Road Cycling - Drink of choice when riding?

Seeing as how Theakston's Old Peculier wouldn't do me much good on a ride, I tend to take only water along. I'm thinking of taking Gatorade the next time out (if the weather ever breaks). Good idea or not - I've heard that for some it just sits in their stomach and can make them throw up? What do you drink when you ride - does it depend on the type of ride and distance?

I mostly carry just water. I may put a little lemon juice in it. On century rides or when I'm doing day touring I will sometimes carry Gatorade. Sometimes I cut the Gatorade half and half with water.

Water water water.

If you want Gatorade, take a bottle that's half water, half gatorade. It's easier to digest.

Stout! :D

CHEERS.

Mark

Water. Most everything else out there is too sticky and messy.

George

On short rides (under 50 miles) I will just take water. On longer rides, I will fill one bottle with a sportsdrink and the other with water. If I carry a CamelBak, it's filled with water.

1 bottle water, 1 Accelerade.

55/Rad

Depends on the day and temp and ride, but any combination of Accelerade, Gatorade (sometimes diluted), Coke (dilluted and decarbonated) and water.

I take a camelBack full of water and one water bottle of either Accelerade or Cytomax.

If its a short ride(under 10 miles) I just bring water.

Laggard is correct; I also take Gatorade diluted 50/50. Gatorade is just as good as the expensive bike botique drinks. You can also drink V8 diluted 50/50; or Emergen-C found at Walmart, mix one pack per 24 oz. But straight water will not replace the electrolytes your losing while riding-that could cause you problems.

1 bottle of either Lemon/Lime or Orange Accelerade and 1 bottle of water.. I find that the accelerade keeps you going a lot better than Gatorade.

Always Gatorade doesn't matter the length of ride. I don't mix it full strength usually around half strength and I also add a 1/4 tsp of salt substitute with potassium per 26 oz bottle.

I drink water when I'm riding, and when I stop I drink an isotonic drink. Here is an easy recipe for a home made energy drink:


1 teaspoon of salt (I think just table salt)
125ml of orange juice
9 teaspoons of sugar
Enough water to make two litres


That tastes ok, and for long rides over two hours I would take a bottle of that with me along with some water in a camelback.

Nick.

While I love Theakston's Old Peculier, I use Gatorade at 3/4s strenght or a can of non-diet coke or pepsi mixed with water.

H2O.......have yet to do a ride longer that requires something else.....

If it is just a routine ride of under 50 miles, water and another bottle of Blue Frost Gatorade. If it is a more challenging ride, I take a bottle of water and a bottle of Cytomax.

Water on short rides. Gatorade or Gator/water on rides across the state. OH! Have ya'all had Gatorade X Factor? Nummy stuff ;)

Water. Somehow I can't imagine myself drinking 10 litres of gatorade or anything else in a day. I frequenly clear 10 litres of water, in fact, I'm expecting to clear 20 in a day at some point.

Water. Somehow I can't imagine myself drinking 10 litres of gatorade or anything else in a day. I frequenly clear 10 litres of water, in fact, I'm expecting to clear 20 in a day at some point.

You need to join the Potty Forum...
How on earth can you drink that much in a day?
Do you cycle wearing Depends? :D

It depends on the season and the ride.

On most rides, one bottle of water, and one of regular-strength Gatorade (shaken, not stirred).

If I know it's going to be hot, or there's a lot of climbing, two bottles of Gatorade.

On days that aren't hot, or distances under 30 miles, just water.


BTW - On long hard days, it's important to replenish electrolytes (something Gatorade and most other sports drinks do reasonably well). A friend of mine got into difficulty with this on a cross country trip a few years ago. While crossing Missouri on a hot, humid day, he drank lots and lots of plain water. He was well hydrated, but ended up in the emergency room due to hyponatremia (dangerously low levels of sodium).

