How to Stay Hydrated

Dehydration, hyponatremia, too much, too little. Your best bet is still to drink when running. Hyponatremia (over-hydration) while a real threat, tends to effect women more than men, and usually occurs during marathon or longer distance races. While it is important to be vigilant to this condition, it is still a good idea to take water with you during training and racing. This holds true for runs from 5k and up regardless of the weather. Dehydration of 3% of body weight causes a reduction in performance. The end result is it will make your race or training run seem a lot harder than it needs to. To know how much you should drink, weigh yourself before, and again after a run. The weight you have lost is water weight and needs to be replaced at 16 oz or 1 x 500 ml bottle per pound lost.
Your chosen mode of transport for your water bottle can be:
1.   Hold it in your hand, remembering to switch hands periodically.
2.   Carry a fanny pack that fits snugly on your waist and holds your bottle.
3.   Purchase a water system like Fuelbelt ? or Camelbak ?.
4.   On longer runs you can stash bottles on your run route the night before.
5.   Take money and buy enroute.

What you carry can be:
1.   Water. A partially frozen bottle keeps your water cold on hot days.
2.   Fluid replacement drinks such as Gatorade, E Load, Cytomax or Accelerade.

Now that you know what and how to carry your fluid, how do you get it in without wearing it? You can take a walk break to drink, although this can become inefficient if you are feeling thirsty but don?t want to break stride. To drink while moving, regardless of the type of delivery system your bottle has, DO NOT drink and swallow at the same time. Take fluid into your mouth and hold it while you breath, through your nose of course, then swallow. In the end, pick the method that feels the most comfortable while allowing you to drink frequently.