worldtraveller

What is the right amount of sports drink to consume during a long ride of say 4 hours

I start drinking mine around first hour or hour half, a few sips along the way?

is there any right measurement to drink the stuff

i usually use gatorade

beezaur

People vary widely in the amount of fluids they lose.

You can weigh yourself before and after a ride to get a good idea of how much water you lose. Remember to account for what you drink too.

I sweat like a pig. Last summer I took a 2-hr ride, drank almost a gallon, and still lost 6 lbs (hot, windy day). Normally I lose about 3 lbs per hour.

I try to accomplish two goals riding: keep hydrated (net zero weight loss), and keep up the electrolytes. I usually only drink Gatorade in warm weather and water otherwise (I'm cheap). The rest of the time I keep up my electrolytes with seasonings for sodium, milk for calcium, and bananas and potatoes for potassium. That keeps the cramps at bay. Sometimes I will drink some Gatorade too, since it has some other things beyond Na, Ca, and K.

Joemess

I try to consume an ounce of fluid per mile. In honesty this is likely not enough in the heat we are currently having. As to the use of gatorade, on the rare (and I mean rare) time I use it I cut it 2:1 with water : gatorade.

Its very seldom that water is not sufficient on a typical ride (45-60 miles). If I want calories on my bike they are either gels, chews, or a peanut butter and jelly sammich.

But as far as how much, the ideas listed above about enough to have no net loss of body weight is a good goal but one I rarely am able to meet.

glockenspieler

My understanding is that you are going to have difficulty absorbing more than 24 to 30 oz of water per hour. If the fluid you take in has a high amount of sugar in it, then you can actually slow absorption (i think the relevant term is osmotic load). If you are really putting out alot of sweat, then the limit on absorption will mean that you will become progressively dehydrated but at 24 to 30 oz per hour, it will take a long time for you to start to feel the effect. Taking in more, or more sugar dense fluid can result in bloating and other badness.

My experience cycling in Georgia in summer where it will be extremely humid and hot, sticking to 24 oz per hour, I lose a little bit of weight but i can keep going for 6 to 8 hours. I'm definitely dehydrated at the end but nothing really problematic.

BloomBikeShop

A good starting point is to aim for one 16oz bottle per hour. But this will need adjusted based on riding conditions, of course.

ARThriller

Yeah like everyone else this heat has drastically changed my hydration on the bike. I live in Arkansas where not only is it hot it is also humid. Today is 104 temp with 70% humidity. On average I have been consuming around 20oz of water/gatorade per hour.

Vaportrail56

Awhile back I read in a motorcross magazine to mix water/gatorade 50/50 because gatorade has to much sodium in it buy its self. Has anyone heard of this? I am trying to figure all this hydration stuff out myself. The heat right now is murder.

BloomBikeShop

Off the top of my head, Gatorade has about the lowest sodium content of any sports drink.

Richard Cranium

Quote:

how much sports drink to drink

I don't know how much gas do you want?

Is this for the whole trip or just to the next station?

worldtraveller

Just a question about sports drinks.

If someone rides long rides many times a week and needs sports drinks.

Would consuming all that sodium/sport drinks cause a risk for a stroke or heart attack
due to high consumption of sodium?

or when active in hot weather, does the use of exercise balance out the risk?

beezaur

Here is an interesting podcast about taking in electrolytes. Recent research suggests plain water does just fine, even in really hard sweating:


https://www.enduranceplanet.com/sport...ytes-and-more/

jhurley

I used to put Gatorade in my water bottle the first 3 or so rides I went out on, but every one since I just stick to water. I don't think I'm benefiting from Gatorade on my rides (average 15 miles on all my rides, longest 32 the other day-- I'm still new to cycling) as others have pointed out. And if it's not a benefit then it's just consuming calories, sugars and sodium that my body doesn't need. Considering I am trying to lose another 15 pounds to get to 180, I'll stick to water until I start really long distances of 50+ miles.

I won't even buy regular Gatorade anymore, anyhow. I will not buy any drinks that aren't 0-calorie with the exception of the occassional G2 which is pretty low calorie. There are many 0-cal drinks that are both a non-soda and taste pretty good-- Sobe Life Water Zero, Powerade Zero, Propel Zero, and Vitamin Water Zero. My fridge is full of all kinds of flavors of each! No more carbonated water, sodas or calorie drinks for me (again, rare exception of a G2)!

worldtraveller

From experience all i can say. only time u need sport drinks is on long rides of over 2 and half to over 3 hours etc

I used to ride my 100km with just water. but around 65 km or so or after the 2 and half hour mark i would get cramping and weakness

so i started to sip gatorade on the long rides after the 2 hour mark and now i can ride full on the whole distance, with no cramps

So i think its more on a person's body type etc is how it is affected

someone who rides 15 miles to 32
for sure no need on sports drinks

beezaur

And diet.

In the study I think they were regular Army, which I suppose would have been feeding them a diet that gave them lots of electrolyte minerals in their food.

I am prone to cramps myself, and on top of that I eat natural foods that tend not to have enough of some electrolytes. Sodium and potassium are two that I lack. I have to be really careful to eat enough foods that replenish those. I eat bananas and potatoes for potassium, and season my food for sodium. Calcium is another that can play a role in cramping, but I take in a lot of milk, so I'm good there.

I guess the bottom line is, your body has to get those minerals from somewhere, but that somewhere can be food just as well as drink.