You need to join the Potty Forum...
How on earth can you drink that much in a day?
Do you cycle wearing Depends? :D

Ahh yes, someone who has never experienced a Queensland summer. Put it this way, if you can get up at 3.30am, and find that the temperature is still/already 32 degrees C, and about 90% humidity, you'll lose a heck of a lot in perspiration, so you don't have much choice! Even in "winter" I'll average 5 litres/day.

As far as "how can I manage it?" Drink a heap before/after the ride, and refill as often as possible during the ride.

Ahh yes, someone who has never experienced a Queensland summer. Put it this way, if you can get up at 3.30am, and find that the temperature is still/already 32 degrees C, and about 90% humidity, you'll lose a heck of a lot in perspiration, so you don't have much choice! Even in "winter" I'll average 5 litres/day.

As far as "how can I manage it?" Drink a heap before/after the ride, and refill as often as possible during the ride.

Ahh, understandable now. :) I am in Ohio, and at this point there is still snow on the ground.. it's about 32 degrees F, so about 0 C, at 4am here. LOL. Needless to say the only comfort I get in drinking water at this point, is in hot cocoa.

I'll do 1 bottle w/water - 1 bottle w/gatorade (not diluted).

One more vote for water and or dilute 50-50 gaterade mostly just water. Full strength gatorade leaves a sticky slime in my mouth and I think it makes me even thurstier (is that a word?). I also notice that I will want to drink the gatorade faster.

Water with a touch of honey works for me!

ON anything longer than an hour you should take a recovery drink. Remember you are not only losing water when you sweat, you are losing essential minerals too. YOu need to put back some carbs too. I like the GU mix drink cause it digests easy, Gatorade is harsh and too sugery , as mentioned you could dilute it.

Make my gatoraid,cheaper to get powder and make it as u like it.

Water with a touch of honey works for me!

I didn't think of that, great idea!

I didn't think of that, great idea!
yea I like that one too I think I'll give it a try...I guess a spoonful per bottle?

1 bottle of either Lemon/Lime or Orange Accelerade and 1 bottle of water.. I find that the accelerade keeps you going a lot better than Gatorade.YEP!
I like my Accelerade wattered down so I put it in both bottles.

from what I understand sports drinks interfere w/ hammer gel and the like is this true?

1 bottle of gatorade (mixed about 1/2 strength from the powder) and 1 bottle of water for me.

I used to use half gatorade half water but now I use Endurox R4 it's supposed to extend endurance by 55% decrease post exercise muscle damage by 36% and increase muscle glcogen levels by 220%. With those numbers I thought I'd give it a shot.I went through one containor.Then i went back to half gatorade half water and I did notice differance I felt much stronger and less lactic acid build up on the Endurox so I went back to it.

Hammer gel, Perpetuom and Sustained energy use different types of carbohydrates from gatorade and other sports drinks (except carb boom which also uses Maltodextrin). The Hammer Gel people specifically warn against not mixing them with drinks based on normal sugar. Sorry about not having the specific vocabulary but It seems to be eluding me right now.

I take water, and also have a coke or red bull in my back pocket on centuries or long rides. I drink gatorade after my ride is finished, but MOSTLY water.... :D

On the average ride, water. If it's a longer ride, water in one bottle, gatorade in the other. Especially if it's a warm day. In the spring, it's not so bad, but I learned my lesson one day last july. It wasn't particularly hot- about 80, and not very humid, but I went on a long ride with only water, no gatorade. On the way home I got so parched, even though I was drinking and eating. The next day,I felt like hell. It was around the time during the Tour when Lance got all dehydrated and looked horrible the next day. He wasn't joking!

On short rides, less than 50 miles, and not hot out - water. On longer rides and when it's hot I put maybe 25% Gatorade in my water. I am a Camelbak guy and I like getting a little Gatorade that whole time rather than in one blast.

Gatorage, coke, coffee and water, not necessarily in that order!!!!!

