How do I achieve/maintain optimal hydration?

I don't usually care too much about making a pee stop if I'm hiking (I just don't mind). In the last couple of years, however, I've taken on running and have since ran a marathon and a handful of half-marathons (and a one-minute pee break is a lot when you're trying to beat your own record).

Pro-advice for hydration usually falls under two big categories:

• Drink when you're thirsty
• Measure your liquid loss

And that's good advice to stay hydrated, but offers little insight into optimizing urination stops.

My races so far have taught me quite a bit about how my hydration works. I stress that it's my hydration because I've seen that it works differently for different people, so YMMV. Nonetheless, these are a few tips that may work for you. Many of these tips are often recommended by some professional trainers and long-time athletes:

• Try taking a sip every five-to-fifteen minutes during exercise instead of a big gulp every hour. If it's still too much water, try just wetting your lips or taking a smaller sip.
• I found out that starting my workout very well hydrated is key to staying hydrated. I usually drink abundant water about one hour before starting my workout.
• Just before starting my workout I avoid drinking too much water (a few big gulps at the most).
• If you have enough water at your disposal (common in races, not quite so if hiking) wetting your head may help you sweat less by helping your body regulate temperature.
• If I start perceiving (smelling) my own sweat (or a dry mouth, as other have pointed out), it's usually a sign that I need more hydration. I'll usually compensate by taking one gulp right then and there while making sure my sips are a bit larger.
• If you expect to exercise for more than an hour or two, plain water might not be enough. If your average sport drinks have too much sugar for your taste, try drink tabs.
• Keep in mind that at some point your body will need to pee (it's not just to discard excess water). So depending on how long your "long hike" is, you're gonna need to make a stop.

Again, you're gonna have to try it out for yourself and figure what works for you.

posted over 9 years ago

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Roflo‭

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Drink when you're thirsty, don't when you aren't.

posted over 9 years ago

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Jonathan Patt‭

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The absolute best way to figure out when to drink is by paying attention to your thirst.

If you drink a cup of water when you aren't really thirsty, your body will start getting rid of excess fluid within a few minutes. But if you drink that same cup when you are seriously dehydrated, you won't pee it out because your body won't have excessive moisture. This is all related to how much fluid is in your body, not the time since your last urination.

If you want to avoid peeing any more than you have to, get very, very familiar with how you feel when you are just slightly dehydrated (a tiny bit thirsty, but not excessively so, and certainly not unpleasantly so). Then drink small amounts frequently when you start feeling that way. Have a couple of swallows: that will momentarily slake your thirst. Then if you are thirsty again in 5 minutes, repeat this. If you drink large amounts, you are more likely to drink enough to completely rehydrate completely, and need to pee again. It will take experimentation to figure out exactly how much you need to drink, and what you should feel like, but once you do, it's quite reliable.

If you are trying this, and don't drink enough, you can get seriously dehydrated, especially if you are sweating a lot. So be cautious when you are starting out, and err on the side of drinking more. Also, at the end of the day, it's a good idea to rehydrate completely, both for your own comfort, and because urination is very important for the body to rid itself of toxins.

posted over 9 years ago

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Karen‭

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I honestly go on intuition and avoid taking big gulps. If you are chugging water and not obviously sweating or in serious heat-casualty conditions, then you are likely not drinking enough water to keep up with your activity level or environment, or you are over-drinking, in general. By keeping water a casual thing, it tends to discipline when you drink it. Snow conditions and deserts would be exceptions because you probably will need more than you think. I have to forcibly remind myself to drink in extreme cold because I don't notice as intuitively how dry the air is.
Obviously, if you are really pushing yourself physically or in severe heat conditions, chugging might be necessary. This method helps me, at least.

posted over 9 years ago

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crookedstorm‭

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Too much water is better than too little. It's a good idea to drink before you're thirsty if you know you're going to need it. You can guess how much, and then drink more or less depending on the frequency of urination. Higher altitude, warm weather, and physical exertion all cause more water loss, so you need to drink more. As you get dehydrated, your mouth gets dry, you stop urinating, and you may get a headache.

posted over 9 years ago

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xpda‭

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