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Hand and arm swelling during Half Marathon

Jacklyn MooreJacklyn Moore
in General Training Discussions

Well howdy everyone! Did my first stand alone half mary this past weekend. Had a great time but had a problem. Around mile 11 my hands started to swell so bad that my ring was hurting. I could barely move my fingers. I had to loosen my watch band too. I think the swelling was total body because I was getting pin pricks all over but more noticeable in my hands.The swelling resolved shortly after finishing the race. With out nutritional intake. Here's the nutrition that I took in.

Pre race: plain bagel with peanut butter and honey and 20 oz of GE, 1/2 cup of black coffee. Breakfast of champions!

During: 2 Gu gels, @ 40 oz of plain gatorade, @ 6oz of plain water. It was cool so I did not supplement the low sodium content with base salt. Pee'd once. Good sweat volume but sweat was really gritty.

 I commonly had this problem last year when I was using skratch instead of GE. I haven't had this problem in training since I switched with the 2016 OS. I didn't have a swelling problem in my 10 mile runs but I was only drinking GE and GU. 

I can't figure this out. Am I taking in too much sodium with to little fluid volume? There by causing a third spacing to dilute the sodium. Kind of like when you eat potato chips and your hands swell.  Or is it the exact opposite? To little sodium to hold the fluid in circulation. 

If anyone has any insight I am in your debt for your time. I have to figure this out so I know what to do if it starts. Take salt or drink water. THANK YOU.

Comments

  • Robert SaboRobert Sabo
    How long were you on the course? How do you know those fluid numbers? Also do you train with Gatorade or Gatorade endurance?
  • rlh2000rlh2000
    I would guess too much fluid on a cool day? Were you drinking to thirst or forcing the liquid in?
  • Jacklyn MooreJacklyn Moore

    I was on the course 2 1/2 hours. I was drinking to thirst. They were handing out full bottles of plain gatorade. Easy math. I train with GE. I didn't want to use my camel bak for the run. I took base salt with me but underestimated my need for replacement d/t the cool weather. I have never used course nutrition because it is usually Hammer or Heed. 

    Of course I posted this before Coach P. got back to me. He gave me an article to read.  http://bit.ly/1TIPO8t

    I have been struggling with the problem for awhile. 

    Thank you for your time.

     

  • Shaughn SimmonsShaughn Simmons

    With the swelling issue it is most likely too much sodium.

    How to determine how much sodium one needs?

    First is to do a sweat test (defined in the wiki) to determine how much sweat you lose per hour under similar race conditions.  Why?

    Because sodium loss for events more than 3 hours is correlated to how much sweat you lose/hour.

    This can vary depending on the size, age, gender of the individual.  Additionally, 70 degrees and 30% humidity is very different from 90 degrees and 80% humidity (Houston, Texas).  As the outside heat index rises closer and closer to your body temperature, it becomes exceedingly more difficult for your body to cool itself and it will try to compensate by pushing more sweat through your pores.

    The amount of sodium in sweat averages about 500 mg sodium/lb sweat (and ranges from 220 to 1,100 mg) If you lose two pounds of sweat per hour for four hours of intense biking, running, swimming etc., your sodium losses become significant (4,000 mg). 

    In my case, I am tall, weigh ~178 lbs and lose about 55 ounces of sweat (water weight)/hr @ 80 Degrees and 60% humidity.  During a Full IM, I know I need to ingest 1,500 - 1,800 mg/sodium per hour during bike and forward or otherwise pay the price during the run leg of that long event.

    The sweat test tells me both how much fluid I need/hr (to avoid hyponatremia) and how much sodium I require.

    Hope this is helpful.....

    SS



  • Jacklyn MooreJacklyn Moore

    Thanks SS! You have me crunching numbers before I have even had a cup of coffee! Why do you think it is to much sodium?

    I haven't sweat tested in awhile. Today is going to be a hot one. I think I will test today. What the heck. Last year I struggled with the swelling issue thinking I wasn't getting enough sodium ( Coach P. theory). This year I have cut back and have removed some of the nutritional moving parts. It has helped. My sweat tests last year showed me to be a light sweater less than a pound an hour. I have cut back to about 500mg of sodium an hour. I have managed to double my range. Now it's 9-10 miles instead of 3-5. 

    Coach P. gave me an article this week.  http://bit.ly/1TIPO8t about hand swelling. I know nutrition is an art. Not a science. I wonder what you think of this article. 

    I hope you have a great day. Thank you again.

    ~ Jacklyn

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