I use Cytomax at half the recommended dosage. It is important to replenish the electrolytes that are expended during riding. Water merely flushes them out.

strange but true:
clubbers have a lot of similar problems with electrolytes getting low because of 1: sweating, and 2: only drinking water. drinking too much water can be as dangerous as drinking too little. [i have a friend who was hospitalised because of that]

[i read somewhere the recomendation to drink 1/2 liter of fruit juice or similar every hour to replace lst sugars and salts and stuff...]

fssb
sparky

Ahh yes, someone who has never experienced a Queensland summer. Put it this way, if you can get up at 3.30am, and find that the temperature is still/already 32 degrees C, and about 90% humidity, you'll lose a heck of a lot in perspiration, so you don't have much choice! Even in "winter" I'll average 5 litres/day.

What kind of mileage are you putting in on those up at 3:30am, 10 litre days? :eek:

Seeing as how Theakston's Old Peculier wouldn't do me much good on a ride, I tend to take only water along. I'm thinking of taking Gatorade the next time out (if the weather ever breaks). Good idea or not - I've heard that for some it just sits in their stomach and can make them throw up? What do you drink when you ride - does it depend on the type of ride and distance?


I am sure that the Old Peculiar can make you throw up as well in the right cirumstances!

I have seen a bloke start a bunch ride early on a Saturday morning with two beers from his jersey pockets before progressing on to the more regular type of sports drink from his water bottles.


Lindsay

[i have a friend who was hospitalised because of that]

fssb
sparky

E will do that to you :D

E will do that to you :D
nah... the docs said it was because she was drinking too much water and not replacing lost sugars and salts...

fssb
sparky

Tang! Mostlfy for the taste than for the hydration.

RdBiker13 sez:

I felt much stronger and less lactic acid build up on the Endurox so I went back to it.

I seem to need something to help buffer lactic acid also.

I find I do well with a bottle of Cytomax and a bottle of water.

If I use just water the lactic acid buildup in my legs is noticeably worse than if I use Cytomax on long rides or exceptionally hard rides.

drinking too much water can be as dangerous as drinking too little. [i have a friend who was hospitalised because of that]

How much water does that actually take? I've cleared 10 litres of water in a day on numerous occasions, and pushed 15 a few times, without ever suffering a problem -- in fact, there have been times when I've been concerned that it wasn't enough. Now admittedly, I don't drink water exclusively, but I have to wonder whether your friend was suffering from another medical condition at the time which may have been a contributing factor.



What kind of mileage are you putting in on those up at 3:30am, 10 litre days?


To be honest the mileage has precious little to do with it. Up at 3.30 am happens because that is simply the time when I give up the attempt to sleep. The 10 litres happens regardless of riding. I work in an air-conditioned office sitting on my backside all day -- during summer (September-March), I clear that volume of water regularly.

"Hyponatremia" is the condition...it is caused by low sodium levels in the blood, and can be brought on by drinking nothing but water while engaged in strenuous, endurance activities. A friend of mine ended up in the emergency room while cycling in Missouri a few years back. It was a long day, hot and humid. He drank plenty of water, but neglected to replenish his salts (via Gatorade, pretzels, etc.). He had to be taken to the local hospital's emergency room, where he received IV's that revived him.

For more on Hyponatremia, see:

http://www.geo-outdoors.info/hyponatremia.htm
http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/salt.html

You probably can't get it working at a desk job, no matter how much water you drink, because you're not sweating out your salts.

You probably can't get it working at a desk job, no matter how much water you drink, because you're not sweating out your salts.

Funny thing is, I tend not to sweat out too many salts on a 220km ride either (I've tasted my sweat on occasions, it's almost pure water). In fact, I would say that my levels of water consumption probably don't vary all that much from the standard 5-10 litres/day whether I'm riding, working or doing nothing at all.

Yeah...some people are like that.

I'm at the opposite end of the spectrum, especially early in the season when the weather is first heating up. Until my body adapts to the heat, I'll finish a 50K ride with salt visible on my helmet straps, arms, etc. Later in the season it's not so noticeable, presumably because my body has learned to hold onto the salts better.