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HHP Dietetic Intern Chris Doyle's Tips for the Houston Marathon on ABC 13

HHP dietetic intern Chris Doyle's tips on staying hydrated, for what is expected to be a very cold day at the Houston Marathon, were featured in a segment on ABC 13 news. An intern with HHP's Dietetic Internship program, Chris is currently interning at Memorial Hermann Ironman Sports Medicine Institute.

Below is an excerpt from the article.

  1. Don't let yourself become thirsty. Sweating often triggers the mechanism in your body to signal thirst. However, in the winter you sweat less due to lower temperatures. If you do feel thirsty, chances are you're already dehydrated. Make it a point to drink before you are thirsty.
  2. Eat fruits and vegetables. The high water content in these foods helps add to your fluid intake. For example, watermelon and strawberries are about 92 percent water; cucumbers and lettuce are 96 percent water.
  3. Consume soup and other salty foods. Not only does soup help to keep you warm, but the sodium content helps your body retain water and prevent dehydration. This technique is best used after exercising.
  4. Drink hot chocolate. When made with milk, hot chocolate is an ideal post-workout drink due to the protein-to-carbohydrate ratio in milk with the added benefit of warmth. The idea of sipping on a hot beverage is often more enticing when it's cold.
  5. Limit alcohol. Consuming alcoholic beverages suppresses anti-diuretic hormone (ADH), reducing the kidney's ability to reabsorb water resulting in more urine production.
  6. Carry a water bottle with you. When you have a bottle of water with you all the time, taking sips will become habitual and your fluid consumption will increase. Just remember, your body is better at absorbing small quantities of water, so it's better to sip on fluids throughout the day than to chug a lot of water at one time.

Watch the video segment and read the article on the ABC 13 website