Staying Fueled & Hydrated: The Key to Summer Training Success

If you are preparing for a fall race, you will be training throughout the summer. In Charleston, SC, and Mt. Pleasant, SC, this means toughing it out in high heat and high humidity. For a successful training cycle, endurance athletes need to know how to fuel for a run in the summer and how to optimize hydration for summer running. 

In the triathlon community, many athletes call nutrition “the fourth discipline” and for good reason. Nutrition and hydration can make or break a training effort of a race, especially in the extreme conditions of the summer months. 

Why are fueling & hydration important?

No matter what endurance sport you participate in, you are expending a lot of energy to do that activity. You also are losing a lot of water and electrolytes through sweat, especially under the blazing summer sun. This depletes your body’s energy and makes it harder to keep going, and can also negatively impact performance. 

If you feel completely depleted after a workout or suffer from headaches and nagging aches and pains, it may be a sign of under-fueling and/or dehydration. Proper nutrition and fluid intake makes a big difference in your ability to keep going and find success in your training cycle. 

Optimize Running Hydration in the Summer 

You have to prioritize hydration, especially if you live in a hot climate. 

Many new athletes don’t realize that hydration doesn’t just mean drinking water. When you sweat during intense or extended workouts, you aren’t just losing fluids, you are also losing electrolytes. Because of this, it is important that you do not just replenish the fluids lost by drinking plain water, but also seek out sources of electrolytes to work into your fueling plan. 

The human body works best at an optimized ratio of water to electrolytes. If you were to just drink plain water to stay hydrated during a workout or re-hydrate after training, you aren’t replenishing the electrolytes your body needs and instead you create an imbalance ratio. 

To optimize hydration for Charleston, SC, running in the summer, it is important to have both water and an electrolyte drink. 

Hydration for Summer Running 

Many local endurance sport stores, like Blue Sky Endurance, carry a wide range of electrolyte drink mixes, including LMNT, Nuun, and Mortal Hydration. If you are about to head outside on a particularly hot day, we recommend having an electrolyte drink before you lace up your shoes and start running. Take an electrolyte drink on your run, too. If you are sweating, you will need to re-hydrate. 

Wanting to take your hydration optimization a step further? Consider a sweat test or device like the HDrop, which measures your sweat and provides you with data to determine exactly what you need to keep going. 

Hydrating Before & After the Run 

One of the best ways to keep hydrated during the summer training season is to commit to drinking water before and after the run. Fluid intake in the days leading up to and after a long effort make a huge difference in both athletic performance and recovery. 

How to Fuel for a Run in the Summer 

Fueling means giving your body what it needs to perform well. Because summer training often means more intense efforts, fueling is even more important. We want to keep our bodies in tip-top shape so we are ready to move and can recover with ease. 

Carbohydrates are king when it comes to endurance sports. Most nutrition experts recommend around 50g of carbs per hour of activity. Consuming carbs keeps your energy levels up, allowing you to keep going. Ignoring proper fueling means longer recovery times, potential for injury, and zapped energy. 

What can I use to fuel my runs? 

Each athlete is unique and has their own preferences for how they like to fuel. Gels, energy chews, and carb drink mixes are popular choices for many runners, triathletes, and cyclists. Some endurance enthusiasts rely on “real” foods like pretzels, candy, and even potatoes! We recommend trying out some different combinations to see what you like best. 

Many of the formulated endurance fueling options also include electrolytes. Always be sure to read labels and see what each product contains. 

The training cycle is the best time to experiment with different fuel combinations. You never want to try anything new on race day. 

Stay Healthy When Training 

Hydration and fueling are key to staying healthy during endurance sport training. By taking care of your body and providing it with what it needs, you are less likely to experience injury. 

At 6:33 Physical Therapy, we treat clients with a holistic approach, focusing on not just their injury but other factors to help them recover and stay healthy. We know that staying fueled and hydrated is just as important for injury prevention as building strength. 

Our clinic is currently accepting new patients and we’d love to talk with you about your recovery and training goals. 

Contact Us