Long distance (or long term) physical exertion imposes several constraints to an athlete and his body. In this article you will find our advice so you can hydrate yourself better when going for longer than 3 hours. This advice is thus adapted to runners, cyclists, hikers, triathletes, or even swimmers and ramblers.
How can good hydration protect my body?
Water plays a number of roles during physical exertion, for example, heat regulation. Basically, muscles give off heat while they are active, so water lets them regulate their temperature. Water also helps the metabolic reactions to work, not only carrying glucose but also helping carry vitamins and minerals to muscles.
Dehydration is often found in injuries resulting from exertion, and it can also lead to increased fatigue or even cramps.
Thus, dehydration increases the risk of injury but it also reduces your performance. If you are thirsty during the event, you are already dehydrated by at least 1% of your body weight, so this diminishes your performance by around 10%. But don’t worry, this can be corrected if you rehydrate regularly and with a drink appropriate to the event.
Which drink is best for long distance events?
When you sweat for a long time, you lose water, but you also lose vitamins and essential minerals (also known as electrolytes) such as sodium (salt), potassium, magnesium and calcium. You well understand that salt alone is not enough to ensure good hydration.
The LONG DISTANCE HYDRIXIR drink is specially formulated with regard to the latest scientific research to hydrate you well when you are exerting yourself for long periods. This drink can be consumed for events that last longer than 3 hours.
It provides:
- a combination of 4 sources of carbohydrates: maltodextrin, glucose, fructose and dextrose
- Proteins and BCAA
- sodium, to compensate for mineral losses and improve fluid absorption
- magnesium, which contributes to normal muscle function
- vitamins C and B6, which help reduce fatigue
- antioxidant vitamin E, which contributes to protecting cells against oxidative stress
If, however, you practise an even longer sport (4, 6, 10 hours or more) or in specific weather conditions (high humidity or heat) you can combine the LONG DISTANCE HYDRIXIR drink with the ELECTROLYTE DRINK. Pour 1 sachet of ELECTROLYTE DRINK in your 600 to 800ml drink bottle of LONG DISTANCE HYDRIXIR.
This drink will provide you with:
For a 600ml drink containing 54g of LONG DISTANCE HYDRIXIR + 1 sachet of 8g of ELECTROLYTE DRINK
| Nutritional information | For a 600ml drink |
|---|---|
| Energy | 938 kJ / 221 kcal |
| Protein | 2.7g |
| Carbohydrate | 52.4 g |
| of which sugars | 19.1 g |
| Fats | < 1 g |
| of which saturated fatty acids | < 1 g |
| Fibre | < 1 g |
| Sodium | 711 mg |
| Salt | 1.29 g |
| Vitamin B1 | 0.94 mg (86%*) |
| Vitamin B2 | 0.5 mg (37%*) |
| Vitamin B3 | 6.0 mg (38%*) |
| Vitamin B6 | 1.15 mg (83%*) |
| Vitamin C | 66 mg (82%*) |
| Calcium | 300 mg (38%*) |
| Magnesium | 320 mg (85%*) |
| Potassium | 759 mg (38%*) |
| Bicarbonate | 0.79 g |
| Zinc | 3.9 mg (39%*) |
| BCAA | 0.65 g |
Key points for long distance hydration
- Drink from 600ml to 1.2L of your sports drink per hour depending on your sweating and weather conditions
- Drink 1 or 2 mouthfuls every 5 to 10 minutes
- Drink before you get thirsty but…
- … not too much because it could be counter-productive: see our article on the risks of hyperhydration and hyponatremia
- Carry pure water to rinse out your mouth or to spray over yourself
- Learn to drink during your workouts