How to Stay Hydrated While Cycling
This article talks about hydration tips for a cyclist and the difference between cold and hot weather hydration.
• For hot days, it is very important to have at least a minimum of 500 ml of water early in the morning after you wake up and you can flavour your water with some lemon if you want to boost your metabolism. Having water in the morning helps you to replace all the water that you lost from sleep and the vitamin c in lemon helps to build up resistance against any kind of illness.
• It is very important to consume 300-500 ml of fluid 1 hour before cycling to get a good head start especially on a hotter day. On cold days you can avoid consuming large amounts of fluids in the morning before your bike ride because in cold weather drinking large amounts of water leads to frequent urination.
• An electrolyte drink plays a very important role to replace the lost fluids. Only plain water does not help to restore the electrolytes like potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium and chloride and therefore affects performance so for optimal performance an electrolyte drink is very important. A richer electrolyte source is required during winters as you consume fewer liquids in comparison to the summertime where a weaker mix will work as you drink a lot of fluids
• It is very important to drink and keep yourself hydrated before you get thirsty. So keep sipping on water and electrolyte drinks and target at least 1.5 litres of fluid per hour on hot days. Start your day early and keep an adequate intake of fluids as this will help to take care of any kind of dehydration later on the day.
• It is crucial to hydrate and replenish after each bike ride. A proper nutrition plan is the key as having only enough fluids will not be enough, carbohydrates, electrolytes, proteins along the water are required by your body to recover and get ready for the next day.
