Weigh yourself naked before exercising, and again, naked, on cessation. We suggest a minimum period of one hour for this test. To obtain your sweat rate, deduct finishing weight from starting weight, add ounces of fluid drunk and deduct ounces of urine passed (so you can see it might be a good idea not to pee during the test as, if you do, you will have to collect your urine and measure it).

If you exercised for an hour, this is your hourly sweat rate. If you exercised for more than an hour, then correct the calculated weight to an hourly value.

We strongly suggest that if you are a Multisport athlete that you check sweat rate for all the sports you participate in. Your sweat rate while swimming will be significant, but typically less than you experience while running and cycling  roughly one-third and one-half respectively  although this will vary with water temperature and whether you are wearing a wetsuit.

You should generally try to rehydrate at, or slightly below your calculated sweat rates. You should NOT rehydrate above your calculated sweat rates. For more information request a copy of the Masters Athletic Performance advanced competitive rehydration protocol

Probably not in most cases. Ibuprofen interferes with the production of a hormone called prostaglandin, one of whose functions is to keep the vessels of the kidneys open and maintaining adequate blood flow. Add dehydration – often encountered in a long race or training session, particularly in the heat — to the mix, and the problem is compounded. The possibility of renal (kidney) failure becomes a real possibility. Who wants to have a dialysis machine for their next best friend?

Ibuprofen use may also blunt your recovery after racing or training. Research suggests that ibuprofen use reduces protein synthesis, one of the ways the body repairs muscles after the stress imposed by racing or training.

Other research points to increased gastrointestinal permeability during endurance exercise concurrent with ibuprofen use. This may be one of the reasons that research among runners using ibuprofen at the Western States 100 ultramarathon suggests an increase in some inflammatory markers post-race. In this study, there was little or no difference in reported muscle soreness between ibuprofen users and non-users.

Does this mean ibuprofen should be avoided altogther? Probably not. It¡s an accepted choice for dealing with the aches and pains of daily life. But does it help during a race? Probably not. And can it hurt you? Yes, if you take too much and become dehydrated. For races and hard training sessions, the risks outweigh the questionable benefits, in our opinion.

UPDATE.. As a follow-up to my notes on ibuprofen use, I would like to offer the results of some just-published research.

In an article by Tim Noakes and others (Wharam, Speedy, Noakes, Thompson, Reid and Holtzhausen) entitled NSAID Use Increases The Risk of Developing Hyponatremia during an Ironman Triathlon” in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (Vol. 38, No. 4), the authors concluded (in part): “This study shows that NSAIDs are commonly used in ultraendurance events and that their use is associated with an increased risk of the development of biochemically diagnosed exertional hyponatremia. The effect is likely due to an alteration of renal function.”

Please note that the subjects-participants in the 2004 Ironman New Zealand-were clinically diagnosed with hyponatremia but were asymptomatic. However, NSAID use appears to be a contributory factor to them developing clinically diagnosed hyponatremia based on blood sampling post-race. Just another factor to consider if you were thinking of taking NSAIDs during that next ultraendurance event.

In the general population, one in eight men will be afflicted by osteoporosis in their lifetime. Endurance athletes may be at greater risk and not know it. Allow me to relate a true story about “Jack”, one of my coached athletes, an experienced Masters-age (50s) Ironman triathlete in good shape. I referred Jack to a local sports med physician for a soft tissue injury. The doctor was wise enough to order a DEXA scan of Jack. Turns out Jack had osteopenia, requiring the prescription of Fosamax. Jack was surprised by his diagnosis, but I was not. Of the three sports of triathlon, Jack loved cycling best, but really didn’t like to spend time in the weight room. I suggested that Jack ask his doctor to check his free testosterone. It came in low, again not to my particular surprise, and Jack was prescribed supplemental transdermal testosterone gel to correct the imbalance.

I think we can agree that swimming and cycling aren’t the type of weight bearing activities that encourage the building of bone mass. Indeed, cyclists of both sexes are known to be at greater risk of developing osteopenia. But how about running? Well, that seems to depend on HOW FAR you’re running. More may not promote increased bone mineral density (BMD); although most studies show that moderate running does help. Pushing much past 45-50 miles a week? That seems to be the point of significantly diminished returns, if not unhelpful results.

So what’s going on here for the men? Well, if you’re a “chronically trained endurance athlete” – in which case you probably know who you are – some of the literature suggests that you may have significantly lowered testosterone levels. Masters athletes, whose testosterone levels are on the downward swing anyway, may be particularly affected. The literature is divided on whether testosterone levels Impact BMD, but some certainly suggest that corrected testosterone levels at least halt the decline in BMD, if not encourage improvement.

nother factor is acidosis – how acidic or alkaline your system is. Joe Friel is one of the few mainstream authors to address this issue, which he does in his book “The Paleo Diet for Athletes”. Extended endurance training encourages acidosis (an acidic system) — as does ageing, as some have suggested; something your body will correct by leaching minerals from the bones and nitrogen from your muscles.. So not only is acidosis a bad thing for bones – but for your muscles and recovery from exercise too.

A lack of physical impact in your exercise certainly does not encourage BMD increases. So swimming and biking are out. And if you’re very light – great for speed – running ain’t that great either.

Additionally, and it’s only my speculation, I believe hormonal imbalances, particularly between sex and stress hormones may well turn out to be a contributory factor to reduced BMD in endurance and ultra-endurance athletes.

So what’s to be done? First, if you think you’re at risk, get tested. DEXA bone mass scans and serum free testosterone assays aren’t hard to get (that’s free testosterone – not the more common total testosterone check that really doesn’t impart usable information). Then work with your knowledgeable physician to fix any problems found. Stress hormone tests can be done at home using saliva tests.

Second, check your acid base balance. This you can do with PH papers you can buy at most good health food stores. The fix to an overly-acidic base is mostly dietary. Finally, exercise right. And that means lifting weights.

And when we say lifting weights, we mean heavy weights – that’s what it takes to stimulate BMD. I recommend the “big four” : squat, deadlift, bench press and military press. You probably need to be lifting in the 6-8 rep range, given that you have attained good technique, to really stimulate improved BMD. Or, consider a Finnish study that found weightlifting (that’s Olympic lifts like the clean, snatch and press) and squash racquets (lots of impact!) to best benefit bone health.

Men, you can’t ignore this. Learn something from the women. High blood pressure is called the silent killer. Osteoporosis, which is the result of unchecked osteopenia, should be thus labeled too. Most seniors who fall and break a hip die within a relatively short period. I recently read that men die quicker than women.

Me? I’d just like you to maintain good bone health so you can train, compete, stay fit and enjoy our sports for as long as you want.

Anthony C. “Woofie” Humpage is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and USA Triathlon Certified Coach who specializes in the training of Masters athletes for endurance and ultra-endurance sports. His focus blends performance enhancement with athletic longevity. E-mail: woofie@teamwoofie.com