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Reading books and learning via word of mouth there are tons of suggested ways to stay hydrated; what to drink, how much, when, where, what temperature should the water be ect ect. Too many rules, in fact; for instance wikihow.com states that one should carry water with you everywhere, keep a glass of water next you you. In addition to this your suggested to wear a digital watch that beeps at the beginning of each hour (to make sure you remember to drink water of course) + a water purification system and more…

This is an introduction to a new way to go about getting hydrated that is much more custom fit per runner rather than a by-the-book, one size fits all philosophy.

The easiest way to find how much water you need is by staying away from the symptoms of dehydration. If you have no symptoms of dehydration, by default; you are perfectly hydrated. Here are the top things to watch for.

1. Feeling thirsty? Drink a little extra, the rule of thumb here is that if you are feeling thirsty you are already suffering from the first signs of dehydration. Some people get thirsty faster than others, hence some people dehydrate faster, whatever your case drink enough during the day so that you avoid being thirsty/ having dry mouth.
2. Cramping- This is much easier noticed in runners/athletes because lactic acid will flow much more freely and soreness will occur much more quickly. Athletes will notice more tightness in muscles and that it takes longer to get warmed up. People that run less, or less than they should will might still notice an overall muscular weakness or cramping in the arms and legs.
3. The urine check- believe it or not but this is actually one of the most efficient ways to check your dehydration level. I’m not going to go into great detail on this but on a 1 to 10 scale urine that is a dark yellow, has and oder and/or is painful during excretion is considered fully dehydrated (a 10). As one is less dehydrated pain will cease during urination and the odor and color will lessen until an optimum 1 level is reached. At a 1 level on this simple test urine should have no oder and should be clear as water or have an extremely light yellow tint. This is literally one of the most efficient and downright easiest ways to check your dehydration level.

As long as these three guidelines are kept, all hats are off as to the what, why, when and where of how you hydrate, though I do suggest that you use water over sports drinks and beverages like gatorade. Simple guidelines to a simple result- easy. Sometimes though more information is needed; here are more in-depth symptoms of dehydration you want to avoid

Symptoms of early or mild dehydration can include-

• flushed face
• extreme thirst, more than normal or unable to drink
• dry, warm skin
• cannot pass urine or reduced amounts, dark, yellow
• unwell (can include weakness or headaches)
• dry mouth, dry tounge; with thick saliva
• sleepy or irritable
• crying with few or now tears
• dizziness

Symptoms of moderate to severe dehydration can include-

• low blood pressure
• fast, week pulse
• skin looses elasticity
• sunken dry eyes
• bloated stomach
• heart failure
• severe cramping
• fainting
• painful urination, dark yellow color, odor
• overall weakness

As we all know, people are different, some people need more water than others. Some people like athletes or your average US marine just use more water than others. Even from day to day your body will need a slightly different amount of water to stay hydrated, this can change with weight, heat, size, physically activity ect. Make no mistake, there is no magic number for ounces of water needed per day so a fluid (no pun intended) hydration system is needed. Using simple steps such as avoiding feelings of thirst or the urine test can be quick and efficient ways to avoid dehydration. Staying in tune with your body and knowing when you need to up the amount of water you need per day is the best way to keep hydrated.