Carbo drinks & peeing

dsoutar

This may just be a coincidence but at the weekend I've moved up to 100km rides from 50km. As I'm starting to feel like I'm running out of energy at 50km I thought I'd do the proper thing and put some carbo powder (PSP) in my water bottles (2 x 750ml) as I normally just have weak squash. Well I went out both days at the weekend and after about 40km round I needed to have a pee (and I mean needed, I wouldn't have got home) and about 30km later needed another one !

Is there a connection with the use of carbo drinks ? I've never had to get off the bike before in such a short distance. I don't have caffeine before I leave the house but do try to make sure I'm hydrated but probably only have half a litre of fluid maximum before I leave.

Some more info that may or may not be relevant. I'm 50, about a stone overweight and have been riding for quite a few years now. I went out in the morning when it was quite cool at the weekend so I wasn't sweating too much (in fact I was a little too cool to be honest). I do the 50km loop in about 1:45 so not too sporty.

Only reason I'm asking is that it's a pain in the butt (or the bladder in this instance)

Pseudonym

1.5 litres is a lot of fluids for 60 miles, especially at this time of year - by way of a comparison, I would probably drink half that on a 60 miler. I wouldn't bother with the carb powder - just take proper food with you instead. As far as I'm aware, there is no connection with using carb drinks and needing to pee more - it's more likely that you are simply drinking too much.

Herbsman

I agree with the above. Sports drink marketing wants us to obsess about hydration and drink as much of their product as possible... truth (actually, opinion) is that you just need to drink to thirst and you'll be fine.

GiantMike

As above.

Yesterday I rode 54 miles on 600ml. Mid summer this may go up to 1l.

Bordersroadie

Better to pee too much than too little. I'd worry a lot more if I had dark yellow pee or just didn't need to go.

I did a 70 yesterday and drank 1.5lt on the ride with 0.5lt beforehand. It was about right. I had two pee-breaks on the road. I'm paranoid about getting under-hydrated, especially when I'm pushing myself - it gives me bad headaches which I can almost always avoid by being well hydrated.

You have to drink a huge amount before it's actually disadvantageous. It's pretty easy for me, mind, as almost every mile around here is pretty much on deserted rural roads, with plenty of hedges and bushes!

By the way I'm 48, similar to the OP. I use one bottle with water and one with a weakish carbo drink.

jibberjim

If you're using the same fluid for your hydration and calories though, then drinking to thirst falls down, as you're forced to "drink" to hunger aswell. Which is why you can end up drinking too much. Have a seperate food supply (gels, cake, biscuits, fruit, whatever)

pbt150

Isotonic (or hypotonic) sports drinks are absorbed more quickly by the digestive system than pure H2O. If you're drinking the same amount of 6% PSP drink as squash, this could explain your sudden need to pee.

(OR it wasn't as warm, or you were wearing fewer layers, or you were better hydrated when you started...)

RideOnTime

jibberjim wrote:

If you're using the same fluid for your hydration and calories though, then drinking to thirst falls down, as you're forced to "drink" to hunger aswell. Which is why you can end up drinking too much. Have a seperate food supply (gels, cake, biscuits, fruit, whatever)

+1

dsoutar

Thanks for all the responses and whilst I sort of agree and understand some of the sentiment, what I failed to highlight in the original post is that if I go out for 100km I take two bottles but rarely need a pee during my ride. The point I was trying make was that this peeing thing only arose when I'd put carbo powder in one of the bottles. I'm away this weekend so no long rides but I'll try going out a couple of more times with carbs in a bottle. Two occurences hardly counts as a thorough scientific test so it may have just been a completely random thing. I usually take banana / malt loaf / some kind of bar as I find the carb drinks are sticky as there's inevitably some amount of spillage. However because I'm not great at cycling no-handed any snacking (apart from bananas) means stopping whereas of course if it's in a drink that's not a problem.

Pokerface

Whilst I often ride 3-4 hours with 2 bottles of fluid (more so in cooler temps than warmer ones), it's wrong to say you don't 'need' to drink that much on a 60 mile ride.

In reality, you should probably be drinking a 500ml bottle an hour to maximise performance.

Now, most people don't really worry about 'performance' on these types of rides. But despite it being cold outside, you still sweat and if you're just drinking one bottle per 60 miles, you're coming home (slightly) dehydrated.

It's not the end of the world, but you should be aware that good hydration takes a lot of work and you often have to force yourself to drink regularly. You can't 'just drink to thirst' as thirst won't kick in until well after you've started to get dehydrated.

I had my worst ever bout of dehydration in the depths of winter - probably because I was fooled into thinking I wasn't thirsty and the cold hid a lot of my sweat.

jeremybarker

I can easily use two full bike bottles on a 40 miles ride and never have the need to pee.

I generally put this down to being over weight and unfit though, I'm probably sweating it faster than i can get it in.