Hey guys…We hope that you are riding a lot this summer. We certainly have been! And the mercury has been in the 90’s by us! So that has gotten us thinking about staying hydrated. How much should we be drinking on our rides?
You have probably read articles about this. The vast majority of people don’t drink enough. Recent studies indicate that a woman should drink at least 2.7 liters a day and a man should drink 3.7 liters a day. Water, that is! Even just drinking two liters a day would be better than what most people drink. Not drinking enough affects one’s energy levels throughout the day.
When you exercise, you need to drink more to make up for the loss due to sweating. The hotter the weather, the more you should drink. You should also start drinking before you begin your ride. As a rule of thumb, a 150 lb person should drink at least a half liter of water within two hours of riding. During the ride, the same person should drink at least one half liter each hour during cooler weather. If you are exerting yourself or the weather is hot, then one to two liters per hour, is appropriate.
This does seem like a lot and would certainly send us searching for those elusive mid-ride port-a-johns (or good places to bush pee). It is tough to drink that much! We have a few tricks that we have used to increase our fluid intake on rides. Let us know if you have any that work for you.
Set a Goal for Yourself – for example, set a goal to drink at least a full water bottle every ten miles.
Drink Half a Water Bottle at Each Bathroom Break – OK, we know, the more you drink, the more you have to go. But it’s important to stay hydrated on long rides. Drinking when you are stopped is easier than drinking while riding, so take advantage of the time off the bike.
Wear a Hydration Backpack – these make drinking a lot easier during a ride, and therefore, you drink a lot more. We got used to having the packs on our back pretty quickly. As a strange aside, many years ago, we saw a guy fill his Camelbak with a gallon of whole milk at the start of a ride. Gross! We never put anything other than H2O in ours.
Refill Your Water – if you are not carrying enough water at the outset, make sure that you have a plan before you set out to refill your water mid-ride. There is nothing worse than running out of water before you have run out of pavement!
Refill Your Pack with Ice – Gas stations, convenience stores and supermarkets carry ice. An eight pound bag of ice is one gallon of water. These bags are typically about the same price as 20 ounces of cold bottled water. On hot days, we stop before we have run out of water and fill up as much as we can from the ice bag. Having a cold backpack helps keep you cool. Any leftover ice can be used to secretly slip down one another’s jersey.
It Doesn’t Have to Be Water – While it is best to drink water, other drinks – like coffee, juices, and even soda – do help to hydrate. If you are worried about calories, try diluting the drink. And keep in mind that beer can be a great post-ride recovery drink!
Don’t Forget that Fruit Can Be Hydrating – oranges, watermelon, even tomatoes and cucumbers are great as snacks or post-ride treats.
And of course, it is important to drink electrolytes – especially on more strenuous rides or in hot weather. Let us know what your favorite electrolyte drinks are as that will be the topic of our next newsletter.
We’ve been making a concerted effort to drink more on our rides recently and have actually noticed that it really does affect our energy levels – during and after a ride. Give it a try. It might make a difference for you as well. You just have to get over the embarrassment of telling the people you’re riding with that you have to pee again!
How do you stay hydrated?
We hope that this is helpful. We miss everyone and look forward to running tours again!
-Mike and Caren Bianco
| You should be aware of the signs of DEHYDRATION. Signs that you are dehydrated include dark colored urine and severe muscle cramps. If you experience dehydration during a ride, you should stop riding. If you can’t stop because you need to get home, take a really long break and drink more – but not too much right away. Slow down, rest and try to drink no more than one liter an hour. You can also see if you are dehydrated by weighing yourself (in the nude, you know those sweat soaked bike shorts weigh a ton!) before and after a ride. If you weigh less after the ride (after accounting for food eaten), then you should try to drink 16 ounces for every pound you are under when you started. |
References:
“How and When to Hydrate While Cycling – Ride Farther and Faster Without Bonking or — in Extreme Cases — Visiting the Hospital” by Marianne McGinnis; Apr 30, 2010; https://www.bicycling.com/training/a20006994/nutrition-0/
“Cyclists and Hydration – Improve Your Performance” by Jiri Kaloc; September 6, 2017 https://www.welovecycling.com/wide/2017/09/06/cyclists-hydration-improve-performance/
“5 Hydration Mistakes You A Probably Making – Before your next sweltering run, make these small changes to avoid being sidelined” by Natalie Rizzo; June 6, 2017; https://www.runnersworld.com/trail-running/g20856053/5-hydration-mistakes-you-are-probably-making/
“Medical News Today – What happens if you drink too much water?” by Arlene Semeco, MS, RD; May 14, 2020; https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318619
“Water and Cycling: How Much Water Should I Drink?” by Phil Halfords; April 2019; https://blog.halfords.com/water-and-cycling-how-much-water-should-i-drink/
“Everything You Need to Know About Electrolytes” by Adam Felman; November 20, 2017; https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153188