Staying Hydrated

Try one of these drinks and use it when you work out. Never experiment with a new drink on race day. Some runners experience nausea with some of these drinks.  Carry your own that works for you if needed. Gatroade or powerade are usually the drink of choice of race directors. Check the web site of your race to see what will be provided and how often. Most marathons offer water and a sports drink at every aid station. Start drinking the sports drink right away. In the last 6 miles of a marathon you can switch to water.

Hydrating

Today we have a guest contribution from Team CMT member Jess Knowles.

Jess is triathlete from Colorado.
                                       Fluid Recommendations

Situation                                                   Recommendation

2-3 hours before exercise                         16-24 oz (2-3 cups)

30 minutes before exercise                       5-10 oz (~½-1cup)

During Exercise                                        5-10 oz every 15 minutes (one gulp equals about 1 oz)

After Exercise                                          At least 20 oz for every pound lost
                                                                 weigh yourself before and after for an estimate of loss
                                                                 

• Practice drinking fluids during training sessions to “train” the body to tolerate

during competitions.

• Drink to a schedule- do not wait to feel thirsty.

• Use sports drinks to replace fluid, carbohydtates, and electrolytes lost in sweat.

• Monitor the color of urine to determine your hydration level. Small volume and dark color

 - looks like apple juice- means you’re dehydrated. Urine should look like pale lemonade.

• Stick to commercial sports drines with a blend of carbohydrates. A mixture of surcrose, glucose, and fructose is a good blend.

• Choose a sport's drink that provides 6% to 8 % carboyhydrate (14 to 19 grams) per 8 oz.

fructose is a good blend. Higher levels of carbohydrate slow absorption.

• Do not dilute sports drinks.
Sport Drinks With 6% to 8% Carbohydrate

· Accelerade

· Allsport body quencher

· Endura

· Gatorade

· Powerade

Chris Wodke

Founder & Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Team CMT is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure for CMT. We have almost 100 members in 17 states. If you wish to join us visit our web site.

CMT or Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS).  It is a disease of the nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual dexterity.

Structural foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold hands and feet.

Additional symptoms may include fatigue, sleep apnea, breathing difficulties and hearing loss.