But longer rides and even short rides that make you sweat a lot require electrolytes and possibly even carbohydrate replacement. Drinks with high concentrations of sodium are necessary for intense or endurance rides.

Between —1,mg of sodium per liter of fluid is recommended for long-duration exercise. Hydration drinks should also contain other electrolytes lost with sweat, like potassium, calcium, and magnesium.

Most electrolyte supplement drinks are low in carbs and calories, meaning energy should be replaced through food or gels on rides longer than 90 minutes. Carbohydrate hydration drinks contain a mix of carbs and electrolytes.

These drinks are made for rehydrating and refueling. Endurance cyclists should consume a certain number of carbs per hour depending on the length of their rides. Carbs can be consumed through drinks, gels, foods, or a combination.

Carbohydrate drinks are called isotonic if they contain the same concentration of carbs, electrolytes, and water as cells in the body. Isotonic hydration drinks enable rapid absorption so your muscles have a readily available energy source for performance. Carbs are essential for endurance cycling, but the body can only absorb 60g per hour on average; however, the amount increases to 90g with the ratio of glucose to fructose.

Glucose and fructose have different molecular structures and are absorbed by different transporters. The combination of the two provides the benefit of rapid absorption from glucose and the benefit of sustained energy from fructose.

Relying completely on hydration drinks as fuel gets expensive, so you may prefer to use a combination of hydration drinks and food or energy gels as a source of fuel. Learn how to fuel for cycling and how to avoid bonking with the right amount of carbohydrates for your ride. How often you drink while cycling depends on the intensity and the duration of your ride.

Moderately intense rides require around 16 oz. of fluid per hour, and high-intensity rides require 32 oz. an hour on average.

The amount may vary depending on the temperature and how much you sweat. Warm-weather, multi-day rides demand about 48 oz. per hour. You can estimate how much to drink by weighing yourself before and after a ride.

Good hydration habits are important before and after a long ride. This means drinking several liters of fluids a day, cycling or not. A couple of hours before a long or intense ride, try to consume — ml of an electrolyte supplement drink to start your ride off well.

As you ride, take a drink every 15 minutes or so to make sure you replenish the right about of fluids each hour. For rides less than one hour, one bottle of water or electrolyte drink should be plenty.

For long rides, assume you will need 1—3 liters of fluid each hour, depending on the duration, intensity, and how you sweat. Electrolyte or carbohydrate hydration drinks usually come in a powder mix or dissolvable tablets that are easy to pack for the long haul.

Dehydration is always dangerous, regardless of the activity. But like any intense sport, cycling depletes your body of fluids faster and demands more fluid intake to support your muscles, nerves, and blood flow.

Your muscles and heart will have to work harder to sustain your performance, causing you to fatigue faster and your endurance to decrease.

An imbalance of electrolytes would mean that your muscles would not contract properly and cramp easily. And it increases your chances of an accident by impairing your coordination, balance, and cognitive ability. Learn more: Tips for Cycling in Hot Weather. The following drinks would not fit the bill, so save them for after your ride.

Choose a hydration drink that provides enough electrolytes and carbs to sustain your ride. Glyco-Durance drink mix is packed with 25 grams of carbs and absolutely zero sugar per serving. The carbs are derived from non-GMO potato and rice to help your body rapidly absorb them without unpleasant bloating or cramping.

Glyco-Duraance is also designed to stimulate glycogen production, which enables your body to absorb electrolytes much faster. IsoActive Drink Mix is a classic favorite carb-based drink designed to enhance your performance by promoting efficient hydration with a blend of five essential electrolytes.

It also aids rapid absorption for efficient energy transport to your working muscles. Extra Strength Pickle Juice is a clean and natural source of hydration, with no sugar, caffeine, artificial flavors, GMOs, or gluten. Using a proprietary blend of vinegar and grains, it targets the neurological signal responsible for cramps and effectively prevents them.

It also aids in recovery with its blend of essential vitamins and minerals. Join us for a Gran Fondo Hincapie ride and start your training with our cycling training plan for beginners. Overview Catalog Design Resources Home Try-on Connect With an Expert. Bangor Chattanooga Greenville Lehigh Valley Merced.

Cycling Events See More Experience Domestique Hincapie Spring Series. But some general principles can apply to everyone. How much you sweat and the rate at which you lose sodium is highly individual. Sweat a lot? Do you have salt stains on your bibs or jersey? You will want to drink something with sodium.

Regardless of your sweat rate, it will increase as the temperature and intensity rise. Additionally, your core temperature will rise with the intensity of your ride. There is plenty of merit to this idea.

