electrolytes Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Hydration Tips for Runners, Including Race Day Prep

The AHA! Team — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 05:43:52 +0000

Holly Martin via Dr. Axe – As runners, we all know that we need to be hydrated, but what does that really mean? What happens if we fall short? In this article, I’m going to dive in to exactly what happens (both internally and externally) when we’re dehydrated. In addition, I’m going to examine the best ways to spot dehydration and, most importantly, how to stay hydrated so you don’t have to worry about getting dehydrated in the first place. What is dehydration? Dehydration occurs when our bodies lose vital electrolytes through sweating, which is essentially the body’s built-in cooling mechanism. The American Chemical Society describes electrolytes as salts, ingested mainly through food, that dissolve into positive or negative charges. In the scope of athletic performance, the most crucial electrolytes are potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium. So why are electrolytes so important for runners? Electrolytes control water movement in the body’s cells, as well as your body’s nerve impulses. This means these salts play crucial roles in brain function, muscle firing and even the beating of your heart. During a training session, the following things happen when we lose these electrolytes: Muscle fatigue sets in earlier. Heart rate increases. Performance decreases. Mental clarity suffers. In addition, dehydration impacts recovery long after the run or training session. Because it impedes your muscles’ recovery process, dehydration during just one workout can actually hinder your workouts for the few days after that. Since your muscles will not have fully recovered, performance may continue to suffer. Signs of dehydration for runners The most well-known indicator of dehydration is thirst. As a general rule, if you’re thirsty, you are likely already dehydrated. In addition, dry mouth, dry eyes and even dry skin can also serve as signals. Look out for headaches and nausea as well! Other lesser known signals include mental fatigue, a lack of motivation and increased heart rate while at a normal run pace. Additionally, over-sweating and under-sweating can both indicate dehydration. Over-sweating is your body’s way of warning you that you are expending energy and losing electrolytes that need to be replaced. Under-sweating is a bit more complicated of a signal. Absent sweating in conditions you would normally sweat in, also known as hypohidrosis, often indicates heat exhaustion, which can be partially, or fully, caused by dehydration. Heat exhaustion refers to any sort of mild heat-related illness. Nausea, vomiting and weakness are all symptoms of heat exhaustion that occur when your body fails to cool itself through sweating. Extreme heat exhaustion is called heat stroke and indicates your body’s total failure to regulate its temperature. Symptoms of heat stroke include high fever, rapid heart rate and loss of consciousness. While dehydration is not always the cause of under-sweating, it is likely a factor if you are under-sweating during a training session. Because of this, be sure to take note of your mid-training sweat levels. Hydrate often to replenish electrolytes if you are over-sweating, and find a way to externally cool down your body’s temperature if you are under-sweating. Dehydration looks different on everyone, so you likely won’t have all of the symptoms mentioned above if you do, in fact, get dehydrated. As a result, it’s important to know your own body and find out what your body’s response is to the loss of those vital electrolytes. Hydration tips for runners: How to avoid dehydration Daily hydration is the easiest way to avoid all of the above symptoms and signals. Experts recommend drinking eight to 10 glasses of water per day, every day, while also incorporating foods with high water content into your diet. Hydrating foods like cucumbers, watermelon, spinach, iceberg lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, radishes, tomatoes and green peppers are all great options to help you stay hydrated. In addition, you should find a good hydration product that you can use before, during and after your training sessions to replenish any electrolytes your body loses. Good hydration products A hydration product provides key electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium), as well as crucial minerals, that are typically lost through sweating during a run or workout. Sports drinks are the most common hydration products, but a lot of them can be extremely high in sugar, which can have other adverse effects on your body. When choosing a hydration drink, look for a product that has between 250-350 grams of sodium and under 10 grams of sugar. Be sure to hydrate with this electrolyte drink every 20 minutes or so while training, as well as before and after the session. It can take up to 48 hours to recover from dehydration, but you can avoid it completely by simply drinking enough fluids throughout the day and making sure to hydrate with a high-quality product while training! Race day prep Remembering to hydrate during your workouts and drinking water throughout the day are all steps in the right direction for a hydrated race. However, you should be sure to use all of your training sessions as hydration test runs for race day! If hydrating every 20 minutes on your long run left you with a headache or another dehydration symptom at the end, that’s a good sign that you may need to bump up your efforts and try hydrating every 10 or 15 minutes on your next training run. Give yourself an honest evaluation of how your hydration program works after every training run so you know exactly what your body needs during your big race. Additionally, be sure to check the course and weather forecast before a race. Dehydration is one of the worst surprises to have on race day, but doing a little advance prep can help you avoid dehydration altogether. Checking out the course ahead of time can tell you how many aid stations there will be, so you can pack your own hydration products accordingly. Also, if you know the race is going to be hilly, hot, largely in the sun or heading into the wind, you can try to train in those conditions so you know what it takes to keep your body hydrated for optimal race performance. (Make sure to take the proper precautions when working out in the heat.) Final thoughts As you can see, staying hydrated as a runner is really just a matter of knowing your own body. Monitor your symptoms, and use trial and error to see what works for you. To keep your body hydrated on a regular basis, drink water throughout the day, and drink a well-formulated hydration supplement to replenish any lost electrolytes during your training … and you should be good to go. Holly Martin is a running coach and personal trainer. With a 20-plus-year background in dance, Holly brings a strong focus on technique and mobility to all of her coaching. She trains clients and coaches online with The Run Experience, an online training community for running training programs and workouts. She enjoys writing tips for running that help you become a better, stronger and injury-proof runner. To read the original article click here.

