How to Stay Hydrated and Train Your Best: A Simple Guide to Sweat, Sodium, and Recovery
A Simple Guide to Sweat, Sodium, and Recovery
Drinking water is important—but for athletes, staying hydrated means more than just drinking when you're thirsty. Every runner sweats differently. If we don’t replace what we lose, it can affect our energy, recovery, and performance.
At Bears TC, we train from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m., so it’s important that every athlete comes to practice already hydrated and with a water bottle. Hydration doesn’t start when practice begins—it starts when you wake up.
If you're noticing any of the following, it may be a sign you need more fluid or electrolytes:
Easy runs feel harder than they should
You feel tired or take longer to recover
You get headaches or feel sick when it’s hot
Your urine is dark or your weight is lower than normal in the morning
Why Sweat Rate Matters
Every person loses a different amount of sweat and sodium, especially in the summer. A simple way to learn how much fluid you lose is by weighing yourself before and after a full 90-minute practice.
Here's how to check your sweat rate:
Weigh yourself before practice (wear light or no clothing, and be dry)
Bring a full water bottle and track how much you drink during practice
Weigh yourself again right after practice (same way)
Use this formula:
Sweat Rate = Starting weight – Ending weight + Fluid consumed (in ounces)
What to Drink and Eat Before, During, and After Practice
Before practice: 16–20 oz of fluid + sodium (about 300–600 mg) 1–2 hours before.
Example: Water with a pinch of salt, a banana with peanut butter, or a plain bagel with cream cheese.Right before starting: 5–10 oz of fluid 10 minutes before warm-up.
Example: A few gulps of sports drink or water with electrolytes.During practice: For hot days or longer runs, try to drink enough to replace half your sweat loss per hour. Use a sports drink—not just water.
Example: 8–12 oz of Gatorade or Nuun over the course of practice.After practice: For every pound lost, drink 16–24 oz of fluid and eat a snack with carbs, protein, and salt.
Example: Chocolate milk, a turkey sandwich, or pretzels and Greek yogurt.
There’s also research showing that even just swishing a sports drink in your mouth during a hard run/workout (and then spitting it out) can help the brain stay alert and reduce how hard the run feels. This trick is helpful if you have trouble drinking during running or want to avoid a heavy stomach.
How to Tell if You’re Hydrated
Hydration Chart
One of the easiest ways is by checking your urine color in the morning. Use this chart as a guide
Download this chart and other hydration tools here:
Want to Go a Step Further?
If you're someone who wants to really dial in your performance, I offer a basic sweat test for $20. It gives you an idea of how much fluid and sodium you lose and helps create a custom hydration plan for training and racing.
More Helpful Resources
Hydration is a small thing that makes a big difference. The better you understand your body’s needs, the better you’ll feel—and perform—every day.
—Coach Luke
