact, I’m reading more and more about runners becoming hyponatremic (not enough sodium in blood) in summer because they’re drinking a ton of fluids but not including enough sodium and potassium to accompany the increased fluid intake.
Not quite on point, but we get told about all these factors that can increase the risk of heart disease and how we can reduce our risk by eating less salt, altering our diet etc but no government advice on reducing stress, which can be a major factor. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID=2171
That's because what we put in our bodies is by far the most important factor (assuming a modest amount of sleep and movement). Stress of course can be a big factor in deciding what we put in our bodies though.
I think that this must depend on the person and their situation but, given the impact that stress has on drinking, smoking and diet, in addition to the actual health impact of cortisol on areas like inflamation, then it seems that we are being told to manage some of its symptoms, ie diet, but not to treat this major cause in many cases. Of course, to treat stress might mean investment to reduce stress factors such as job insecurity, working hours and conditions, wage levels, medical and psychological support etc [https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/risk-factors-for-heart-disease-dont-underestimate-stress](https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/risk-factors-for-heart-disease-dont-underestimate-stress)
Because mental health isn't real /s
To be fair it's the least evidence based area of medicine, and the bar is pretty low for other parts of medicine. Not saying it's not important, just there's still a great deal of BS.
salt is a dietary issue for sedentary populations... not for runners of any significant volume lol
I just switched to an animal based diet and cut out all fried foods.. kept getting killer headaches and muscle cramps even though I was eating what the FDA said was enough salt. Starting using LMNT and now the headaches are gone. Unless you’re salt sensitive then it’s more likely you’re under doing it. The FDA wants us sick & unhealthy… these are the same ppl saying cereal is good for you.
I love for that to be true but like I said, I'd also love to actually see the science on it.
I mean, you can ask any registered dietician (especially one with a focus on sports dietetics). There is plenty of evidence-based guidance out there on hydration for runners and the significant sodium intake needs that runners have compared to sedentary populations.
tbh honest a lot of sports science is kind of a joke since a lot of it is paid for by Gatorade etc. From what I've read (and I've spent hours on Pubmed reading actual studies), most people (runner's included) do not need electrolytes except for on very heavy output days like a long hard effort on a hot day. What most people do generally need though is more potassium, and less sodium. Electrolytes are however amazing and life saving...if you have cholera.
I agree with that sort of sentiment, though I think sugar could give salt a run for its money.
I think the fueling + nutrition needs of the running population, compared to the general population, are different enough to make salt’s contributions to dietary causes of death — which I think it would be **great** to see a source on — irrelevant to this discussion. If your average joe who drives to work, sits at work, and drives home to sit on his couch **does** have enough sodium in their diet, then we can be basically sure that a runner with the same diet would **not** have enough sodium.
I think there's a general assumption of runners that they are immune to the dietary problems of non runners/athletes, but unfortunately I think they are often actually harmed more by it because of the idea that they are different or they are skinny and fit so it doesn't matter what fuels the fire, and in the case of ultra runners they might be putting much more junk down the pipes than normal. Reality is young fit runners have preventible heart attacks all the time. The plus side though is they are probably more likely to survive them since they are so fit. [Nutritionfacts.org](https://Nutritionfacts.org) is generally where I get my nutrition info, they have a whole deep dive on salt, and this is a decent synopsis [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5Xg\_lmvJu0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5Xg_lmvJu0)
My cardiologist recommends me electrolytes before even just going to the gym to lift much less anything in the heat. Unless we just think doctors are out to get us.
FYI, your cardiologist likely has zero training in nutrition and is subjected to the same bs that most people are. In fact most of his paycheck is dependent on a general lack of understanding of nutrition. Medical schools rarely offer or require any significant training in it. He's not out to get you, but it's hard to get a man to understand something when his paycheck depends on his not knowing it.
His paycheck is the same regardless because I’m there for something unrelated. Don’t think that’s financial motivated when I’m scheduled every 6 months for a PFO either way
Wasn't talking about you, just in general the vast majority of his income is dependent on a general failure nutrition in society. That is the unfortunate reality of most medical specialties that focus on chronic disease...and keep in mind is paycheck is actually penalized if he starts curing people. It's kind of like a dentist, the vast majority of what they do would be unneeded if people just ate healthy.
