Hydration -Common Mistakes

One of the common mistakes cyclists make when engaging in cycling training is drinking too much water. We all know the risks of dehydration but over hydration and be just as debilitating and dangerous. It’s easy to assume that you can’t have too much of a good thing but it is extremely important to be moderate in your intake of fluids during your cycle training and racing.

Our bodies are made almost entirely from water. It is essential in carrying the solution of dissolved nutrients that our muscles require through the blood stream, and it carries out the vital role of cooling our body when we heat it up with vigorous exercise.

Anyone who has spent a few hours outside on a hot day can attest to the negative effects of not drinking enough water. In fact losing as little as one percent of the water in your body can result in a decrease in athletic performance. After losing only ten percent you are probably going to fall into a coma with a likelihood of death unless immediate steps are taken.

With this in mind it seems like common sense to drink as much water as possible before and during your training rides even when on an indoor fluid trainer. While it is important to hydrate, most beginning athletes don’t realize that it can be just as dangerous to drink too much water. If you outstrip your body’s ability to process the water you are drinking your body will simply store it in your stomach or tissues. You’re performance will be affected by uncomfortable bloating, which can lead to cramps. If you really overdo it you might develop hyponatremia, where there is so much water that the concentration of nutrients in the blood becomes too low to sustain vital processes. Hyponatremia can lead to serious debilitation, and even death.

Your performance on the bike is closely linked to level of hydration in your body. Electrolytes, minerals that can carry an electric charge, are essential in conveying messages from our central nervous system to our muscles. When you sweat electrolytes are dissolved in the water that you secrete, constantly depleting your supply. If you get dehydrated, regardless of how much electrolytes are available there won’t be enough liquid to transport them where they need to be. Further, if you drink too much water the electrolytes will become too diluted to do any good. If your body’s electrolytes are depleted your muscles will simply cease working, and lock up in an extremely painful cramp.

Be wary to ignore or question any advice on the label of your chosen electrolyte powder or sports drink regarding the amount you should drink per hour. It’s common for the suggested intake to much higher than recommended by health and sports professionals and this could be potential hazardous to your performance and health.

Generally the body can handle about 500 to 750 ml every hour while you are exercising strenuously and it is not excessively hot. You should start drinking water at this rate about two to three hours before exercising, and then drink nothing in the 20 minutes just before you start to allow the water to be absorbed. Throughout the race you should take numerous small drinks, rather just a few big gulps.

Your training will be improved through knowledge, application, development of technique and experience. Having the ability to easily and quickly record the your ride data, including the amount of fluid you drank, will give you vital information for your training. There is bike software and information available on line so you can track your progress and take your riding to the next level.

Coffee, glycogen and you

The benefits post ride coffee have been obvious to anyone who’s been cycling training for a while. Now we have the scientific proof which helps us all justify ending any ride at a cafe.
Recent studies have shown that adding large quantities of caffeine to your post ride meal will improve your glycogen stores by around 66% against just eating a carbo meal post exercise.
If you’re training, on a fluid trainer or on the road,  your recovery is a vital part of maximising your efforts.

However there is evidence to show that a coffee before riding won’t do you much good.

In recent studies it was found that while caffiene delivered in capsules resulted in a marked improvement in endurance ( up to ten times), taking your caffiene in liquid form at your favourite cafe won’t have the same effect. There are many other compounds in a coffee and it appears that some of these block the performance effects of the caffiene.

Also if you’re into creatine it seems a pre-ride caffiene  hit will essentially blunt or completely counteract the effects on any creatine supplimentation. It is wise to remember that caffeine is also a diuretic and causes a loss of fluid, which then leads to a dehydrating effect – so be aware if your heading out for a long one that any caffiene pre-ride may need to be offset with more hydration along the way.