Preface:
I have an ileostomy. My colon was removed in 1988, at the age of 21, due to Crohn's Disease. One of the colon's main jobs is absorbing fluid from our digestive tract. An ileostomate, (not sure where this cutesy nomenclature came from
) lose considerably more fluid and salts than someone with fully intact plumping. Some tests say the loss of fluid & electrolytes is 2-3 times higher without a colon, while others say it can be as high as 10 times the rate of loss. Either way, hydration is a constant battle for me.
In day-to-day living, it can be a little more challenging to stay hydrated. I usually get away with simply drinking more water. On the other hand, when cycling for any amount of time, (1.5-2 hours), I can really get dried out. If I'm already mildly dehydrated when I get on the bike, which is quite often the case (waking up, in the morning, I've already gone 6-8 hours without any fluid intake), I've got an uphill battle in trying to keep everything in balance.
The one incident I had was on a two hour ride on a fairly warm day, (low 90s). I drank 75oz of plain water and thought I would stay hydrated. Unfortunately, the lack of electrolytes, put my body into distress. It wasn't too severe, but I was shivering and unable to stop sweating. A bottle of Pedialyte got everything in line again.
In another thread, someone mentioned that liquid, (bottled) Gatorade uses corn syrup as a sweetener making it harder for the body to absorb the electrolytes. However, the powdered mix does not.
I have searched the forum but every thread I found talks about the financial benefits of using powdered Gatorade over bottled. Not to say that I'm unconcerned about saving money, but it's not my main concern.
I've tried Powerade, but the higher potassium upset my stomach.
I've also tried Gatorade Endurance, but it tasted like I was sucking on a salt lick, so I didn't drink as much as I should have.
And I'm probably too lazy to spend the time mixing my own.
Having babbled on far too long, I'm going to try the powdered Gatorade mix this week.
Anyone else have special hydration needs?
What have you tried?
What worked for you?