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From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
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== Introduction ==
This is the first to two entries for hydration - this is the short story, and [[Hydration 101]] is the details. Hydration is a more complex topic than you might expect, is it is about water and electrolytes, mainly salt.
== What to drink? ==
Drinking water without consuming salt is not a good idea. For shorter runs(marathon or less), salty snacks after the run may be sufficient, depending on how much you sweat and how long the race takes you. For longer runs, you need to consume salt during the run. I drink water with 1/4 tsp of salt per quart as a cheap solution. Many people use a sports drink or electrolyte capsules on longer runs. I dislike electrolyte capsules, partly because I struggle to swallow them, but also because they bypass the sense of taste. Our taste for salty things reflects our sodium balance.
I am not going to cover sports drinks or the addition of fuel (carbohydrates, protein, even fat) to your drinks; that is a larger topic and does not have any direct bearing on hydration. The only caveat is to make sure your drink does not make you nauseous, as that will have some obvious impact on hydration! A drink that does not taste good will also discourage drinking, which can lead to dehydration; make sure you like the flavor.
For races, or training runs where I want extra calories, I use Gatorade with the same extra 1/4 tsp salt, plus a pinch of 'no salt' to each quart. This makes the Gatorade taste very strong - try it before you run with it.
Reminder - As always, I suggest you do your own research and make your own decisions, taking what I write as one source of input.
