As we all start to set goals and begin our planning and training for those spring races, the one thing that we can’t always predict, especially if you live somewhere where winter bears its teeth, is the weather!
What you CAN do is be prepared to train, no matter the climate, by planning ahead for staying hydrated when the temperatures dip!
Cold weather running can be such an amazing experience – there’s nothing like conquering the elements and finishing a run with snowflakes on your eyelashes to make you feel like an absolute running rock star! The key to a great cold weather running experience is the right gear, and more importantly the right hydration strategy for pre-, intra-, and post- run.
Cold weather hydration can be tricky because your urge to drink is often diminished due to the cold. That, paired with increased sweat loss due to layering of clothing, can create the perfect constellation of conditions for impaired fluid and electrolyte balance. Avoid the assumption that just because it’s cold out, your hydration and fluid needs are less important. If anything, it’s MORE important to keep an eye on how you are feeling in cold weather conditions as those “cues” may not be as present as in warmer weather conditions.
Hydration during any activity is so important, especially during times of temperature extremes.
In the cold, it’s vital to focus on your fluid replenishment in order to avoid adverse physiological conditions that can occur. These include hyperthermia (a dangerous rise in body temperature when it’s warm out) and hypothermia (a dangerous drop in body temperature when it’s cold). When you sweat, you lose both water and electrolytes. Therefore, in addition to water, adding electrolytes can help to prevent dehydration. Electrolytes, such as sodium, help to pull fluid into your cells to assist in the hydration process. Failure to replace electrolytes lost in your sweat can result in dangerous conditions such as hypovolemia. (Sterns, 2022) Studies have shown that dehydration as little as 2% of body weight can negatively impact exercise performance. (Jeukendrup, 2019)
Signs of cold weather dehydration
The physical stress of extremely cold temperatures and imbalanced fluids can result in your body ringing the alarm bell to alert you that you need to hydrate. Some signs that you are entering the danger zone of fluid and salt problems in extremely cold weather are:
- Lack of coordination
- Mental confusion
- Slower reaction time
- Shivering
- Sleepiness
- Reluctance to keep moving (Fernstrom, 2005)
If you experience any of these symptoms when exercising in the cold, get out of the cold immediately, drink some fluids and rest until the symptoms resolve.
Cold weather running tips
Now that you know the WHY of the importance of cold weather hydration replacement, let’s talk about the HOW! There are some really great tips to avoid the negative effects of fluid imbalance to keep you feeling great during the chillier months and moving towards your training goals with purpose!
1: Drink Before You Run
About an hour before you head out for that cold weather run, consume at least 16oz of water. Additionally, when you go about your day, make sure you are taking regular sips from a water bottle.
- Pro tip: We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again! A cool reusable water bottle with some stickers on it is a great motivator to continue to drink throughout the day! Another great tip is to download an app like Water Reminder to push you a notification at the frequency of your choosing to remind you to have a few sips of water!
2: Carry Warm Liquids
Warm water in an insulated handheld water bottle is one great way to make drinking on those colder efforts more palatable. Added bonus– your hydration is doing double duty as a hand warmer! Just make sure that your drink is warm, not hot, so that you don’t burn your mouth on it! If warm water isn’t your vibe, herbal tea is a really nice option for in-run hydration that is warm as well.
3: Mix in Some Electrolytes
Adding electrolytes to your cold weather hydration is a great way to offset electrolytes lost through sweat. Mixing them into warm water instead of cold will give you the boost of electrolytes you need, and will be much more palatable to take along with you due to being mixed in warm water. Skratch makes some amazing flavors that pair well in warm water (Hot Apple Cider flavor, anyone?) and multitask by being nutritionally beneficial and delicious. If you love the idea of added electrolytes but want to keep it simple, warm broths are also great options for cold weather hydration on the run.
- Pro tip: Don’t forget, if running >60-90 minutes, you’ll want to consider electrolytes with carbohydrates or bring along a food supplement that has carbohydrates. Read more on this topic here.
4. Shift Your Training
Just like trying to run in the cooler part of the day during warmer months, you can shift your training to the warmer part of a cool day, or use a treadmill if the conditions aren’t for you. It’s important to remain steadfast in your goals, but flexible in your approach to how you chase them! When you are able to shift your training, you are able to make adjustments to your hydration needs relative to the weather. Training indoors on the treadmill means that your bottle is always within reach. Training in the “warm” part of a cold day is a way to not be battling the most extreme of temperatures. (Higdon, 1999)
5: Drink After Running
This one seems obvious, but when it’s cold out, running straight to the fridge for a drink might not be your first instinct when you get back inside. To get a jump start on your recovery, make sure that when you return from outdoor training, you are rehydrating. It’s a good idea to rehydrate with an electrolyte and carbohydrate-rich drink and/or hydrating and eating electrolyte-rich foods (fruits, pretzels, etc.) to replenish those glycogen stores that you used during training and help restore your mineral balance.
Sometimes, the best part of cold weather running is knowing that you have something warm and delicious to look forward to when you’re done! Here are 5 ideas from Runner’s World for hot drinks to sip after your run! These warm pick-me-ups range from hot cocoa to Turmeric tea, and contain anti-inflammatory ingredients, antioxidants, iron, calcium, sodium and other minerals lost from sweat, and make the perfect post-run treat!
I hope this helps you to enjoy your training on these cold days and gives you some tools to get the most out of your efforts. That way, you can recover optimally now and head into the spring race season hydrated, confident, and feeling amazing. As always, if you have more specific questions, I am always here for you and would love to chat about all things training, hydrating and thriving in the winter and beyond!
Works referenced:
Sterns, R. H. (2022). Etiology and evaluation of hypernatremia in adults. UpToDate. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from
https://www.uptodate.com/contents/etiology-and-evaluation-of-hypernatremia-in-adults
Fernstrom, M. H. (2005). Runner’s world, the runner’s Diet. Rodale.
Higdon, H. (1999). Marathon: The ultimate training guide. Rodale Press.
Jeukendrup, A. E., & Gleeson, M. (2019). Sport nutrition. Human Kinetics.
