RUN SMART WITH WATER

RUN SMART WITH WATER

Water helps your body— and brain—work properly. Dehydration alters a runner’s perceptions and affects his pacing, a new Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research study suggests.

During a 12-K race, driedout runners felt they were hotter and working harder than hydrated ones did. Also, the time variance between fastest and slowest laps was twice as long for the dehydrated group. A lack of water may affect your ability to gauge work ahead, says study author Rebecca Stearns, M.A., A.T.C. During a long run, drink at least 7 ounces of water every 20 minutes, she says.