Runners need to be aware of the signs and symptoms of dehydration

Exercising outside in hot temperatures should be done with knowledge, caution and lots and lots of water and/or sports drinks. We seemed have momentarily skipped spring and are suddenly experiencing a heat wave that usually occurs deep into the summer season. In this kind of heat maintaining a certain level of hydration and knowing the symptoms of dehydration could be the difference between having a great workout or ending up in the hospital with an IV drip. Do you know how to identify the signs and symptoms of dehydration?

The cause of dehydration is simply that there isn’t enough water coming into your body to match what is going out of your body through sweat, excretion and breathing. So imagine that you are running outside today with temperatures in excess of 90 degrees and you aren’t drinking water but you are sweating it out and you are breathing heavier as well, at some point your body begins to present with symptoms to let you know that it needs water.

There are three levels of symptoms for dehydration: early, moderate, and extreme. Early signs of dehydration are nausea, extreme thirst, dry mouth, minimal urine output which is dark yellow in color. Moderate symptoms of dehydration are all of the ones mentioned in the early signs plus lightheadedness and sweating may actually stop as a way to conserve water. Serious signs of dehydration include cramps, chills and disorientation.

To prevent dehydration make sure you are hydrated before, during and after you exercise. The best way to make sure that you are hydrated is to observe the color of your urine. Yes, gross, but that will give you an indication on how hydrated you are. If your urine is dark yellow you need to drink more before you exercise. If it is a light yellow and barely visible you are all set.

While out exercising, listen to your body. If you are thirsty or your mouth is dry, drink. If you are exercising for more than an hour make sure you take a sports drink with you to replenish salt and electrolytes. If you aren’t sure which sports drink would be right for you Runner’s World has a great article on sports drinks. There are a lot of different hydration packs on the market today to help you bring liquids on runs with you.

The only effective treatment for dehydration is to replace lost fluids. You should keep drinking fluids until you urinate. Use the same color standards for your urine while re-hydrating that you used prior to exercising. For extreme dehydration it is important to seek medical treatment. An intravenous method of re-hydration is much faster than drinking fluids.