In this episode, I talk with sports dietitian Brooke Schohl about sweat testing and how it takes the guesswork out of sports hydration, determines your personal hydration needs and optimizes your performance.
After chatting with Sports Scientist Andy Blow in episode 34 about individual electrolyte loss rates and athletic performance, I scheduled an Advanced Athlete Sweat Test and determined I am a “heavy sweater” with high sodium loss rates. This information is a game changer!
TIMELINE HIGHLIGHTS:3:00 WHY ADVANCED SWEAT TESTS ARE IMPORTANT FOR ATHLETES
5:00 HOW SWEAT TESTS ARE GIVEN
6:16 AGGREGATE SWEAT TESTS RESULTS
8:35 SWEAT RATE VS SWEAT/SODIUM CONCENTRATIONS
10:10 HYDRATION SUCCESS STORIES
13:14 SODIUM LOSS SYMPTOMS
15:24 WHAT SHOULD HIGH SODIUM SWEATERS DO?
17:32 DECODING SWEAT TEST RESULTS
20:15 WHEN TO IMPLEMENT A SODIUM REPLACEMENT PLAN
22:11 HOW CLIMATE DIFFERENCES IMPACT HYDRATION STRATEGIES
25:25 SELF-TESTING YOUR SODIUM LEVELS
28:00 RACE vs TRAINING PRELOAD PROTOCOLS
33:50 SODIUM CITRATE vs SODIUM CHLORIDE AND WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT
36:47 HYDRATION TIPS FOR TRAINING IN ONE CLIMATE; PERFORMING IN ANOTHER
44:04 TOTAL HOURLY SODIUM REPLACEMENT NEEDS
46:44 FUELING MUSCLES FOR TRAINING & RACES
48:41 METABOLIC EFFICIENCY FUELING
52:14 BALANCING OUR INTAKE OF CARBS, PROTEIN, & FAT
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
ATHLETE SWEAT TESTS MEASURE UNIQUE SWEAT/SODIUM CONCENTRATIONS AND HYDRATION NEEDS
90% OF BROOKE’S SWEAT TEST PARTICIPANTS ARE NOT CONSUMING ENOUGH SODIUM
WORKOUTS OVER 2-3 HOURS SHOULD HAVE A SODIUM REPLACEMENT PLAN
SODIUM CITRATE IS AN ALKALINE; SODIUM CHLORIDE IS ACIDIC
WEBSITES & ARTICLES MENTIONED:
Fuel To The Finish – Official Website
Precision Hydration – Official Website
Podcast 34 with Sports Scientist Andy Blow
Take Precision Hydration’s Free Online Sweat Test to get a personalized hydration strategy with advice on what, when and how much to drink:
GUEST BIOGRAPHY:
Brooke Schohl – Founder, Fuel to the Finish Endurance Nutrition Coaching
Brooke Schohl is a sports dietitian who provides customized nutrition services for endurance athletes. Brooke is also a 3-time Ironman. She provides endurance athletes personalized nutrition plans/coaching that improve performance and overall health! Offerings include current diet assessment, specialized meal plans, and training/racing fuel and hydration plans.
Connect With Brooke Schohl Online:
Official Website – Twitter – Facebook – Instagram – Linked-In Profile
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