4522
Fuel Replacement Variation
By: Dr. Bill Misner
When athletes come to us complaining about suffering dehydration, muscle cramping, gastric stress, bloating, diarrhea, vomiting, or general malaise while using our products or our products in combination with others, we make every effort to help them adjust fluids, electrolytes, or fuel dose selection so that their results will improve, and that the symptoms suffered are resolved. Over the past 8-9 years, I cannot recall having failed to resolve a problem reported, though we had to adjust the dose advice by trial and error methodology.
A survey of fluids, fuels, and electrolytes protocols vary remarkably among endurance athletes.
Here are some of the variations we have observed:
1. ELECTROLYTES: The female winner of a past Leadville 100 mile ultramarathon run won the event by over an hour (beat most of the men) on 1 Endurolyte per hour. Her electrolyte profile (blood labs) taken before the event was remarkably the same after the event. One triathlete regularly consumes up to 8 Endurolytes per hour in his Iron distance triathlon events. At 6 Endurolytes per hour, he cramps or presents with gastric upset.
2. FLUIDS: Fluid intake varies considerably between 12-40 fluid ounces per hour.
3. CALORIES: Calorie intake varies considerably from 200-700 calories per hour.
4. DOSE RELATED TO POSITIVE PERFORMANCE: Of the athletes who report success with no performance-inhibiting problems, the following characteristics occur with remarkable consistency:
5. DOSE RELATED TO INHIBITED PERFORMANCE: Of the athletes who present performance-inhibiting symptoms, the following characteristics present:
SUMMARY
Our point is that less is better than more and that performance optimal fluid-fuel-electrolytes dose is accurately determined by trial and error. This means that an athlete's weight before and after prolonged training of -2% weight loss after the workout is indicative of positive optimal hydration balance. At the rate of 3% or more post-workout weight loss, dehydration takes a toll in terms of inhibited nutrient delivery, waste removal, overheating issues, malaise, muscle cramps, bloating, gastric upset, and premature fatigue. Nearly the same symptoms reoccur when fluid intake exceeds 1% body weight gain. Here is where some get by with such over hydration issues, while others immediately suffer all of the above or more or at worst scenario are code-4'd to the hospital emergency room with dilutional hyponatremia.
There are persons and organizations telling athletes to consume what you lose because they argue that it needs be replaced immediately in the event. It cannot be replaced 100% but only around 20-30% of the highest absorbed substance. Think about this statement: At an easy 60-85% volume maximal O2 rate aerobic pace, rate of metabolism increases from a sedentary state between 1200-2000%. The body is then induced to survive. Blood volume is routed to working muscles, fluids are lost to evaporative cooling through capillary beds, oxygen is routed to the brain, heart, and a few of our internal organs. Oddly, it is not so directly focused on fluid, fuel, and electrolyte replacement, as some of the "Experts" so advise. The body sensitizes release of specific hormones in the circulation anticipating losses in favor of life-giving death-preventing survival, neutralizing blood pH, and balancing fluid, fuel, and electrolyte, compensating for all but about 20-30% which can be (oral) replaced P.O. Rather than start with attempting to replace hourly loss with hourly dose, we suggest small dose portions at between 20-30% of what is lost. There are many individual variations to consider and they may change with age, dose, fuel selection, and training stress. It is our position that the less you take that supports endurance performance goals is the dose that you should train with and race with... and, if it works for you don't try to fix it by taking more than your body can effectually absorb.
When athletes come to us complaining about suffering dehydration, muscle cramping, gastric stress, bloating, diarrhea, vomiting, or general malaise while using our products or our products in combination with others, we make every effort to help them adjust fluids, electrolytes, or fuel dose selection so that their results will improve, and that the symptoms suffered are resolved. Over the past 8-9 years, I cannot recall having failed to resolve a problem reported, though we had to adjust the dose advice by trial and error methodology.
A survey of fluids, fuels, and electrolytes protocols vary remarkably among endurance athletes.
Here are some of the variations we have observed:
1. ELECTROLYTES: The female winner of a past Leadville 100 mile ultramarathon run won the event by over an hour (beat most of the men) on 1 Endurolyte per hour. Her electrolyte profile (blood labs) taken before the event was remarkably the same after the event. One triathlete regularly consumes up to 8 Endurolytes per hour in his Iron distance triathlon events. At 6 Endurolytes per hour, he cramps or presents with gastric upset.