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Homemade Ketchup Recipe (and Sugar-Free!)

AHA Publisher — Thu, 15 Jul 2021 07:00:22 +0000

Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CN – Our most popular condiment, ketchup seems like an innocent addition to our burger or to accompany our sweet potato fries, right? Well, it’s pretty full of sugar and sodium. Per tablespoon, ketchup contains 4 grams of sugar and 190 milligrams of sodium. Four grams of sugar may not seem like much, but all of it comes from added sugar rather than the natural sugar found in tomatoes. Instead, make your own! It’s surprisingly easy, tasty and nutrition-packed with this homemade ketchup recipe. Healthy Ingredients Sun-dried tomatoes: like tomatoes, they’re full of the powerful antioxidant lycopene Apple cider vinegar: can keep blood sugar in check and even amp up weight loss Raisins: when not overconsumed, raisins are a concentrated source of energy, electrolytes, vitamins and minerals Sea salt: rich in trace minerals (it’s difficult these days to get enough trace minerals from the foods we eat due to the lack of nutrient-rich soil) How to Make Homemade Ketchup You’ll be shocked to find out how easy it is to make your own ketchup. First, soak the sun-dried tomatoes for at least two hours in order to soften them up. Drain them after time’s up. Next, simply add the drained tomatoes, vinegar, raisins, onion powder and salt to a power blender or food processor. Blend on high, adding a little bit of water to help blending and increase the creaminess of the texture. Serve immediately or refrigerate. It will keep for at least a week. Homemade Ketchup Recipe DESCRIPTION Our most popular condiment, ketchup contains far too much added sugar to be considered healthy. Instead, make your own! It’s surprisingly easy, tasty and nutrition-packed with this homemade ketchup recipe. INGREDIENTS 1 cup soaked sun-dried tomatoes, soaked for 2 hrs ¼ cup apple cider vinegar ¼ cup raisins ¼ teaspoon onion powder 1½ teaspoon sea salt water, as needed to facilitate blending INSTRUCTIONS Soak the sun-dried tomatoes for at least two hours, then drain. In a blender, add tomatoes, vinegar, raisins, onion powder and sea salt. Blend on high, adding water as needed to facilitate blending and increase creaminess. Serve immediately or refrigerate. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Axe click here.

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Drinking Electrolytes Instead of Water Can Help Prevent Muscle Cramps

AHA Publisher — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 07:00:41 +0000

Edith Cowan University via News-Medical – If you reach for water when a muscle cramp strikes, you might want to think again. New research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has revealed drinking electrolytes instead of pure water can help prevent muscle cramps. The study, published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, found that people who drank electrolyte enhanced water during and after exercise were less susceptible to muscle cramps than those who drank pure water. Muscle cramps are a common painful condition affecting many people, including around 39 per cent of marathon runners, 52 per cent of rugby players and 60 per cent of cyclists. Dilution Solution Lead researcher Professor Ken Nosaka, from ECU’s School of Medical and Health Sciences, said the study builds on the evidence that a lack of electrolytes contributes to muscle cramps, not dehydration. Many people think dehydration causes muscle cramps and will drink pure water while exercising to prevent cramping. We found that people who solely drink plain water before and after exercise could in fact be making them more prone to cramps. This is likely because pure water dilutes the electrolyte concentration in our bodies and doesn’t replace what is lost during sweating.” Ken Nosaka, Lead Researcher, Professor, ECU’s School of Medical and Health Sciences When Cramp Strikes Professor Nosaka began researching the causes of muscle cramps after regularly suffering from them while playing tennis. The study involved 10 men who ran on a downhill treadmill in a hot (35ºC) room for 40 to 60 minutes to lose 1.5 to 2 per cent of their body weight through sweat in two conditions. They drank plain water during and after exercise for one condition and took a water solution containing electrolytes in the other condition. The participants were given an electrical stimulation on their calves to induce muscle cramp. The lower the frequency of the electrical stimulation required, the more the participant is prone to muscle cramp. “We found that the electrical frequency required to induce cramp increased when people drank the electrolyte water, but decreased when they consumed plain water,” said Professor Nosaka. “This indicates that muscles become more prone to cramp by drinking plain water, but more immune to muscle cramp by drinking the electrolyte water.” Not All water Is Equal Electrolytes are minerals including sodium, potassium, magnesium and chloride. They are essential for muscle health and help the body to absorb water. Oral rehydration solutions contain electrolytes in specific proportions and can be made with water, salt and sugar. They are commonly found in supermarkets and pharmacies. Professor Nosaka said electrolytes have many benefits for both athletes and the general population. “Electrolytes are vital to good health – they help the body to absorb water more effectively than plain water and replace essential minerals lost through sweat or illness,” he said. “People should consider drinking oral rehydration fluids instead of plain water during moderate to intense exercise, when it’s very hot or when you are sick from diarrhoea or vomiting.” Professor Nosaka is planning further research to find out the optimal amount of electrolytes to prevent muscle cramps as well as how they could help the elderly and pregnant women. To read the original article click here.

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