Drinking water while running: All about ‘85% hyper sweating rule’

Fitness expert Shivender Pratap Singh Kanwar shared his hydration strategy in a YouTube video called "The 85% hyper sweating rule." He drinks 250–300 ml of water every five kilometres while running, often accompanied by gels for carbohydrates and electrolytes. Kanwar carries a litre of water in his vest for a 20-kilometre run, aiming to keep his running efficiency up.

However, hydration needs vary from person to person, according to Dr Gazanfar Patel, a sports medicine specialist. Patel emphasizes that hydration needs are not based on a fixed formula but should be personalized, taking into account factors like running pace, body size, fitness level, temperature, and humidity. While drinking water does not reduce sweating, it helps maintain running efficiency.

The amount of water needed depends on individual sweat loss, with two runners of the same fitness completing the same distance potentially losing different amounts of fluid. Electrolytes become crucial for runs longer than 60-90 minutes, in hot weather, or when sweating heavily, particularly for sodium replacement.