Let's talk hydration and fuel....
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dolcezza72
Posts: 171 Member
I struggle with this... How much fuel and how much liquid do you take in on long rides?
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I struggle with this... How much fuel and how much liquid do you take in on long rides?
What do you consider as a LONG ride?0 -
anything under 2 hours, 1x500ml bottle with plain water (generally don't actually drink it, more use it to rinse my mouth out if I ingest any flies etc...)
2-4 hours 1x750ml bottle with either something like a Zero/NuuN electrolyte tablet if it's a relatively easy training ride OR a slightly under-strength energy drink (currently alternating between SiS Go Lemon/Lime and Aptonia Red-Berry depending on what I fancy taste-wise)
4+ hours 2x750ml bottles, one of each of the above, plus a spare foil wrapped Zero Tablet in case I run out of drinks and have to buy a bottle of water.
of course this is based on UK Summer temperatures, which rarely get into the high 80's - adjust upwards if you're riding in hotter conditions...
Another way to get a good idea of how much you need to drink per hour is this...
Get weighed naked prior to a 2 hour ride. Drink whatever you feel you need from a full 750ml bottle. When you return home, before drinking/eating anything else, strip off, towel yourself dry and re-weigh. Subtract the second weight AND the weight of the amount you drank from the first weight. The difference is the amount of fluid you've lost. If you work in Kg's it's dead easy, because 1kg = 1litre (1000ml) That's roughly how much you need to drink in that weather condition, for that particular type of riding. Do it a few times, on different days, in different weather, and riding fast / slow and you'll get a really good idea of the range of how much you'll need... as with most things nutrition wise, it really is down to the individuals metabolism and build...0 -
For rides longer than 2 hours I do Carbo Rocket 333 in my hydration pack. Anything shorter than that and I usually just do a gel before and water.0
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VERY generally speaking...
< 1 hour: nothing
1-2 hours: 1 water bottle, maybe 2 if it's a grueling ride or especially hot/humid
2-4 hours: 1 water bottle, 1 sports drink, 1-2 gels/snacks
4+ hours: 2 sports drinks, 2 gels, some legit food (half a PB&J, a banana, etc)0 -
TBY Can I ask when you were bigger(I now it was a long time ago) x did you drink more than you do now?anything under 2 hours, 1x500ml bottle with plain water (generally don't actually drink it, more use it to rinse my mouth out if I ingest any flies etc...)
2-4 hours 1x750ml bottle with either something like a Zero/NuuN electrolyte tablet if it's a relatively easy training ride OR a slightly under-strength energy drink (currently alternating between SiS Go Lemon/Lime and Aptonia Red-Berry depending on what I fancy taste-wise)
4+ hours 2x750ml bottles, one of each of the above, plus a spare foil wrapped Zero Tablet in case I run out of drinks and have to buy a bottle of water.
of course this is based on UK Summer temperatures, which rarely get into the high 80's - adjust upwards if you're riding in hotter conditions...
Another way to get a good idea of how much you need to drink per hour is this...
Get weighed naked prior to a 2 hour ride. Drink whatever you feel you need from a full 750ml bottle. When you return home, before drinking/eating anything else, strip off, towel yourself dry and re-weigh. Subtract the second weight AND the weight of the amount you drank from the first weight. The difference is the amount of fluid you've lost. If you work in Kg's it's dead easy, because 1kg = 1litre (1000ml) That's roughly how much you need to drink in that weather condition, for that particular type of riding. Do it a few times, on different days, in different weather, and riding fast / slow and you'll get a really good idea of the range of how much you'll need... as with most things nutrition wise, it really is down to the individuals metabolism and build...
I tried to make 2 750ml bottlesof water last me a ride today and still ran out 5 miles from home :noway: I do sweat a hell of a lot as I am so overweight!!! Help xx0 -
To be honest, yes I did, and also, when I was at my heaviest, a 2 hour ride was as far as I'd manage, but I'd have run out well before I got home.
That's why I mentioned the "work out just how much you DO sweat" test in the second half of my post.0 -
When it's hot, generally a 24 oz bottle (.7 liters) of Gatorade or electrolyte solution an hour. Over 2 hours, usually a pack of shot blocks or an energy gel at the 1.5 hour mark. Over 3 we usually hit a rest stop and depending on the mood, a muffin or a small sandwich. If we don't, then definitely some sort of power bar about 2 hours in. I also have something small to eat before I ride, maybe some fruit or a bagel. I'll run on an empty stomach, but I don't like to ride on one.0
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< 1 hour - one water bottle.
> 1-2 hours - two water bottles. One may be filled with Skratch Labs depending on heat/humidity.
> 2-3 hours - two to three bottles. One may be filled with Skratch Labs depending on heat/humidity.
> 3 hours - one bottle an hour. Eat 300 calories per hour. Bananas, fig newtons, Boiled potatoes, rice cakes, etc.
No gels or power bars for me. I like real food. I'm not saying that they are bad, I just like real food more.0 -
On every ride other than a commute(7 miles one way) or grocery run I carry two large bottles. I drink one per hour, more if it is above 80°f. On longer rides that are unsupported I may also put a regular bottle in a jersey pocket. I usually stop and buy water as needed. On yesterday's epic ride (112.3 miles 7816 feet) I left myself a couple of water cache each with a gallon on either side of the the two passes that I was riding over. On cool and windy days it takes effort to drink a bottle an hour but I usually force myself to do it. The times that I don't I've been dehydrated by the end which is not fun. I hydrate often daily which helps. i also hydrate after the rides which also helps, sometimes with beer though :O. in a one hour spinclass in the indoor season I'll usually drink two bottles. FWIW I currently weigh over 200 and smaller folks probably do not need nearly as much water.
Nutrition: rides longer than 2 hours I try to eat 100-200 calories an hour starting in the second hour, usually closer to 100 than 200. Sometimes I'll stop mid-ride and eat a substantial amount of calories such as an ice cream cone or burrito. It really depends on the purpose of the ride. Some of my rides are one way with a destination of a restaurant. LBS group rides although sometimes slightly longer than 2 hours I don't snack during as there is often a beer after.0
