Starting to think I dont drink enough during riding

Raffles

Went out tonight for a solo ride and covered 45 miles, the trip had its fair share of inclines and it took me 2.5 hours to complete. Before I set off, I grabbed 800ml of flat lucozade and never noticed any strength issues within about 90 mins on the bike. The homeward leg had a fair share of bits where the road turned around bends which went uphill at the same time and it was obvious that both my thighs were starting to feel heavy and cumbersome. I wonder did I compromise the ride by not hydrating sufficiently and had I done so, perhaps I would have finished stronger. What do you think ? I ate well before I headed out , so there is no issue concerning that aspect.

ALaPlage

How hydrated were you before you started? I guess everyone is different and for me a 750ml bottle of SiS Go is sufficient up to around 50 miles although in higher temperatures I can get into the start of a second bottle.

A friend of my sons who has done some sports science degree told me that most people don't consider their hydration during the day or before exercise and only when undertaking exercise. So perhaps that may be something to consider.

team47b

If it's straw drink more! If it's clear, you're hydrated.

But then again 800ml of lucozade and pith do look exactly the same, can't vouch for flavour though :shock:

monkeydan

I definitely don't drink enough during riding. During my recent tour of the Netherlands I only managed 4 or 5 beers between Amsterdam and Rotterdam!!

Calpol

This sort of question has come up a couple of times recently. Once in relation to eating and the other hydration. I too am interested in anything I can learn about the best fueling process as I have suffered similar symptoms towards the end of all my longer rides. In the last 4 weeks I have managed three 40+ mile rides interspersed with some shorter ones during the week. On all my longer stints I have found the last 5-7 miles a bit of a struggle. To be honest I havent really considered this to be an issue with fuel but more one of endurance/stamina which takes time to develop.

normally I am eating a decent bowl of porridge pre-ride, drinking c1.5l in the duration of the ride (c2hrs 45 ish) and maybe a banana or a clif bar half way through. Could it not be that no matter how much fuel you take in that if your base stamina is still relatively low then you will tire and slow until your body gets used to the increased distance/time in the saddle.

ShutUpLegs

monkeydan wrote:

I definitely don't drink enough during riding. During my recent tour of the Netherlands I only managed 4 or 5 beers between Amsterdam and Rotterdam!!

Some better route planning needed

racingcondor

Unfortunately it's impossible to say from your original post. I'd be happy doing 45 miles on one large bottle as long as it wasn't really hot (so no danger of that then...) but a lot will depend on your fitness.

Is 45 miles a long ride for you? If it is then I suspect you would have been better off taking more to drink (and something to eat) but there are a lot of factors that can influence how you feel on a ride (sleep, oncoming illness, your last meal, a big change in temperature to name a few).

A short answer though would be that for a 40-50 mile ride I would suggest taking 2 bottles and a bananna / energy bar. Better to carry it around unnecessarily than to need it an not have it.

oldwelshman

racingcondor wrote:

Unfortunately it's impossible to say from your original post. I'd be happy doing 45 miles on one large bottle as long as it wasn't really hot (so no danger of that then...) but a lot will depend on your fitness.

Is 45 miles a long ride for you? If it is then I suspect you would have been better off taking more to drink (and something to eat) but there are a lot of factors that can influence how you feel on a ride (sleep, oncoming illness, your last meal, a big change in temperature to name a few).

A short answer though would be that for a 40-50 mile ride I would suggest taking 2 bottles and a bananna / energy bar. Better to carry it around unnecessarily than to need it an not have it.

+1.
depends on your fitness and if you were working harder than usual. Doubt if the burning of thighs was anything to do with hydration, more to do with the effort.
This time of year one bottle is enough for me also up to 50 miles, even for races, though I usuall put two on just in case, usua;;y empty one mile or two from finish.
I do eat after 20 miles in a race though so maybe more to do with eating than hysration.

Penfold06

- Weigh yourself naked before you set off
- note the amount you eat and drink when you are on the bike
- before showering etc weigh yourself agin naked
- work out the difference in weight
- add the weight of food and drink to your total loss of weight
- if you had any pee stops on your ride estimate them
- divide the toal loss of weight by hours in the saddle

Thats your hourly loss of water, drink as close to that as you can. Never be more than 2-3% down in mass.

As for checking your wee, certain vitamins etc found in bars gels supplements can change the colour of it so it's not always an accuracte indicator.

team47b

Penfold06 wrote:

- As for checking your wee, certain vitamins etc found in bars gels supplements can change the colour of it so it's not always an accuracte indicator.

Good point.

Especially if you are on the beetroot diet :shock:

rozzer32

The general rule is about 500ml of fluid per hour on the bike.

McBoom

Despite what you'd think upon opening any sporting magazine, neither hydration nor electrolyte levels have really been proven to cause muscle cramps(in specific muscles) during exercise. They will cause full-body cramps but that's a different proposition to your thighs starting to cramp on a bike ride, you'll feel like shit all over.

The likely reason is that you are approaching the limit of what your legs are capable of, fitness wise, to which the solution is simply to ride more and get stronger. Lower gear/higher cadence should also help as will stopping for a couple of mins to stretch.

Anonymous

I've always been told in most sports (played football when younger) to eat before hungry and drink before thirsty. A mantra I have stuck to in cycling and have been told by many people in the sport.

Bordersroadie

rozzer32 wrote:

The general rule is about 500ml of fluid per hour on the bike.

This the guideline I work to and riding "quite hard" it works out hydrating me nicely, with fairly clear pee on a fairly regular basis (the best quick measure of your level of hydration). No difference summer or winter.

I agree with the "hydrate well before your ride" advice too. I make sure I'm peeing clear before I leave. Sorry for the detail but it really is the best visual check of your hydration, cycling or not.

Bozman

On Sunday i did just over 100 miles and used about 500ml of water and 600ml of electrolyte, Tuesday i did 40 miles and used about 500ml of water. I always make sure that i'm well hydrated ride or no ride, but if you get up at 7am and go out at 8am like i did on Sunday, there's not alot you can do on the day.
I just have little and often and mix it with a small piece of flapjack, we're all different and we'll all have own way of fueling for a ride, you've just got to find the right way.
God knows how you can get through 500ml of fluid an hour, carrying or stopping would be one hell of an issue.

apreading

racingcondor wrote:

Unfortunately it's impossible to say from your original post. I'd be happy doing 45 miles on one large bottle as long as it wasn't really hot (so no danger of that then...) but a lot will depend on your fitness.

Me too - although I am not necessarily the fittest and have always been like this in terms of drinking - even when I was 3 stone heavier.

I usually come back from up to 30 mile rides with plenty of drink left. On a 50 mile ride I will happily set off with one 750ml bottle. Although I would then also be having a couple of high5 gels which are really runny and contain some liquid.

I just drink when I feel thirsty. I am quite sure I drink less then the guidelines, but then I pee less often than most other people too (in normal life, not just when cycling), so maybe my body just retains fluid more than most. I dont feel that my performance is hindered by lack of fluid, otherwise I would make sure to drink more.

I think comparing with others and reading rules is not really helpful - your body tells you if you are getting it right and you just need to learn to listen to it and understand what it is saying.