Certainly it is not ideal to drink nine shots of Jagermeister and/or a couple of bottles of wine in one sitting, but we are all human, right? Running with a hangover is not for the faint of heart. Dehydration, fatigue and nausea can get the best of any of us. Here are some tips to manage your hangover so you can log your miles after even the rowdiest of nights:
- Chug the night before. If you know you have overdone it, start drinking water before you go to bed. Tissues around the brain are mostly made of water, and dehydration will shrink these tissues, creating pressure in the head. The more water you drink, the more you can expand these tissues and ward off a killer headache. Water can also help to flush the alcohol out of your system.
- Do it anyway. Despite the fact that there is not one cell of your weary body that wants to run, make it happen. Sweat out the toxins, baby! Oxygen helps speed up the breaking down of alcohol toxins, so get outside. Running may even release some endorphins to boost your crappy why-the-hell-did-I-do-that mood.
- Coffee. This is the jumpstart for your body’s battery. Get a little caffeine in your system to take an edge off that headache and to get your blood pumping. Coffee can make dehydration worse for some runners because it is a diuretic. Be aware of this.
- Pop a pill. Drinking depletes the body of many vitamins, especially B12. Taking a multivitamin in the morning can help replace lost nutrients.
- Poop. Try to clean the pipes beforehand. This will hopefully cut down on gastrointestinal distress while running. While running, fart and burp as much as possible. Get it out. Remember to bring toilet paper. Just in case.
- Drink Nuun. Replacing some electrolytes and fluids is a good idea. I love Nuun because it is fizzy and not too sweet. Regardless if it’s Nuun or not, hydrate well before you even start.
- One word — eggs. Eggs contain taurine, which has been shown to reverse liver damage caused by a night of debauchery.
What is not recommended? Hair of the dog. Drinking alcohol on top of a hangover will dehydrate you further.
Any tips on how to make your hangover run less torturous?