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Hydration/Dehydration - Tales From the RIDE

Imagine yourself having a great first 2 days on the ride. The 3rd day you start to feel a bit tired and by the end of the day you are in the sports med tent for dehydration. The next day you have to sit out and then find out that a friend of yours ended up in the hospital.

Ask any number of my un-suspecting friends that were taken to the hospital over the last couple of years on the ride – this can happen to you.

As little as 2% Fluid loss (3 lbs for a 150lb person) can lead to a decrease in performance. Six percent can send you to the hospital with an IV in your arm. Water makes up approximately 65% of your body and is responsible for keeping you cool. It has been estimated in some research that as many as 75% of us are slightly chronically dehydrated!

So here are some tips
1) Weigh yourself undressed before and after exercise. It should be the same! It is easy to drop 2-4 lb of water on a hot or hard ride. Remember that is enough to make you slower! If you follow the next day with another ride it is enough to put you in the hospital! For every 1 lb lost you should drink a liter (one large water bottle).
2) Watch your urine: It should be almost clear and without smell. If it is changing then you are dehydrating.
3) Depending on the temperature, your exertion, and your body: You should drink a large bottle of water every 30-45 minutes. Said another way that’s 3-4 glasses for every hour that you workout
4) Pre-hydrate as tolerated. Some literature suggests as much as (get this) 2 glasses for every 20 lb of body weight. Plan on at least 1-2 glasses before a ride.
5) If a ride or workout is over 60-90 minutes then your blood sugar (Glucose) and sometimes your electrolytes (potassium and sodium) diminish. What does this mean? In the case of glucose depletion you can expect diminished performance because of decreasing muscle fuel stores. With diminished electrolytes you can expect cramps building to an IV in your arm.

So you need to be ingesting a carbohydrate / electrolyte replacement drink on your rides / workouts longer than 60-90 minutes. I like Gatorade, Cytomax, EnduroRx 4 – EnduroRx 4 because of the protein it contains.

So Get Drinking!










Quicksearch: Hydration/Dehydration - Tales From the RIDE Imagine yourself having a great first 2 days on the ride. The 3rd day you start to feel a bit tired and by the end of the day you are in the sports med tent for dehydration. The next day you have to sit out and then find out that a friend of yours ended up in the hospital. Ask any number of my un-suspecting friends that were taken to the hospital over the last couple of years on the ride – this can happen to you. As little as 2% Fluid loss (3 lbs for a 150lb person) can lead to a decrease in performance. Six percent can send you to the hospital with an IV in your arm. Water makes up approximately 65% of your body and is responsible for keeping you cool. It has been estimated in some research that as many as 75% of us are slightly chronically dehydrated! So here are some tips 1) Weigh yourself undressed before and after exercise. It should be the same! It is easy to drop 2-4 lb of water on a hot or hard ride. Remember that is enough to make you slower! If you follow the next day with another ride it is enough to put you in the hospital! For every 1 lb lost you should drink a liter (one large water bottle). 2) Watch your urine: It should be almost clear and without smell. If it is changing then you are dehydrating. 3) Depending on the temperature, your exertion, and your body: You should drink a large bottle of water every 30-45 minutes. Said another way that’s 3-4 glasses for every hour that you workout 4) Pre-hydrate as tolerated. Some literature suggests as much as (get this) 2 glasses for every 20 lb of body weight. Plan on at least 1-2 glasses before a ride. 5) If a ride or workout is over 60-90 minutes then your blood sugar (Glucose) and sometimes your electrolytes (potassium and sodium) diminish. What does this mean? In the case of glucose depletion you can expect diminished performance because of decreasing muscle fuel stores. With diminished electrolytes you can expect cramps building to an IV in your arm. So you need to be ingesting a carbohydrate / electrolyte replacement drink on your rides / workouts longer than 60-90 minutes. I like Gatorade, Cytomax, EnduroRx 4 – EnduroRx 4 because of the protein it contains. So Get Drinking!