Lost and lonely in every way
Got the flats all around me, sky up above
I need a little water of love
— Dire Straits
Today it’s totally obvious to any athlete that you need to stay well-hydrated during exercise. This has not always been the case. Marathon runners used to be advised not to drink during races and even as late as the 70s, there were strict rules about when you could take a drink during competition.
These water-deprived athletes and trainers ignored the reaearch of a guy named Edward Adolph who had already discovered the importance of hydration, especially in extreme heat.
On 17 August 1942, seven men set up camp near the isolated desert crossroads of Freda, California. Soon, a squad of soldiers arrived for what seemed a particularly brutal form of training. The troops worked and hiked up to 35 kilometres beneath the merciless sun. Then they did it all over again, periodically submitting to tests to see how their bodies were coping. The goal was to help win the second world war by learning how far a man could be pushed in the baking North African desert. Today the results remain vital for marathon runners, trekkers, and others who exert themselves in scorching heat.
What don’t we do during exercise today that will be deemed clearly mandatory in a few decades? I’m hoping it has to do with sandwiches.
