retaining water after bike rides. tips to avoid?

CeleryStalker

I love cycling. Heck, I'm getting married on my bike, at a biking event, so yes, it's obvious cycling is a huge part of my life. What I hate is the water retention after a nice ride. I go out on a long ride on Saturdays with my team. Come Sunday, the water retention has already begun and it sticks around until Thursday. It's the natural ebb and flow of my body, I suppose, but it's frustrating. I like weighing on a daily basis, but now that cycling season is back, I think I'm going to have to revert back to weekly weigh-in's.

The nice thing is, when the water weight finally does come off by the end of the week, the weight I've lost that week also becomes apparent.

Anyone else here battle the post-workout multi-day water retention beast? Anyone here figure out a way to avoid it? I don't carb load before rides, I just eat more calories to accommodate the extra caloric burn, I drink lots of water during and after the ride so my body doesn't think I'm dehydrating, yet the water retention problem is always there.

nab22

Less sodium? No experience with the problem but maybe sodium is the culprit

ladyphoto

I have the same problem! I will be anxious to see what others say.

CeleryStalker

nah, i dont consume excessive sodium on ride days (or on regular days, lol) i know sodium can cause water retention, but that's not whats going on here. when you take off and do a 4 hour bike ride with an average heart rate of 85% of your max, you're working really hard. muscles retain water when you work out hard. im just trying to find a way to avoid this.

lol, i probably shouldn't be trying to avoid the process. im sure muscles retain water after working out for a good reason just tell that to my dang scale

CeleryStalker

hey ladyphoto, how many pounds do you usually go up? i retain somewhere in the neighborhood of 4-6# every time i get on the bike more than an hour. as if that's not discouraging to see hanging around on the scale for 4 or 5 days, i dont know what is! LOL

one thing i keep reminding myself of is that the year i rode the most miles ever, i was in the best shape ive ever been in my entire life. tan, fit, cardio good enough to compete with my fiercest competitors (who have been riding for years, never been fat, etc), sexy quads and calves, and the weight melted off. hard to stay fat when your workouts are burning 3,000 calories on an 'easy' day, ya know?

Atlantique

As paradoxical as it sounds, this swelling (especially in the extremities) is often caused by dehydration. I'd suggest drinking much more all throughout the day for a few weeks and seeing if it helps at all.

Is it possible that your electrolyte balance is off? I know that many of us watch our sodium pretty carefully, but potassium, calcium and magnesium aren't watched by many of us.

CeleryStalker

hey ATL, thanks for the suggestions. ya know, despite the fact i drink a lot of water/gatorade light when im out there riding, i know im probably not drinking ENOUGH, so even tho im not thirsty and i come back with emptied bottles, it doesnt mean my body agrees with my on the hydration issue. i'll see what bumping my water intake does. ive got the retention part down to a science. 4-6#, for 4-5 days. if increasing the water helps, it should be pretty apparent

re: electrolytes....we take them at the first rest stop. leg cramps on an endurance ride can make a person MISERABLE! argh!

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