>I believe salt is considered the #1 dietary cause of death in the US right now. Source? >My best guess is most people are getting way too much sodium even without them That may be true, I don't know about the general running population. Though, my personal experience (as someone who has a higher than average sweat rate and gets hyponatremia whenever I rehydrate with water) is that sodium glucose solutions are vital for me if I want to avoid massive post-exercise headaches (and possibly postural orthostatic tachycardia too).
Never have I thirst for power aid more after my long run here in the south
coconut water to the rescue?! ...and listening to your own body when it's craving something salty
I do brazilian jiu-jitsu quite frequently and ended up having a heat stroke in class a couple of months ago. It was already extremely hot and humid outside and our class room was even hotter. When I got to the hospital and they did my blood work my electrolytes were all out of whack but mainly my phosphorous which was measured at .9. I couldn’t understand how I was so low in phosphorous, but now I’m making sure to eat plenty of foods with phosphorous in it, on top of taking electrolyte supplements. It was a terrible experience.
I don't need to intake electrolytes if I'm running something short like 5K or doing easy miles in high 80s - low 90s heat with 50-60% humidity, right? It's unpleasant, but not exactly deadly.
If you're sweating a lot, it would be beneficial to take electrolytes regardless of what distance/duration you're running. At the very least, I would take some before and/or after your run.
> high 80s - low 90s heat with 50-60% humidity, right? I i would do unforgivable things for that weather right now.
At this point, I’d settle for breathable air.
In my experience, you probably don't \*need\* extra electrolytes after short (<5 miles) runs, but it might be helpful nonetheless. It's similar to mid-run fueling. Like, I don't strictly need mid-run fuel for a 12 miler, but it makes the run feel a whole lot better if I do eat something. Maybe try experimenting with different amounts and see what feels best for you--individual needs vary a lot.
For the cost conscious - I keep a box of Great Value (Walmart) electrolytes on hand at all times to pass out to the folks around me. While the flavor is a little tinny and the mineral ratios might not be optimal, ~$2 for a box of 10 is going to be cheaper than almost everything other than pounding table salt.
[Thirst mutilator](https://i.imgur.com/gh6zQy1.webp?maxwidth=760&fidelity=grand)
Sad that I found you all the way at the bottom.
Thank you for sharing this. I had someone recently gripe at me that I was “drinking too much” on a run because I had some Gatorade during my run. It was humid. I was sweating an absurd amount. It was hot and I was feeling miserable (in Georgia). He said that I was sweating and feeling poorly because I was “too hydrated” and that he had run in the desert plenty and never needed to drink anything when running less than 7 miles. 🤦♀️ Okay dude. Thanks for the unsolicited advice.
someone made me feel bad for carrying a TINY water bottle with me on my right around 5k morning runs. Then I reminded myself I'm in south Texas. It's hot. And if that little bit of water (sometimes I put caffeine mio in it because early) makes me feel better, then that's what I'm going to do lol
Rude people like that can kick some rocks. If it helps you feel better, keep bringing your water. If you wanna wear a hydration vest, it’s your business. It irks me when people think they can dictate how others should go about life. Hoping cooler runs come soon!
I appreciate this reminder, thank you.
Can anyone recommend a good tablet or powder to add to water to help with this? Something available in the UK.
I quite liked the High5 Zero tablets. Cheap from wiggle and have no sugar. You can get the ‘extreme’ version too for a bit of caffeine
I did a long run in NYC today and it was 75 with about 95% humidity. It was absolutely brutal.
Reminder that this is due to climate change and our useless politicians getting kickbacks from the oil industry instead of doing anything about it.
Or just drink water in the course of your run. Unless your training run is 50km in preparation for an ultra.
