Is water alone sufficient for hydration on rides?

[Dogtrousers]

Does Vimto cordial count as a sports drink?

It's an anagram of vomit, if that helps.

 

[jonny jeez]

Water, squash if I'm feeling fancy.

Tea and cake. All work well enough for me on anything up to 50 miles.

Bigger rides or tours I tend to Include a lunch break and a morning tea stop but still only drink water (that's a 100 mile a day tour).

Did a 135 mile ride in the summer once and just lost it on the way home with 30 miles to go. Took a gel, felt sick pushed on with the help of my ride buddies and somehow got home...not sure if it was the gel, will power or support.

 

[jonny jeez]

Clearly the OP has never done a long ride at threshold.

Where's that, is it in the south downs.

I've done a ling ride at the lake district once, it was very pretty.

 

[jefmcg]

I get my electrolytes the way my ancestors got theirs: from food.

 

[iandg]

In theory salt and glucose added to the water helps, BITD we had some green granules which we could add to the water but most people just drank water. The name defeats me for now.

In any case there was the mantra "driest is fastest" and we never drank much....

Shaun

'Accolade' was the first electrolyte drink I remember. That made a 'greenish' colour drink.

 

[mjr]

'Accolade' was the first electrolyte drink I remember. That made a 'greenish' colour drink.

Sure it wasn't sharp marketing of appleade?

 

[Drago]

In hot weather under heavy exertion an adult can need up to a litre of water an hour to maintain performance and avoid heat or dehydration injury. These dudes that can cross the Sahara on a teaspoon of water while winning a KoM and eating raw chillis are harder men than me.

 

[PK99]

Never used anything but water, I've crossed Spain in summer in temps ranging from 32c to 44c on water (one bottle) with no problems, so can't see any reason to use any "sports" drinks here.

Depends on individual metabolism. I sweat like a pig at the lightest exercise. Water only on a significant ride and cramp is almost certain during or after the ride. Zero tabs and I am fine.

 

[Gixxerman]

I just use plain water. I have tried the dissolvable isotonic tablets (lucozade IIRC), but they tended to make me cough / gag a bit if trying to drink whilst riding. I sometimes get a bit of cramp, but only when doing 50+ mile rides (or 30+ MTB rides), but I put this down to my age rather than what I am drinking.

 

[byegad]

I am a slow rider, but I like to be warm on the bike so even at my crawl I tend to sweat. On almost all my rides in the year I get through 500ml of water to an hour's riding.

I suspect that the only people needing electrolytes are those who are burning vast amounts of energy and seating like pigs.

 

[MarkF]

You need more than just water if you're sweating

One bottle per day, in those temperatures? That's impressive: most cyclists would be badly dehydrated if they did that.

No, one 660ml bottle on my bike, refilled regularly. On tour I never drink anything other than water, pop & beer and most of my long tours are in Spain, in summer............even in 30c-40c I don't sweat much on the bike unless struggling up a long climb, it's in the late afternoon when I stop cycling and lose the wind and my own generated breeze that the sweating starts.

In hot weather under heavy exertion an adult can need up to a litre of water an hour to maintain performance and avoid heat or dehydration injury.

I don't use anywhere near that, one 660ml bottle might last an hour, or maybe 2 or more hours, depends where I can fill up with the next potable water. I do recall a problem on the mountains before Seville, but put that down to a prodigious amount of alcohol consumed the night before as well as running out of water.......

I am not disputing some sports drinks may be beneficial but the OP was wondering if they were "necessary", I don't think that they are.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I get my electrolytes the way my ancestors got theirs: from food.

A sausage sandwich beats all those sports drinks and energy bars. The mental boost alone is worth it's weight in gold.

 

[Gravity Aided]

But the digestion of the sausage sandwich diverts bodily resources from riding, so they say. (although if you look at my figure, I surely have enough resources to go around. ) I usually drink Gatorade cut 50/50 with water in hot weather, just plain water otherwise. I might also add that rides in these parts usually have great food, but at the end of the ride.

 

[confusedcyclist]

I get my nutrients from food, and water from water.

 

[cyberknight]

Up to 40 or 50k I don't worry, except in very warm weather. Above that I tend to use just water unless actually racing.

However—perhaps an age thing—I notice a recent occasional tendency towards cramps, so I've started using Nuun or similar tablets on proper long stuff if it's hilly or hot.

I have found the same . on longer harder rides i tend to cramp unless i use electrolyte tabs.