The Times Union published a story about the upcoming CDPHP® Workforce Team Challenge, a 3.5-mile race at the Empire State Plaza in Albany, and how the anticipated unseasonably high temperatures could affect participants. The article includes suggestions from Dave Steck, a physical therapist at St. Peter’s Physical Therapy and Fitness in Slingerlands, on how runners can best prepare and the warning signs they should heed during the race.
From the story:
Dave Steck, a physical therapist at St. Peter’s Therapy and Fitness in Slingerlands, said even occasional athletes can prepare themselves for a safe run in hot weather.
He recommended eating a healthy snack, not a full meal, beforehand — enough to provide energy, but not so much to feel nauseous during exertion.
Proper hydration, he said, is key in the heat. Steck recommended sport drinks, which contain electrolytes that prevent cramping and replenish body fluids lost through sweating. Avoid sugary drinks, he said.
But he cautioned against overdoing even the drinking. Twenty to 30 minutes before the race, runners should drink enough to feel good — a standard glass, maybe — but not so much that they feel liquid sloshing around in their stomachs. Drinking too much can lead to hyponatremia, when the excess liquid dilutes the body’s sodium level. That can lead to nausea and fatigue or even life-threatening symptoms like cardiac arrest.
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