By Madison Osburn RDN LD
Flexible Nutrition LLC
Summer running is great for so many reasons — there’s more daylight, you don’t have to plan out multiple layers, and the sunshine infuses even more joy on top of our runner’s highs. However, summer also brings unique challenges for runners; elevated temps make it much easier to become dehydrated, and the strain on our gastrointestinal system can exacerbate appetite suppression after training. Dehydration and poor recovery can really mess with your summer training. Lucky for you, I am sharing today how you can avoid dehydration and how to handle post-run appetite suppression. Hi! I am Maddi Osburn, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and runner who works primarily with athletes, particularly runners, on how to best fuel their bodies for joy and PR’s!
Hydration has got to be one of your top priorities! The hotter temps make becoming dehydrated much, much easier. Even a 2% loss in body weight from dehydration can noticeably impact performance and how you feel on the run. If you’ve been accustomed to just drinking to thirst throughout the day during winter/spring weather, I encourage you to rethink that strategy for the summer. Once you are dehydrated, it is hard to “catch up.” Here is how I recommend you stay well hydrated.
Think about hydrating consistently from the time you wake up until you go to bed, not just around or during workouts!
A good starting point for daily fluid intake is approximately:
- 2,700 mL/day for females
- 3,200 mL/day for males
Fluid includes water (of course), but can also include milk, 100% fruit juice, smoothies, moderate amounts of coffee/tea, sparkling waters, and also from food. Fruits and vegetables have a particularly high water content — so eat your fruits and veggies, folks!
From there, individualize based on your training, environment, and personal needs. Hydration needs vary significantly from person to person and are influenced by factors like sweat rate, heat tolerance, and genetics. The above is a starting point because many runners need more than this during the summer.
One of the best ways to personalize your hydration plan is through monitoring your urine (your goal is a light beige color) or by determining your sweat rate — the amount of fluid you lose per hour of exercise. It’s easier than you might think. The Gatorade Sports Science Institute Sweat Rate Calculator is a great free tool to help estimate this.
To calculate your sweat rate:
- Weigh yourself before and after a one-hour run.
- Track how much fluid you consumed during the workout.
- Enter the information into the calculator.
I recommend testing this in a few different conditions — such as a treadmill run, a cooler outdoor run, and a hot outdoor run — to see how your sweat rate changes with temperature and humidity.
Once you know your sweat rate, you can experiment to determine how much fluid you need per hour to avoid losing more than 2% of your body weight during training. A good starting point is replacing about 80% of your hourly fluid losses.
For example:
- If your sweat rate is 1,000 mL/hour, aim to drink around 800 mL/hour during longer runs.
Electrolytes are another key piece of summer hydration, particularly sodium, because it’s the primary electrolyte lost through sweat. The general health recommendation of 2,300 mg sodium per day generally does not apply to most serious runners, especially those training for longer distances like the half marathon or marathon.
For runs lasting longer than an hour — or intense workouts lasting 45 minutes or more — I recommend incorporating electrolytes in addition to water. A general guideline is:
- 300-600 mg sodium per hour of training
You may also benefit from an electrolyte drink before or after runs if you’re consistently finishing workouts feeling dehydrated.
Some electrolyte products I commonly recommend include:
- Skratch Labs
- Re-lyte
- Liquid I.V.
- LMNT
- Drip Drop
You can also support electrolyte intake through foods naturally high in sodium, such as pretzels, chips, dairy products, pickles, and soy sauce.
Another common challenge during summer training is post-run appetite suppression. Heat, elevated heart rate, and fluid loss can all disrupt gastrointestinal function and blunt hunger cues. While this is completely normal, it does not mean recovery nutrition should be skipped.
Underfueling after runs can negatively affect your recovery, your next workout, and your overall summer training consistency.
Instead of forcing a large meal immediately after exercise, focus on getting something in within about two hours post-run. Many athletes believe recovery nutrition must happen immediately after finishing a workout, but current research suggests the recovery window is much larger than previously thought.
Of course, earlier is generally better — but don’t panic if you aren’t hungry the second you stop your watch.
At minimum, your post-run recovery should include:
- Carbohydrates
- Protein
- Fluids
Foods that are often easier to tolerate in the heat include:
- Fruit smoothies with protein powder or yogurt
- Chocolate milk
- Yogurt with fruit and granola
- Frozen yogurt bars or fruit bars
- Sports drinks paired with easy-to-digest snacks
Many runners also find that starting with fluids and salty snacks — like pretzels, popcorn, or a granola bar — can help stimulate appetite and make it easier to eat a more substantial meal later.
The goal during summer training is not perfection — it’s consistency. Staying proactive with hydration, electrolytes, and recovery nutrition can make a major difference in how you feel, perform, and recover throughout the season.
Maddi Osburn RDN LD
Mom, Runner, Registered Dietitian, Owner of Flexible Nutrition LLC
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