06/15/2021
Our friends over at Skratch Labs have some hydration tips for ya. Definitely worth a read! Don’t forget to stock up on your favorite Skratch products at your local Planet Cyclery!
No sweat is created equally. We encourage folks to get a sodium sweat test done and then adjust their needs based on that information, effort, climate, etc. You won’t get precise numbers as a formal test but a DIY way to find what you might need to adjust is this method: Use a scale to weigh yourself before and after a workout. Any weight loss (where 1 lb is equal to 16 oz of water) plus the amount of fluid consumed while working out is your total sweat loss. That all said, if you're gaining weight over the course of a workout, then you are drinking too much. Ideally, try not to lose more than 3% of your body weight from dehydration.⠀
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An important consideration, however, is that rehydration during exercise isn't just about water balance, it's also about sodium balance. What this means is that to adequately hydrate, you need to replace both the water and the sodium that you lose during exercise. Unfortunately, sweat sodium is highly individual and can vary anywhere from 400 mg to 2000 mg per liter of sweat, with an average somewhere between 700-900 mg per liter (Skratch Sport Hydration is 800 mg per liter). As a general rule of thumb, if you're not consuming enough salt relative to water, you'll find yourself needing to urinate frequently despite losing body weight due to sweat loss. On the other hand, if you're consuming too much salt relative to water, you'll find yourself wanting to drink more water and potentially gaining weight as the high salt intake might drive you to drink at a greater rate than your sweat loss.⠀
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Remember, hydration is about 2 needs:⠀
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1) Water Balance - Measure with a scale pre & post workout⠀
2) Sodium Balance - Measure by listening to thirst⠀
So....drink to thirst with Sport Hydration Mix while you are working out or racing and if you are underweight after your workout/race add more salt… a few ways to do this: ⠀
-Do 1.5 scoops of Skratch per 16 Oz.⠀
-Pre load with our Wellness or Hyper hydration mix. The day before and/or morning of event. ⠀
-For a long/hot event sub in a serving of hyper for sport half way through⠀
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To learn more head to the Science section on our blog.⠀
https://www.skratchlabs.com/blogs/science-products/how-to-better-hydrate-during-sport-listen-to-your-thirst
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