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So your coach keeps telling you to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate when you train or race. But the question is, how much fluid do I need to drink to keep hydrated? We'll that's where your sweat rate come into play. Your sweat rate is how much fluid you are loosing per hour while you are working out. This is very important to determine, so you are not getting behind the ball in a training session or during an important race. To determine your sweat rate, you need to weigh yourself before your next workout session, then again after that workout. You will need to know how many ounces of fluid you have drank during the workout and the time of the workout session. You can download the electronic form from the MHM website (under the calculators section to figure out your sweat rate. For example: Bob weighs 150Lbs. he works out for an hour and losses 2 pounds during the 1 hour run. Bob consumed 32 ounces of water during his workout. Bobs formula to determine his sweat rate would be:
So now Bob knows that he needs to drink at least 32oz per hour to replace the fluids that he is loosing during his training. Of course we also need to make a note of when and where Bob did his sweat rate test. If Bob is on a treadmill in the gym with air conditioning, his sweat rate may not be the same as when he is racing the Boulder Peak triathlon in 90+ degree weather, or if he is going to a hot and humid race in a state like Hawaii. I recommend doing the sweat rate test several times a year and in different conditions to know your sweat rate before that big race. This will help you to get to your next race with one less concern, how can I keep hydrated and not bonk during that important A-race that I have been training for all year. And remember, "how you train makes the difference", that way you wont have to sweat it on race day!!! Coach Scoty |
