Bikers Drinking Problems - Dehydration

Cyclists, like all athletes, need plenty of liquids. But beyond that basic tenet, things get unclear quickly – and for years, riders have heard conflicting reports about what, when and how much to drink. We had the pleasure to ask a nutrition expert to separate the facts from the fiction.

The biggest Riders Myth is Replace Every Lost Gram.

For years cyclists have been told to drink enough on the bike so they weigh the same after the ride as they did beforehand. The truth is, the human body can't absorb fluids as fast as it loses them, and not every gram of weight is lost through sweat anyway.

The Truth is Keep Up with Sweat Loss

Replace about 75 percent of lost sweat during a long ride. To do that, you need to know your sweat rate. To determine your sweat rate, weigh yourself before and after a short ride. An hour ride is good indicator of what you're losing through sweat along.

The Drink Much Beforehand Myth

Drinking litters of fluids before a ride or race will do little more than send you searching for rest stops.

The truth, sip a sport drink an hour or two before you saddle up. That's enough time for your body to absorb what it needs and eliminate what it doesn't. Then take in about 150cc to 250cc every 15 to 20 minutes while you ride.

Caffeine will Dehydrate you Myth

Caffeine has long been demonized as a diuretic. On paper, that means it should lead to dehydration and heat stress, especially when you consider that it also raises your heart rate and increases your metabolism.

The Truth, Caffeine improves carbohydrates burning. A review of ongoing research recently revealed that drinks containing caffeine don't make you pee that much more than equal amounts of beverages without caffeine. The stimulant also doesn't worsen the effects of heat. In fact, caffeine makes you feel better. Numerous studies have shown that it lowers your rate of perceived exertion while improving your strength, endurance and mental performance. Even better, researchers from a English University, found that riders who drank a sports beverage containing caffeine burned the drink's carbohydrates 26 percent faster than those who consumed a sports drink which did not contained caffeine, likely because caffeine speeds glucose absorption in the intestine.