It’s summertime and you head out for a run. Before you even finish the first mile, your body feels as though it might ignite from the heat. It’s not your imagination. Fifteen minutes into your run and your body temperature could be as high as 5° F above normal. If you were to continue at this pace, fatigue and heat illness would no doubt take over.
The above scenario doesn’t have to happen. Drinking enough fluid, whether water or a sports drink, is imperative for exercising in hot or humid weather.
Maintenance of body fluids is essential to maintaining proper body temperature. Sweat cools your body by evaporating off your skin.
Visible beads of sweat that don’t evaporate only dehydrate you without the beneficial cooling effect. If you let your body become dehydrated, you’ll find it much more difficult to perform even the lightest of workouts.
But don’t wait until you’re thirsty to start replenishing those fluids. Chances are, by the time you actually feel thirsty, your body is well on its way to becoming severely dehydrated.
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