Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of Propel. I was compensated and all opinions are 100% my own.
For part of their “Add Flavor” challenge, Propel has wanted us to monitor our hydration levels throughout various workouts, and hydrate accordingly.
Good thing it’s summer…
Because I’m sweating a lot.
The easiest way to monitor your hydration level is through your pee. So yes, Propel has wanted me to monitor my pee. I usually take a B complex in the morning, so I’ve been skipping that for the purpose of this challenge. It turns your pee electric yellow, which is kind of fun, but means you can only really tell how hydrated you are when it’s completely out of your system.
They had us calculate our sweat rate:
(Weight lost during exercise + Fluid Intake in Liters) / hours = L/h (Liters per hour.)
I tried it on a sweaty morning and found that I’d lost 1 pound during exercise, including the 4-8 ounces I sipped at water fountains. So, basically my sweat rate was about 1.2 L/h.
Okay, but how do I use that to figure out what to drink after? You’re supposed to multiply body weight lost in pounds * 16 – 24 ounces.
I decided to let my body tell me how much it wanted and grabbed a 20 ounce lemon-lime Propel. Turns out I’m right in between, because I drank it all – and then couldn’t think one more second about hydration.
I didn’t get to weigh myself after a 2-hour ride in the Hamptons, but I’d say I drank about a Propel and a half when I got home.(Thank god for a big fridge to hold my Propel.) A sweatier person might have needed more, but I’m a low-sweat person for better or worse.
What about you? Do you sweat a lot? Do you know your sweat rate?
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When I trained for IMKY 2012, I measured and recorded my sweat rate for all my long bricks so obsessively. I logged the temperature and dew point and my starting and ending weight as well as everything I consumed, right down to mg of Na/K/etc. Maybe a little over the top, but now I know that I need 16 oz of fluid/hour on the bike up to 70F, 16-24 oz/hour between 70F and 80F, and need to be trying to get in 30 oz/hour if it's much over 80. The run is hard; I need more than I can absorb but luckily it's the last leg, so I can leave myself in a little bit of a hole. Having a good handle on this will help you so much come 9/21!
@Victoria: Wow :) That is really good to know though. 30 oz an hour sounds insane but makes sense over 80.
@Theodora Blanchfield: I think it is different for Ironman, because you can't afford to start a marathon dehydrated. 13.1 miles or 6.2 miles, you can cope.
i don't sweat "a lot" (comparatively, i'd say), unless it's way humid/hot out when i'm running. i first realized that i don't sweat much running aft my first half marathon, when they were giving out complimentary massages at the end and the woman who had me was like, "ummm did you just run the same race as everyone else? because they're all coming in here drenched and you're not very sweaty." was kinda weird. and then i got super dehydrated, soooo that all makes sense. :) now i drink a ton during races and aft runs and i have zero idea what my sweat rate is, or that such a thing as a "sweat rate" existed. :)
Yeah, I definitely don't sweat a ton either so I have to be really careful to stay hydrated.
Interesting--I had no idea this is something that can be measured. I sweat a lot! It feels cleansing though.