This post was sponsored in part by BODYARMOR. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Have you heard of a ‘sweat rate’? Do you know how to find yours? Today’s post will explain what a sweat rate is, how to find an estimate of yours and tips for getting back lost electrolytes.
As an outdoor runner and Florida resident, the summer months are my least favorite. It’s hot. Real hot. Like don’t even try to do a long run outside if it’s not 6am and dark hot. And then thanks to the humidity you’ll still suffer greatly. No matter where you live the mercury will likely be climbing for the next few months and I want to make sure you’re properly hydrated.
Carissa Galloway runs the Freedom 5k in Boston
Hydration is a tricky science and there’s no ‘one size fits all’ approach. Your hydration needs vary due to weight, temperature, activity, intensity level and other factors. The general recommendation is to ‘drink to thirst’ but as a Nutrition Nerd I like to be a little more precise. Below are the steps you can take to do an at-home ‘Sweat Rate Test’.
It’s important to remember that when you sweat you lose not just water but electrolytes too and it’s essential to replace both fluid and electrolytes. When I have a challenging run I reach for BODYARMOR. BODYARMOR Sports Drink has potassium-packed electrolytes, coconut water and vitamins – and has no artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners or colors from artificial sources. There are 9 great flavors (Lemonade is my summer favorite). There’s also BODYARMOR LYTE, which has the same great nutrients as the original with only 20 calories per serving, and it’s naturally sweetened.
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Here’s how to find your sweat rate so you can be ready to re-fuel.
1) Weigh yourself nude right before activity.
2) Exercise for one hour at an average or above average intensity, keeping track of how much you drink (in ounces) during.
3) After the workout, strip down, wipe off excess sweat, and weigh yourself nude again.
4) Subtract your weight from your prerun weight and convert to ounces. (1 pound = 1 pint or 16 oz. of water) Then add to that number however many ounces of liquid you consumed on your run. (For example, if you lost a pound (16 ounces) and drank 12 ounces of fluid, your total fluid loss is 28 ounces.)
5) To determine how much you should be drinking about every 15 minutes, divide your hourly fluid loss by 4 (in the above example it would be 7 ounces).
I’d recommend recalculating your sweat rate 1-2 times a month. It will change with not only weather but as your body is acclimatizing to the training you’re doing.
Good luck and here’s to great summer training for all!
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