Before the ride

1. I always hydrate before the ride especially if it’s a hot day, first thing in the morning before I ride drink 500ml of water with a squeeze of Lemon juice, a pinch of salt and some maple syrup to taste.

2. If you are riding your bike on cold day try to avoid consuming large amounts of fluids in the morning before your bike ride. This is because cold weather makes your body want to reduce the supply of blood going around your body. It will do this by making you want to go to the toilet to get rid of excess fluid.

3. Replacing fluid lost when cycling is necessary. If you are cycling longer than 1 hour we need to start thinking about replacing and to start hydrating with an electrolyte drink.

What works for me is 1 bottle 500ml of water per 1 hour of just plain water and 1 bottle of ml 500 ml of sport drink with electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium. Use a richer mix during the winter (because you are drinking less) and a weaker solution during summer (because you’ll be drinking more).

For long road rides lasting more than three hours I use gels or power bars also to help with replacing my carbohydrates.

4. When cycling, drink before you get thirsty. Sip on the water and the electrolyte drink on the hot days. Everyone is unique so this still might not be enough on really hot days. So… start to keep your fluids up early on in the ride to help reduce the chance of hydration issues later on in the day.

After Your Ride

Hydrate and replenish after each and every bike ride. Do not just get home and have some water! You need to replace protein, carbohydrates, electrolytes, and water to recover your body and get it ready for the next ride.

Remember – symptoms of Dehydration are feel faint, dizzy or start to get a headache while out riding please stop and seek shade (or better still a air conditioned room) and medical assistance ASAP. Dehydration is a serious issue for athletes on hot days and can lead to serious health issue even deaths

Stephane

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