During Dr. Stacy Sims’ “Women Are Not Small Men” Beta Course we learned that hydration needs are also impacted by the hormonal perturbations of the menstrual cycle.

In the luteal (high hormone) phase, women will have a higher sweat rate and lose more sodium as a result of increased progesterone. Progesterone increases core body temperature and interferes with the action of aldosterone. Aldosterone is responsible for sodium resorption in the body so higher progesterone means more sodium losses. Knowing your cycle is key to periodizing hydration. And even if you don’t have a period, you can still dial in your individualized hydration needs.

Grab some inexpensive over-the-counter urine test strips that measure Urine Specific Gravity (or SG) and monitor hydration levels upon waking and before, during, and after training. Additionally, you can use the urine test strips to determine the effectiveness of a specific hydration intervention e.g. you want to add Nuun Endurance in your training and racing and see the effects/improvements in hydration.