Stay hydrated

Hydration is one of the key things during the winter months. A lot of people immediately associate hydration with summer – hot weather and increased sweat rates – but they don’t realise that in winter your sweat rate will continue to be high, but that sweat might be on a jersey or base layer, and under a jacket, rather than running down your forehead.

You should aim for similar rates of fluid intake as the summer – 500ml-1,00ml of fluid per hour – but the exact amount will depend on your own sweat rate and also the temperature outside.

I would recommend a carbohydrate and electrolyte drink. Again, many people associate an electrolyte drink with the summer months but if you’re continuing to sweat, then you will continue to lose electrolytes. If you have a carbohydrate and electrolyte drink then it kills two birds with one stone.

When it’s cold we have a raised urine output and that actually blunts the thirst response, so you may not feel quite as thirsty in the cold, which is why you have to make that conscious effort to drink regularly.