How soon after running should I drink fluids ('refuel')?

You will have to find your own answer. That is because the answer depends on differences between individuals, how hard you work out, and the conditions.

I usually carry water with me whenever I am planning on running more than 4 miles. Factors such as the heat index, the length of my workout, and the intensity of my workout affect how much I will need to drink during the workout. Sometimes I finish a workout with my container empty. If I drink during a workout, it should be generally obvious that it is OK for me to drink just after I finish one.

However, this isn't always true. Running can cause the running muscles to compete with the digestive system for blood supply. This can result in a condition in some people that causes them difficulty in keeping things down after a run. This is more often the case after a hard fast run, such as a 5K race. When this happens, they need to wait before taking food or drink. Sometimes, the reaction is influenced by the content of the drink: Drinking something with sweeteners might be more likely to result in a bad reaction than plain water.

I suggest you drink or wait after a run depending on how you feel. After a while, you will have your own history that will guide you.

I also suggest taking fluids that are room temperature to cool. Avoid hot or cold liquids just after a run.

First of all, you want to avoid dehydration. You drink before, during and after. For every hour you run (depending on temperature and intensity) the average person needs to drink 20oz of liquid. Preferably gatorade or other fluid as it will replace lost electrolytes and carbs.

Prior to running you should not eat much unless it is 3 hours prior to the workout -- unless it's small such as a banana, yogurt or a gel shot. To refuel at the end you could use a "recovery drink". The cheapest and the best I've found is chocolate milk. (Little boxes of ice cold hershey's chocolate milk are very convenient and ambrosia after a workout). The recovery drink should be taken within 30 minutes after the workout -- this reduces the amount of recovery time.

Avoid sodas or drinks with high chemical content.

You should be refueling with 30 minutes!

Wrong. It's never to early to drink. For long runs, you should consider drinking during the run to delay dehydration, and as soon as you can after. Consider drinking 500ml 1 hour before exercise, and 500ml over the hour after exercise. If you want to know how much to drink, weigh yourself without clothes before and after exercise, to see how much weight you lose in water. Also, to make sure you absorb as much water as possible, add salt. Adding salt helps the body to recognise it as having the same composition of blood, helping absord it much quicker. "nuun" tablets are new on the market, and adding one to some water can help you absorb the water much better. Remember, add energy of some form to the drink to help replenish your lost energy during exercise. Look for isotonic drinks, as they contain salt and energy, so you dont have to add your own. But, if you want to make your own drink, use this recipe to make one litre of drink:

*250ml of fruit juice (of your choice)

*750ml of water

*1 large pinch of salt

*3 teaspons of sugar

Good luck with running!

after running and u rest after u think that ur body Temperature and the environment Temperature is kind of matching u can have fluids because otherwise u cach a cold

drink all the time even when ur exercising and after exercising straight away wthout waiting