However, it is not necessarily the best advice in some circumstances. With that being said, a general rule of thumb is to aim for a bottle an hour. Pro Tip: You can set a timer on your phone as a reminder to drink. Your needs when cycling might be higher or lower than this.

The best thing is to listen to your body and keep notes on what is working for you. There is a multitude of options when it comes to what to put into your bottles. Depending on your hydration and nutrition needs, this could be a simple as water or a sports mix.

Determining the best hydration drink for cycling really comes down to personal preference, weather conditions, time, and intensity.

In general, these options fall into four categories. The first thing to drink while cycling is plain water. If your ride or workout is a short one, water can be a good choice.

Just remember that you may need some sodium from another source. However, for longer or hotter rides, water is a poor choice. This is because carbohydrates play a vital role in the absorption and transport of electrolytes.

These drinks and powders focus on providing sodium, potassium, and other electrolytes with little to no carbohydrates. Electrolyte drinks are great when you get enough calories from other sources like gels, chews, or bars.

Each tablet has three grams of carbs. The next option is using hydration tablets or a mix. These mixes usually contain some carbohydrates and electrolytes. Skratch Labs Sport Hydration Mix is a good example.

A third way to hydrate during cycling is to use a carb-dense drink mix. Usually, these drinks have more carbs than a hydration mix but with similar sodium content. For example, SiS Beta Fuel has 80g of carbs and. These types of drinks are an easy way to get both carbs and hydrate at the same time.

There are a lot of options when it comes to what goes into your bottle. Depending on your hydration and nutrition needs, these are the best hydration drinks for cycling.

For more information on hydration drinks for cycling, check out Ask a Cycling Coach Ep Your hydration level significantly influences blood plasma volume. As you become dehydrated, plasma volume decreases, which causes a decrease in cardiac output and a rise in body temperature.

What does this mean when your riding? The simple solution to dehydration is to drink more water while cycling. However, the problem is a bit more complicated. We not only lose water while we sweat but sodium as well.

Replacing the lost fluids with water alone can lead to hyponatremia. This condition is the dilution of blood sodium levels, which is dangerous and potentially deadly.

It occurs when you lose a lot of sodium and drink too much water. The good news is that with the right hydration strategy, you can ensure that you are drinking enough during your ride. Deciding how much to drink can range widely based on many variables.

Your physiology plays a significant role, along with the intensity and weather conditions on your ride. But some general principles can apply to everyone. How much you sweat and the rate at which you lose sodium is highly individual. Sweat a lot?

Do you have salt stains on your bibs or jersey? You will want to drink something with sodium. Regardless of your sweat rate, it will increase as the temperature and intensity rise.

When it comes to maintaining optimum hydration and energy levels, the simplest approach is almost always best.

Because of its importance in performance, muscle health and even survival, hydration should be addressed first in a few sound practices:. Always play it safe. Naturally, caloric intake and hydration go hand in hand since each influences and facilitates the other. There are voices in the endurance nutrition sector gaining increased attention, having first secured a following in bodybuilding circles.

This is best known as the so-called waxy maize craze, but there is growing interest in Vitargo. Easily absorbed carbohydrate sources are relevant to all three facets of sports nutrition: pre-exertion loading, sustained energy during training and racing, as well as superior recovery through more efficient and effective glycogen repletion during the minute recovery window.

Proper cycling hydration should include drinking small amounts every 10 to 15 minutes during your workout. This helps replenish the water you lose through sweat, keeps you focused, and improves stamina.

Hydration while you cycle should change depending on the length of your ride. For instance, you should focus on replenishing liquids during sessions shorter than 1 hour. Bring a water bottle or an electrolyte-rich drink along for the ride.

While on medium-length rides ranging between 1 and 3 hours, cyclists should focus on carb replacement. Rides lasting 3 or more hours deplete you of carbs and electrolytes.

Bring two or more bottles of Gatorade or coconut water for more health conscious cyclists and, again, be sure to drink more than your thirst demands. After sweating it out on your favorite trail, you need to replace the nutrients you lost. Recovery hydration should focus on:.

Electrolyte-rich drinks help replenish nutrients and salt lost in your sweat. Without electrolytes, cyclists may experience severe muscle cramping due to low internal sodium levels.

Meanwhile, protein can come from drinks like milk or from the meal you should be having within 2 hours after you cycle. To restore energy levels, consume a high-carb beverage like the High5 Energy Drink. This drink contains a ratio of glucose to fructose , which helps your body absorb carbs better and faster.