Heavy Sweater and Fluid Needs

author : Enduropacks.com

comments : 4

I drink during my runs but I am a profuse sweater and it seems like I just can't keep up with my fluid needs. Would it be helpful to switch to an electrolyte drink for my fluid needs?

Member Question

I live in Louisiana and it is darn hot and humid down here. I was a swimmer in college and have done many long distance (up to 5k) swims. I have been training for an Olympic distance triathlon since March. I drink during my runs but I am a profuse sweater and it seems like I just can't keep up with my fluid needs. I don't have as much trouble with this issue on the bike. My long bike rides are up to two hours and runs at 50 - 60 minutes. I drink a watered down sports drink when I'm training because I don't like a lot of sugar while training. Would it be helpful to switch to an electrolyte drink for my fluid needs?

Answer by Bryan Lamb
Enduropacks.com sponsored athlete

The answer, as is the answer in most things in life, is: “It Depends”. There’s a lot of factors that come into play and they differ for every individual. Not everyone is going to require the same amount of fluid for a certain amount of sweating that they do during exercise. In addition, sports drinks, electrolyte add-ons (sprays, tablets, etc), or electrolyte specific drinks will work for some people and not work for others.

I consider myself a very heavy sweater. I also find the sugar in sports drinks to generally be a bit much most of the time. For me, the sugar doesn’t work well simply due to the amount of fluid I consume during workouts. I simply take in more water during workouts and that seems to even things out pretty well for me. If I am doing an especially long workout, and I know that I am going to sweat more than normal – I may use an electrolyte spray just to make sure I’m covered for that workout. With that said, I tend to find that more water is the answer rather than add-ons for MOST people. The amount you will need to take will require some experimentation and careful planning on your part, and consulting a coach or nutritionist is something I’d always recommend. Just remember that everyone is different, so your needs may vary wildly from someone with a similar training plan / sweating pattern as you.

Bryan Lamb Competitive Age Group Triathlete The Big Sexy Racing & Cobb Mobb Team http://chiizuruns.blogspot.com

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date: August 13, 2014