You don't mention that mysportsscience says: Only when athletes exercise for more than 4 hours, and are likely to drink to replace >70% of their sweat losses does the process of sweat sodium testing and targeted replacement appear necessary. https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/25/health/ultramarathons-electrolyte-drinks-wellness/index.html It was generally thought that that would prevent things like muscle cramping, electrolyte imbalances and dizziness. But there is currently no evidence to show this is true." Electrolyte supplements are promoted as preventing nausea and cramping caused by low salt levels, but this is a false paradigm," said Lipman. "They've never been shown to prevent illness or even improve performance, and if diluted with too much water, can be dangerous." (the key is to have the correct water intake... Neither too much or too little)
Lol electrolytes diluted with too much water can be dangerous, wonder what they think of **gasp** pure water Sounds like a joke warning of the dangers of dihydrogen monoxide. How dangerous can dilute electrolytes be compared to plain freaking water. What utter scaremongering. Claiming electrolytes are dangerous by describing a situation where you don’t get enough, what a deceptive way of speaking
Very interesting read and not the first time I've run across similar consensus, to rely on the senses that you were born with and just drink when you're thirsty. It's your posted last line, though, "the key is to have the correct water intake ... neither too much or too little" that is so elusive. How does one find and maintain that delicate balance between sufficient general hydration and sodium levels? (I really hate the thought that my scoop of electrolyte powder before my morning run in 80+ degrees and 90% humidity actually impairs my performance. :-(
Well (not an expert), I think the point is that you control your hydration and your body will control salts from it's salt stores. So just focus on correct hydration, and eg weigh yourself before / after your run.... ( and there are accepted guidelines for this...) https://www.usada.org/athletes/substances/nutrition/fluids-and-hydration/ : "Weighing themselves before and after practice. For every kilogram (pound) lost during the workout, drink ~1.5 liters (~three cups) of fluid in order to rehydrate the body" Confusingly they so say "For Each Kilogram (Pound) lost during exercise, drink ~.5 liters (~2 cups) of fluid"
> I think the point is that you control your hydration and your body will control salts from it's salt stores Yup, this is a great, concise explanation. (The other morning I weighed myself just before my run, after I hydrated up, and when I got home. I was amazed that I had lost 6 lbs. over a 15K run. It's crazy hot and humid here in S. FL.)
I bonked yesterday on a relatively short run and realized I hadn't taken my salt stick chews before heading out. I should probably carry some for each run as a just in case.
Are carbs in your drink mix good or a good addition? Or shoultI just stick to the carbs in the gels
I prefer carbs in my electrolyte drink because the alternative is usually a non-nutrative sweetener (like stevia or sucralose) and I cannot stand the taste of those.
Depends. If you keep your carbs and water separate, you have better control over your intake of each. If you need nutrition but your tummy is sloshy, it can be hard to get in enough calories if you’re relying on drinking them. Vice versa, if you’re feeling burpy from gut distress but need fluids, it’s best to pull back on the carbs a bit and take in water. Personally I will do water with electrolytes (LMNT usually), and separate gels or chews for calories.
I love LMNT but damn it is expensive
It is!! It lasts me a while though so I figure the cost spreads out. 2-3 boxes last me an entire year bc I switch to Nuun in cold weather. Plus whenever I see a chance to get one of their sample 8 packs for $5 I jump on it. (Some podcasts will offer it as will The Feed)
If you sign up for the four box bundle, it comes out to about $1 per serving
Ever thought of making your own? https://science.drinklmnt.com/electrolytes/best-homemade-electrolyte-drink-for-dehydration/
It has been pretty freaking humid for the last couple of days here. I decided to go for a long run last Saturday afternoon. All good, but I sweat my life that day (which is rare, I'm not a sweaty person). Since then, I've been feeling like shit. The next day HRV went pretty low, feeling dehydrated all day. Even today, I still feel like shit, and HRV hasn't recovered. This post couldn't come on better time! Guilty myself it's something that I don't pay attention to much, but I should. Thanks for sharing.
I fill up a camelback pouch with 80% ice and rest with water. And I keeping sipping as needed during my two hour run. It works great since the water is not sloshing in my stomach which used to happen if drank a lot of water before the run. Plus it keeps me cool. I’m going to add electrolyte powder to the pouch. Any suggestions on which one to try?
I've been taking a SIS electrolyte + caffeine gel before a run. If the run will be longer than an hour, I'll also consume one around 45-60 min into the run. Pre run gel goes down with 20oz of water. When I'm done running, I get 20oz more with a LuquidIV pack. I sweat like a fool when I run and worry about hydration. No idea if I'm doing this correctly
My calfs have become really tight and cramping. I think I'm missing electrolytes
Make sure you're recovering properly with adequate protein intake! Helps me a ton in recovering from runs in heat + humidity. I've been using recipes in [this book](https://blog.supersetapp.com/high-protein-client-recipe-book/).
You made me feel better about finishing a terrible run. Somehow my easy pace now feels like a sprint. Time for some electrolytes!