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5 REASONS TO INCORPORATE REHYDRATE INTO YOUR RUNNING ROUTINE - Hailey Van Dyk
As a runner, the healthy habits I try and incorporate into my daily routines seem to make a huge difference in how I feel, perform and recover. One of the habits I’ve worked really hard to establish is staying hydrated pre, during and post runs. I love to start my mornings with a greens powder which is an easy way to ensure I’ve started my day off with a large amount of fluid to replenish from sleeping. But during and after my runs, most importantly my longer runs, I focus on hydration with electrolytes. This is especially when the summer heat starts ramp up and I’m sweating a whole lot more. As a registered nurse, I am always fascinated in the science behind hydration, recovery and performance. My absolute go to for all things hydration is the ReHydrate + TruMarine® Collagen, and my favourite flavour is tropical. I’m going to do a dive into my top reasons for using ReHydrate in my running routine!
1. Proper hydration optimizes performance by maintaining blood volume, which helps deliver oxygen and nutrients to muscles more efficiently, enhancing endurance and speed. Basically this means if you’re properly hydrated, your muscles are able to perform better. But did you know that drinking just water is often not enough, especially as you start pushing into longer and harder efforts. Just drinking water puts you at risk of hyponatremia, a condition caused by low sodium levels. Basically you’re using up all your sodium without replacing it. This is why ReHydrate is such a great addition to your running routine.
2. Adequate hydration helps regulate body temperature. This becomes especially important as the summer heat ramps up. Heat related issues such as heat stroke become more common in the summer months. Staying hydrated can help ward off overheating during exercise.
3. Hydration helps you feel your best! And one of the reasons why I run is because I love it, so feeling good helps me enjoy it more. Good hydration can help prevent common symptoms of dehydration such as fatigue, muscle cramps, dizziness, and headaches. These symptoms can be prevented by staying hydrated during and after runs.
4. We’ve all heard the term electrolytes, but maybe we don’t understand how important they are in our bodies. As we sweat, we loose electrolytes through our skin. Have you ever finished a run and found a rim of salt on your hand or on your shirt? This is a key sign that you’ve lost a lot of electrolytes and need to work to replace them. Electrolytes also play a key role in our muscle function and nerve transmissions, so supporting our bodies with a bit extra when we’re demanding more from our muscles is a great way to go longer and perform harder. Rehydrate hits the full spectrums of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and chloride which are essential for hydration as they help maintain fluid balance in the body.
5. Staying hydrated post-run aids in quicker recovery by replenishing lost fluids and electrolytes. Electrolytes help restore the body's electrolyte balance, reducing muscle soreness, and promoting tissue repair. One of my favourite things to do immediately post run is grab a scoop of rehydrate in a cold glass of water and drink!
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ABOUT HAILEY
Hailey Van Dyk is an ultra runner and mountain biker who recently relocated from the Sea to Sky corridor to the Comox Valley. When she is not out in the mountains or on the trails, you can find her working in the ER as a registered nurse or at a holistic rehab centre for mental health and addictions. Her passions for health and wellbeing serve her on the trails but also with the patients and clients. You can follow her adventures on IG at @haileyvandyk