2. FLUIDS: Fluid intake varies considerably between 12-40 fluid ounces per hour.
3. CALORIES: Calorie intake varies considerably from 200-700 calories per hour.
4. DOSE RELATED TO POSITIVE PERFORMANCE: Of the athletes who report success with no performance-inhibiting problems, the following characteristics occur with remarkable consistency:
- Body weight at finish is decreased between 2-3%.
- Fluid intake is under 30 fluid ounces/hour.
- Electrolyte intake is between 3-6 Endurolytes/hour with 4 Endurolytes/hour being the most often reported successful dose.
- Calorie intake is at or under 300 calories/hour, though those using HEED report regular success using less 150-200 cal/hour.
5. DOSE RELATED TO INHIBITED PERFORMANCE: Of the athletes who present performance-inhibiting symptoms, the following characteristics present:
- Fluid intake is nearly always over 30 fluid ounces/hour
- Body weight at finish is hyperhydrated with weight gain from +1-2% dehydrated over -3%. (-2% body weight loss reflects the water loss when glycogen stores are metabolized=over 2% weight loss or weight gain leads to hyponatremia problems)
- Calorie excess using too much simple sugared fuels which raises osmolality in the gut, forcing the body to pull electrolytes out of an already electrolyte depleting system causing stomach shut down.
- The high sodium American diet for example makes those who consume that menu predisposed to taking a higher sodium electrolyte during an event than the low sodium purist. Sodium as you know drives thirst and thirst drives drinking until excess results.
- Sweat composition studies performed by Shephard, Noakes, Costill, Moody, etc., who show in a variety of stress exercise forms that an acclimatized fit athlete loses 50% of the electrolytes and fluids as an unacclimatized, not fit athlete. Training duration/intensity preparations event-specific literally cut in half the athlete's electrolyte and fluids requirements in an endurance event. A common report from ultra marathon runners that suffer cramps, sour stomach, malaise, hyponatremia in the last half of their ultra can be related to not having trained high enough total weekly mileage or not having completed at least 1 training run at 50-60% of the ultradistance using the same fluids-fuels-electrolytes dose. Then in the event they either use a different protocol than the they trained with or demand that there body suddenly adapt to distance and time that their body's systemic enzymes for those fluids-fuels-electrolytes is underdeveloped due to lack of duration training.
SUMMARY
Our point is that less is better than more and that performance optimal fluid-fuel-electrolytes dose is accurately determined by trial and error. This means that an athlete's weight before and after prolonged training of -2% weight loss after the workout is indicative of positive optimal hydration balance. At the rate of 3% or more post-workout weight loss, dehydration takes a toll in terms of inhibited nutrient delivery, waste removal, overheating issues, malaise, muscle cramps, bloating, gastric upset, and premature fatigue. Nearly the same symptoms reoccur when fluid intake exceeds 1% body weight gain. Here is where some get by with such over hydration issues, while others immediately suffer all of the above or more or at worst scenario are code-4'd to the hospital emergency room with dilutional hyponatremia.
There are persons and organizations telling athletes to consume what you lose because they argue that it needs be replaced immediately in the event. It cannot be replaced 100% but only around 20-30% of the highest absorbed substance. Think about this statement: At an easy 60-85% volume maximal O2 rate aerobic pace, rate of metabolism increases from a sedentary state between 1200-2000%. The body is then induced to survive. Blood volume is routed to working muscles, fluids are lost to evaporative cooling through capillary beds, oxygen is routed to the brain, heart, and a few of our internal organs. Oddly, it is not so directly focused on fluid, fuel, and electrolyte replacement, as some of the "Experts" so advise. The body sensitizes release of specific hormones in the circulation anticipating losses in favor of life-giving death-preventing survival, neutralizing blood pH, and balancing fluid, fuel, and electrolyte, compensating for all but about 20-30% which can be (oral) replaced P.O. Rather than start with attempting to replace hourly loss with hourly dose, we suggest small dose portions at between 20-30% of what is lost. There are many individual variations to consider and they may change with age, dose, fuel selection, and training stress. It is our position that the less you take that supports endurance performance goals is the dose that you should train with and race with... and, if it works for you don't try to fix it by taking more than your body can effectually absorb.
