SoCalCycling.com

[dbloseven]

At home or out on the bike, racing or training, partying at the beach or cleaning your bike....How do you stay properly hydrated in this oppresive heat?

Thanks!!

[dbloseven]

I know all the ills of too much caffeine but I love Love LOVE my iced coffee! I make a full pot of regular brewed coffee every other day just so I can put it in the fridge. Once it's chilled I pour it over ice cubes, add a shot of flavored coffee creamer (coconut or cinnamon vanilla) and VIOLA!

I def understand the importance of sodium and potassium so I make sure I get plenty/extra of both along w/ample amounts of good ole fashioned H20.

Before I head out on the bike, I will drink a 16 oz glass of gatorade or water etc. And when I am out on the bike, I will consume at least a full (20 oz) bottle of water every hour. I drink almost too much. I don't like sticky stuff dribbling all over my bike so I almost never carry anything but water. I will also carry salt packets for rides longer than 2-3 hrs.

But my beverage of choice this summer, hands down, is iced coffee. I even take a thermos of it w/me when I race.

Stay cool. Stay Hydrated. Ride safe!

[Clynn]

I live in Palm Desert. Temps this past weekend were 121! Our overnight low was 90! Ridiculous heat. I have no answere for you as I get heat exhaustion at least once a year, just thought I'd comiserate.

[bmbcyclist]

I'll get back to you on this. There is tons of information on hydration and sports.

try www.kbnutrition.com

CTS has lot of info usually.

I have some resources, I just gotta dig them out.

I think, if I remember correctly, over 70 degrees, usually 1 20 ounce bottle per hour for moderate effort. More if it is hotter, more for harder efforts, and the more "food" you take in of course the more fluid you need.

I would yes, can the coffee and alcohol, or match every ounce with that of plain fluid. So 2 cups coffee=2 cups water etc.

Having lived in Tucson Az, I am pretty good about keeping hydrated.
Keep something in hand at all times. Drink BEFORE you are thirsty, once you are thirsty it is too late.

[dbloseven]

http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/salt.html

In the 60's football players and other athletes pounded the salt pills by the handful. Now you can't even buy them. Somewhere in the middle is a healthy balance.

Stay Cool. Stay Hydrated. Ride Safe.

[Clynn]

I do drink crazy amounts of fluids, with electrolites, without electrolite, before the ride, after the ride, during the ride before I'm thirsty. I've read numerous articles and tried many of the products on the market, but I think at some point it just becomes impossible to keep up, especially if the hammer is down! Sometimes it's not a matter of dehydration at all. It's an issue of your core temp rising to dangerous levels. I do have one trick that helps me. Every chance you get, ride up on the sidewalk when you see sprinklers!

[hjr13]