or is it fundamentally different somehow? I know salt makes you retain water, and I've noticed that if I have a lot of sodium one day (say a couple large pickles in the afternoon, and sushi (with soy sauce) for dinner) I'll weigh in the next morning a couple pounds heavier from retaining some water weight.

Question is, is being these few pound heavier from retained water the same as being well hydrated?

Sometimes I worry about being well hydrated for an early morning ride - normally I wake up in the morning peeing dark, and worry that I'm starting my ride dehydrated, even after swigging a bottle of water. On the other hand, if I make it a point to go to bed really well hydrated, I'm up in the middle of the night peeing at least two or three times.

Mac

NO retaining water is not being well-hydrated!!

Being well-hydrated means that you're peeing fairly frequently and peeing clear. If you're peeing dark in the morning, you're either not well-hydrated or you've eaten something affecting your urine color.

Drink 8 glasses of water-based (non-caffienated, non-alcoholic) beverages a day ... and drink one 750 ml bottle of water and/or sports drink every 1 to 1.5 hours on your ride, and you should be in pretty good shape.

I have reduced kidney function, 50%. I retain water like crazy if I have anything salty. I must take a diuretic (water pill) to get the swelling down.

However, I have been going for 30 mile bike rides every other day. This does a good job of eliminating the need for diurectics. In fact, at times, it feels like I cannot drink another ounce. Yet I am thirsty.

I find that when I retain water, I do not drink as much on a ride. Sometimes nothing at all. And South Florida is hot!!!!

Chris

The 8 glasses of water dictum is at best thoroughly misleading. Indeed, even caffeinated beverages provide some measure of hydration, as does the food we eat.

Drink until you are peeing clear, and fairly often. If it takes "8 glasses," then fine. If it takes less, also fine.

https://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/...=mostpop_story
https://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp


https://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283

I've noticed this as well. The day after eating pizza or just about any restaurant meal my weight will jump by up to 3lbs the next morning. It will then return to normal after a couple of days. It would seem to me that the additional weight is primarily water that is stored due to the high sodium levels of the previous day. Since you lose water and sodium while riding it's not clear to me why the extra few lbs of water doesn't provide an additional store of fluids for the next day's ride and lowers the amount of water and salt that need to be replenished.

The day before an important ride like a long ride, I have to be careful as to what I eat.

I will notice right away if I'm sluggish in the early morning. Once I get on the bike, I will know in the first mile as to how I feel. Sometimes that feeling will last a while until I get the body out of the slump. Other times, I feel great from the get-go.

I try to stay away from a heavy, greasy meal. Even sushi with the soy sauce is not good for me. Nor is the tempura because of its fried nature. I do crave Inari Sushi which is somewhat fried tofu skins with white rice. The Vietnamese Pho is ok, so long as I don't eat the beef but use it as flavoring for the broth. I peel off the leaves from the stalk and dump in the veggies into the broth, squeeze the hot sauce in and "chow-down" the noodle soup. I hardly drink the broth...

What my body likes is vegetables and fruit. I try to drink a lot of water throughout the day and even in the evening before sleep. I admit that I pee the water at night but that's ok because its clear and in the morning I feel less sluggish. Try it, eat very little for dinner, but maybe just some fruit and vegetable and drink. Next morning you actually feel better.

[QUOTE=Garfield Cat;7454575] I hardly drink the broth...QUOTE]

Side note: I often eat at Vietnamese restaurants, one's that are very authentic (waiters don't even speak English). When I examine the vietnamese eating the Pho, I find that they leave all the broth. I think your supposed to leave the broth if you want to eat it "correctly" anyway.