Running with Jack

So what’s the big mystery about checking urine? It’s all in the color man!

Yellow:

As many of you may already know, if you have a very light yellow, almost clear, urine that’s good, it means you are drinking enough fluids. I dark yellow urine normally means you need to start downing fluids. If you have a bright yellow urine you have to first decide if you recently have taken some B vitamins, or eaten something rich in B vitamins, as this will turn the urine bright yellow.

Dark or reddish:

Dark or reddish urine may be a symptom of the rupture of small blood vessels in the bladder (or, less commonly, the kidney) as a result of the jarring motion of running. Don’t panic right away, think about what you ate in the last couple meals, red beets will result in the same reddish urine. Blood in the urine, or Runner’s Hematuria, can often be prevented by running with a small amount of urine in the bladder (that is, don’t “go” right before you run). This helps separates the bladder walls and prevents contusion. Also avoid using high does of aspirin or other anti-inflammatory drugs, as these medications have a blood-thinning effect and may exacerbate your problem. In any case if you are experiencing prolonged blood in the urine you should be evaluated by a sport-oriented physician.

This information was derived from various articles from Runners World magazine. For more information go to www.runnersworld.com and search "urine".