nutrition

Disclaimer: I received SIS Hydro Tablets to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews!

I don’t remember it being this hot last year! Here in Colorado, we have been blasted with a few close-to-100 days this summer already and we’re just now getting into the traditionally hottest time of the year.

Maybe I wasn’t outside as much last year, but I definitely wasn’t running this time last year. This time last year I was 8-9 months pregnant at the beginning of summer and home with a newborn at the end of the summer.

This year, I have been very aware of the summer heat, especially while running. We have been allowed to start practicing with our Cross Country team again (with regulations/restrictions in place due to COVID) and I had to get acclimated to the heat quickly. Right now we’re running in the morning, which is bearable, but soon, we’ll have to shift practices to the afternoon and I’ll need to be even more cognizant of my hydration.

When it comes to hydration for me, I try to be pretty good with drinking water all day long, especially on days BEFORE we have practice. When going out for a run, the water you drink right before is not what hydrates you during the run; it’s more about the day before’s water intake; ironically something we’re constantly trying to teach our cross country kiddos and has come up pretty recently!

running, summertime, science in sport hydro tablets

My go-to summer bag…sunscreen, water, sandals and now SiS Hydro Tablets

When it gets extra hot, my normal water intake is just not quick enough and I need a little extra oomph in the nutrient replenishment department. In the past, I’ve tried all sorts of hydration/electrolyte replacement beverages. I had not actually heard of Science In Sport (SiS) until now and I was very excited to try something new.

When it comes to hydration or electrolyte replacement drinks, there are two things the product for sure has to meet:

Has to taste good!
Does what it’s supposed to (re-hydrate me or keep my hydrated during a workout)

Yeah, I’m not high maintenance.

Sis Hydro tablets definitely meet my two qualifications.

I received a four-pack that included Pineapple/Mango, Lemon, and Cola flavors. The Cola tabs also have caffeine. The first one I tried was the pineapple/mango and I was pleasantly surprised! They were really good! I used them after a run on a specifically hot day and felt pretty refreshed! I then started making some and drinking half my water bottle per-run and saving the rest for after.

The Lemon is my favorite flavor. I don’t particularly like the taste of the Cola one but like that it contains caffeine which makes it perfect for before a long run. A lot of the other BibRace pros liked that they weren’t fizzy. When you first drop the tablets in, they fizz until they dissolve. I personally can go either way. I bet having fizz with the Cola one might make that one better!

If you’re looking for a new hydration/electrolyte sources, these are definitely worth a try! The taste good, do what they’re supposed to, and they are reasonably priced (a little bit cheaper compared to similar products).

I mean, they must be good, because Ben has used most of mine! 😉

Get Some For Yourself!

A pack of four (80 tablets) is $39.00 (or $11 for one tube of 20 tablets). Use coupon code BIBRAVE20 for 20% off the hydro tablets.

Coffee and running…does it mix?? So, I’m definitely NOT a morning person….and when I say this…just be lucky you don’t have to be in the same house as me when I wake up. With my weird night work hours, I get to sleep in until whenever I want…basically it saves me the morning grumps because I just wake up when I wake up.

Yesterday, I had to get up BEFORE the sun rose! To say I was not happy about this is a huge understatement. But, I’m a nice person and I took a friend to the airport. So, in order for me to not crash the car, I got a cup of coffee from Starbucks (yes, something girly and sugary because I don’t actually like the taste of coffee) so I bought some double shot, skinny, latte, mocha or something, bullshit… and a blueberry muffin, cause those are delicious!

I dropped my friend off at the aueropuerte and headed back home; since I had time to spare before my afternoon plans and since I was up bright and early, I went for a long run; but I got to thinking while I was running….Is coffee actually good for runners? I know A LOT of people drink it every morning to get their day started, but I was wondering if my fellow runners do. Like I said before, I don’t have to worry about getting a jump-start when I wake up because I’m pretty awake when I get out of bed at noon (hahaha, yes, sometimes I do sleep till noon).

What I know about coffee from the gallons I used to drink in college to make it through my senior year is that it severely dehydrated me because of the diuretic effect, which would be obviously bad for long runs. Also, it raises the heart rate…again, bad. Maybe if coffee was a regular thing for me, neither of these things would happen. But coffee also umm..*cough* makes you have to poop and pee! (What am I saying…girls don’t poop) I don’t want to be only a mile into my 10 mile run holding my bladder!

What about the scientific facts… coffee has a high amount of antioxidants which has been shown to reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Studies has also shown that coffee has been linked to aiding to fat metabolism and easing post-workout pain. Also, I read that it can reduce the risk for skin cancer, depression and even Alzheimer’s. Caffeine wakes up the mind, giving you the boost/energy you need for running.

That sounds awesome! But, I kept reading…as little as two cups of joe can decrease the blood flow to the heart limiting the oxygen your heart sees. This could be bad for aerobic exercise (duh!) since well, aerobic means using oxygen and well, you need that for running….

During my caffeinated ~~research~~ run yesterday morning, I had a good 2 hours after my coffee consumption to, erm, clear my system…so I didn’t run into any problems there. Also, if you remember from my last post, I’ve been having a hard time finding my energy to run…I made it 7 miles, non stop!! My heart felt fine, and my mind felt great. So who knows – but since my degree from college was in the sciences, I am aware that the scientific method for my “experiment” had a lot of errors…

Fellow runners, do you use coffee for your runs?? Or only when you run in the morning?