tsgrab

It has gotten pretty hot here in TX, and I've started having a little problem with cramping whenever the intensity of my rides goes up. I decided to see how much of a deficit on fluid compsumtion I have so I weighed myself before and after a 35 mile 2 hour group ride at 100F.

After drinking 3 bottles on this ride, I still lost 6 lbs. That's a little more than 3.5 bottles of weight. If I add on the 3 bottles I drank on the ride, thats more than 3 bottles per hour, which seems excessive.

Is there something I'm doing wrong. I'm not in the best of shape but not the worst either. I did pre-load with water starting about 4 hours before the ride.

brian416

just remember to keep drinking throughout the whole day, you won't be able to drink enough to keep up with the water loss in heat like that.

DannoXYZ 

How large are your bottles? Try 750ml per hour. Also take in electrolytes as you lose a lot through the sweat.

stonecrd

How much do you weigh? In the summer down here I lose about 2lbs/hr, I sweat a lot. If you lose more than 4% of your weight you will have problems and I think if you hit 6% you are in serious trouble. As was said you cannot replenish at the rate you lose. So make sure you are hydrated before you start and continue after you stop. In my case I limit myself to 2hr rides in the summer just to prevent dehydration issues. You have to know your own limits everyone is different.

RUOkie

In the past wk here in OK, I have been drinking 3 bottles/hr for my morning rides and if I ride in the evening (It was 94F last night at 9pm!!) then at least 4 bottles/hr (I ride 30min, and then fill back up!) If I don't, I won't pee till the next day, and feel crappy for a week.

Paniolo

I calculated my sweat rate a couple of years ago on a 40 mile ride in 100*+ temps and it worked out to a little over 50 oz per hour.

Try to weigh as close as possible to start and end of rides cause you sweat constantly, even when your skin feels dry. 1lb of body weight is 15.4oz. So take lbs lost x 15.4 oz and add the total oz you drink and divide by time to get a sweat rate. This will give you a hydration target to aim for. (no food consumption or urinating) Though if it is high you won't be able to keep up.

Normal sweat rates have a huge variation between individuals. Different sites claim it is anywhere from 25oz/hr to 70 oz/hr depending on tons of factors environmental, exertion level, fitness level and just personal variation.

kenl666

You don't say if you're drinking plain water or an energy drink, if plain water make sure that you're also getting the necessary amount of electrolytes. I find that the electrolytes really help to keep the cramping to a minimum or even eliminated. Personally, I like the Hammer Enduralytes and always pop a few capsules every hour.

Maybe salt tablets are in order?

Pharmr

I'll second the Hammer Endurolytes....I don't think I'd make it through the Hotter n Hell without them...I use them on my longer weekend rides as well.

VA_Esquire

6lb. in 35 miles? Holy crap. I might have to try this on my next group ride.

waltersc

Last night went on a little over an hour ride and I went thru 3 bottles. One bottle Cytomax and the rest was just water. Our pace was a little over 18 MPH with rolling hills and no wind. The temp was 96 with the dew point in the upper 60s.