Published: April 21, 2006 01:05 am            

Correct exercise tips for ‘dog days’

Muscle cramps, dehydration and a lovely variety of insects...oh the joys of spring and hot weather! Don't get me wrong. Spring is my favorite season, but I do not enjoy biking while battling flying bugs of all sorts slamming into my face!

I participated in my first duathlon last weekend. We called ourselves "The Red Team" and it was the first duathlon for all three of us. Interestingly enough, we all placed (just don't ask how many competitors we had in our age groups!) We all pushed each other through weak points and I believe that's what is so great about having a group in which you train. My roommate was, at one point during the run, jokingly talking to an oncologist in the area. She stated, "help me, I think I'm having a heart attack!" He, in turn replied, "Well I do know CPR, but I don't think I can perform it right now!"

The little conversations that are spoken during events such as these or the little words of encouragement amazingly enough can get you through difficult times. I guess you can relate it to life; a kind word, an encouraging statement, even a smile can help make someone's day a little brighter. I know I needed all the encouragement I could get. I thought to myself, "God, if I have a flat or crash into a tree, it's all in your hands! Should I really be attempting this? I'm not the most graceful person in the world!" But I did finish. Will I complete another? You bet. Anyone who is scared to get out there and run the first mile or buy a new bike should just go for it. What do you have to lose? The weather is beautiful, exercise is good for your health, and it just plain feels good!

A very important factor to discuss with the hot weather sneaking up on us is hydration and how it relates to muscle cramps. No laughing matter, whole-body muscle cramps are debilitating and can sideline an athlete for the day, at least. What's the game plan to prevent cramping?

What causes cramping? First, understand what causes cramping. Muscle fatigue, salt loss, and dehydration-all three acting together play a role in muscle cramping. Consider this: on a hot day a 250 pound football player can easily lose enough sodium chloride to equal two or three teaspoons of table salt. Compared to the trivial losses of potassium, calcium, and magnesium in sweat, the loss of sodium can be huge.

The loss of sodium. Why worry about losing sodium? Sodium is key not only to maintain blood volume but also to help nerves fire and muscles work. Sodium depletion short-circuits the coordination of nerves and muscles as muscles contract and relax. The result can be muscle cramping.



A balanced diet

Set the tone by advocating a balanced diet and consuming the best beverages, before during, and even after the dog days of summer. Popular foods rich in sodium include tomato juice, canned baked beans, dill pickles, canned soups and cheese pizza.



Fluids during training

On a daily basis, make sure you drink enough fluid. You can easily determine if you have had enough to drink by monitoring the volume and color of your urine.

1. You should urinate every two to four hours throughout the day. The urine should be a light color, like lemonade, and in significant quantity. If the urine is dark and concentrated, you need to consume more water, juice and other fluids. However, if you take vitamin pills, your urine may be dark colored. Monitor hydration by the quantity and darkness of color.

2. You don't have to drink only water for fluids. Juice, sports drinks, soft drinks, and watery foods such as yogurt, oranges, melon and soup all have a high water content that contributes to overall fluid balance.

3. Be aware that beer, wine, and alcohol can hurt your performance. If you choose to drink alcoholic beverages, be sure you quench your thirst with other fluids ( and eat carbohydrates to fuel your muscles). That is , drink two glasses of water, eat some pretzels, then have a beer, if desired.

Fluids before hard endurance exercises

1. The day before, drink extra water, juice and other fluids to be sure your body is well hydrated.

2. The morning of the event, drink at least 16 ounces of fluids up to two hours prior to the start. Because the kidneys require 45 to 90 minutes to process liquids, two hours allows adequate time for you to empty your bladder before the start of the event.

Fluids during hard exercise

1. Drink eight to 10 ounces of water, sports drink, or diluted juice every 20 minutes. Because you may be sweating three times this amount, you may still have a fluid deficit. Stop drinking if your stomach is "sloshing".

2. Prevent dehydration by drinking adequate fluids early in the event. Drink before you get thirsty! By the time your brain signals thirst, you will have lost one percent of your body weight. By two percent dehydration (three pounds of sweat loss), you have reduced your work capacity by 10 to 15 percent.



Fluids after exercise

1. Drink to quench your thirst, and then drink even more. Because the thirst mechanism inadequately indicates whether or not you've taken enough fluids, you'll have to tell by monitoring your urine. If several hours pass without having to urinate, you are still dehydrated. Keep drinking!

2. Juices replace not only fluid but also offer more carbohydrates than most sports drinks. Drinking 16-24 ounces within the hour after exercise helps muscles refuel and recover.



Amanda Caperton, R.D., LD, is available for sports nutrition education, including specialization in teaching active people how to fuel themselves for sports performance,good health, and weight management. Contact Amanda at (601)616-0857 for more information.

        

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