My riding partner is telling me that I shouldn't drink coffee the day of a ride or the day before because it will dehydrate me. Really? What's next do I have to stop eating junk food too? Most of my club rides stop at Starbucks. Coffee is one of my favorite vices.

Do you drink coffee before a ride?

Lol

Ha. I drink coffee every single day, no matter what I'm up to, so if this were true, I'd be royally screwed.

Time to find a new riding partner.

I never drink coffee prior to rigorous physical activity.

Tell him you're doing it as a handicap so you don't drop him too badly.

Wait a minute. I thought all rides had a break midway at a coffee shop???

Yeah, that why I think it might be BS. I had someone tell me that a Coke was bad then noticed that TDF riders are handed Cokes during the race.

I spat coffee out all over the keyboard when I read this.

Okay, I didn't, but I did just sit down with a fresh mug of coffee. You can drink coffee, coke, etc, meaning full volume diuretics, and it's okay. The very concentrated ones are the ones to avoid, where there isn't a lot of fluid but there is a lot of caffeine, like the little shot glass size coffees, whatever they're called.

Good point. I have also heard from some that coffee makes them faster.

FTW.

Yes, coffee is a diuretic but it's also a stimulant so you'll pee more but your name will look jittery in the snow.

Don't worry about it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine

Regular users of caffeine have been shown to develop a strong tolerance to the diuretic effect,[36] and studies have generally failed to support the notion that ordinary consumption of caffeinated beverages contributes significantly to dehydration, even in athletes.

I've been drinking strong, black coffee every morning for the last 35 years and have yet to develop a strong tolerance to the diuretic effect. Doesn't keep me from drinking it, but it increases the chances I'll have to stop and pee somewhere.

Hmm, before the ride, during the ride and after the ride.

All BS is based in truth, as people already mentioned. Coffee is good. If there's anything to watch out for, it's the laxative nature of the beast ... don't get some espresso with any triathletes!

https://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caf...drinks/AN01661

Also
https://www.bicycling.com/training-nu...coffee-recover

Dehydration because of what you drink the night before is rarely a serious issue for recreational riders. Otherwise, all the people who drink the night before centuries would be screwed.

I don't before a ride but only because of heartburn it causes. Coffee and riding works well for most though. Carry on.

The caffeine in coffee does in fact dehydrate you. You may not notice the effects since you as a cyclist know to also drink copious amounts of water as well. This is most likely offsetting the dehydration effect of the caffeine in your coffee. If it's been working for you so far I wouldn't sweat it.

Also, if you're really concerned, take a look at the color of your urine the next time you have to relieve yourself. The general rule of thumb is that if your urine is clear, you're hydrated. If its a yellowish color you're on your way to dehydration. And if it is a deep orange and it smells like urine...you're dehydrated and you need to drink water.

I also drink coffee just about every morning and find that my first urination after drinking my usual 2 cups of coffee is clear, however the 2nd urination is a yellowish color. I drink some water and i'm back on my way to clear urine and decent hydration.

I hydrate wuth coffee and wine.

as mentioned by others, it's a diuretic, however you are putting in water as you drink the coffee so net net you are fine. If you took a vivarin tablet and didn't drink any water, yes, it's possible you could dehydrate more than usual.

Coffee and cycling were made for each other.

And yet no one's mentioned the dehydrating affect of a bag of chips. At least with coffee it's still mostly H2O. Ergo, wouldn't sweat it at all.

Word. I gotta get this guy to join our group rides.