A catering strategy is elementary not only in preparation in the summer, but then also on race day.
The warm season is coming to an end, but the preparation for the running highlight of the year is entering the hot phase. However, the following still applies to runners during training and competition: Drinking begins before thirst. "Dehydration resulting from fluid loss not only affects performance, but also influences the general state of health. First, the body tries to compensate for water loss by drawing fluid from the blood and tissues. As a result, the blood thickens. As a result, the heart has to work harder to pump it through the body," says Robert Fritz, a sports physician at marathon sponsor Peeroton.
While you might drink an entire bucket empty after a run in the heat, you more often fail to feel thirsty after a long run in cold, wet conditions. However, it is a dangerous misconception that the body thus does not need hydration. Even in colder temperatures, the fluid balance must always be regulated appropriately. And: Even if you don't sweat as much in the cold, the body needs all the more energy to maintain body temperature. In the process, you lose at least as much fluid as you do in the heat. "Therefore, make sure that you drink just as much fluid after a cold running workout as you do during a hot one," advises Andreas Trippl, Managing Director of the leading sports nutrition provider on the Austrian market, official outfitter of the successful ÖOC Olympic team and official partner of the Austria Ski Team since 2002 already.
Source: OÖN/LIVA
Photo: Volker Weihbold
