Electrolytes are salts and minerals found in the blood that are lost when you sweat. An imbalance in electrolytes can cause muscle weakness and spasms, fatigue, confusion and dizziness. We recommend taking on ml of electrolyte drink hours before prolonged or intense exercise and ml immediately before you begin.

Aim to drink little and often during your bike ride. Take gulps from your bottle every minutes — more on hotter days. Start drinking from the very beginning of your ride rather than waiting until you feel thirsty.

For most shorter rides: For rides up to around 60 minutes and lower intensity sessions, drinking water is enough. Maintaining a good electrolyte balance aids hydration and helps you perform at your best. Mix a Veloforte electrolyte powder, such as Veloforte Solo , a golden apricot and sage flavoured blend of real fruit, botanicals and pure electrolytes, with water and take good sized gulps from your bottle every minutes.

Take on ml of electrolyte drink to get your electrolytes back in balance. Veloforte Vivo with its refreshing blend of peach, raspberry and rosehip and strawberry and basil Attivo also contain 22g of carbs, which will go some way to upping your depleted glycogen levels.

They contain electrolytes and are packed full of complete protein with a trusted carbs:protein ratio to help your body repair, rebuild and recover. SHOP RECOVERY SHAKES. There are a whole host of drinks aimed at cyclists on the market, all promising performance-enhancing benefits.

With so much choice it can be confusing to work out just what you need and when. But here is our at-a-glance guide below:.

For longer rides, tough sessions and hot days: Try Veloforte Electrolyte Powder , a blend of real fruit, botanicals and nature's finest electrolytes. With that said, because sweat rate and sweat composition are unique to your physiology, exactly how much water and electrolytes you should be taking per hour of exercise can vary.

For a lot of athletes, a bottle an hour is perfect. One of the biggest mistakes we see is that athletes forget about cooling their indoor workouts. Fans have a significant impact on hydration. Fans create airflow and aid the evaporative cooling process. You want to use a fan that moves a lot of air.

We like this one. For more cycling training knowledge, listen to Ask a Cycling Coach — the only podcast dedicated to making you a faster cyclist. New episodes are released weekly. Meghan Kelley is a writer, MTB racer, and all-around fan of trails, rocks, dirt, and the desert.

She's passionate about helping cyclists get faster and finding the best mid-ride snacks. Why Athletes Sweat More Indoors The average cyclist tends to sweat more when training indoors. Sweat Rate Sweat rate is the rate at which your body releases sweat. Sweat Composition Sweat composition , on the other hand, is mostly stable from one workout to the next.

Adaptive Training Get the right workout, every time with training that adapts to you. Check Out TrainerRoad.

andy blow cooliing drink electrolytes fan hydrate hydration precision hydration salt sweat sweating water. Meghan Kelley Meghan Kelley is a writer, MTB racer, and all-around fan of trails, rocks, dirt, and the desert.

Related Posts Nutrition What to Drink When Cycling Sean Hurley. How we test gear. One of my worst rides ever happened in a July heat wave where I left my filled-to-the-brim water bottles on the kitchen counter.

About halfway through my rip on the local MTB trails my mouth felt like I was fueling on sand and I could sense my energy flagging, fast.

To say I limped home would be an understatement. I knew I should have had water on that ride, but it felt like even more proof that we cyclists lose and must replace H2O throughout our workouts, because of sweating, breathing, and urinating.

Sweat rate can add up to 3 to 4 liters of water lost per hour of exercise, especially if working out in sultry conditions.

And all that fluid loss can certainly send you into the dehydration pain cave. When your plasma blood volume shrinks from sweat loss , water from other areas comes into the plasma to compensate. One study in the Journal of Sports Sciences found that cyclists had increased perceived pain during a long ride when dehydrated.

You should also know that a study published in eBioMedicine showed that adults who stay well-hydrated overall appear to be healthier, develop fewer chronic conditions, such as heart and lung disease, and live longer than those who may not get sufficient fluids.

Some research even suggests that a loss of as little as 1 percent body weight can impair muscle endurance , power, and strength. Men and women may also differ in how much body weight they can lose from fluid loss before their rides start to suffer.

Hydration needs vary by individual, and many variables including sex, climate, intensity, and genetic sweat rate can determine how much water you need during a ride of various lengths to stay hydrated.

There are some general guidelines worth knowing about and striving to achieve. And a study in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that cycling performance improved in subjects who drank according to a predetermined plan, compared to just taking in fluids when they felt like it.

To help you better pinpoint how to hydrate right, we tapped into the knowledge of our sports dietitian to help you figure out your optimal fluid intake plan, based on how long you want to ride.

Here are your sipping points. Focus on preride hydration, aiming for ounces two hours before heading out and another 8 ounces minutes before riding. But for these rides, you can place greater emphasis on your hydration strategy before the ride , which can carry you through much of the workout.

One of the best ways to limit the amount of fluid you need to take in during a brief ride is to drink enough before it. The American Council on Exercise supports these numbers.

Do this and how much you take in during the workout becomes less vital. One concern is that many people are at least mildly dehydrated all the time, meaning entering a workout already at a deficit, which can impede performance , even for shorter duration exercise and especially when riding in hot environments.

If you find that you are peeing frequently before your workout, your pee color is clear, and there is no underlying health reason, Sumbal cautions that this can be a sign that you are either drinking too much water, not consuming enough sodium, or a mixture of both.

Another option to fill up before you ride is to drink plain water with preworkout foods that contain some sodium. In addition to sodium, you can add a touch of simple carbs , like maple syrup , to your pre-exercise water to also bolster absorption rates.

A half teaspoon of maple syrup for each cup of water should suffice. Sumbal suggests still reaching for your bidon on occasion during short rides to make sure you are maintaining good hydration overall. Drinking to thirst can work for rides lasting less than an hour, especially if exercising in cooler conditions and at low intensities , she adds.

Go for ounces per hour or ounces every 15 minutes. Include carbs g per hour and electrolytes mg of sodium per hour with your fluid intake.

Once you push past the hour mark, keeping on top of your hydration needs becomes more pressing. The longer you ride the more fluid you shed, making it paramount to drink enough.

Sweat rate can add up to 3 to 4 liters of water lost per hour of exercise, especially if working out in sultry conditions. And all that fluid loss can certainly send you into the dehydration pain cave. When your plasma blood volume shrinks from sweat loss , water from other areas comes into the plasma to compensate.

One study in the Journal of Sports Sciences found that cyclists had increased perceived pain during a long ride when dehydrated. You should also know that a study published in eBioMedicine showed that adults who stay well-hydrated overall appear to be healthier, develop fewer chronic conditions, such as heart and lung disease, and live longer than those who may not get sufficient fluids.

Some research even suggests that a loss of as little as 1 percent body weight can impair muscle endurance , power, and strength. Men and women may also differ in how much body weight they can lose from fluid loss before their rides start to suffer. Hydration needs vary by individual, and many variables including sex, climate, intensity, and genetic sweat rate can determine how much water you need during a ride of various lengths to stay hydrated.

There are some general guidelines worth knowing about and striving to achieve. And a study in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that cycling performance improved in subjects who drank according to a predetermined plan, compared to just taking in fluids when they felt like it.

To help you better pinpoint how to hydrate right, we tapped into the knowledge of our sports dietitian to help you figure out your optimal fluid intake plan, based on how long you want to ride. Here are your sipping points.

Focus on preride hydration, aiming for ounces two hours before heading out and another 8 ounces minutes before riding. But for these rides, you can place greater emphasis on your hydration strategy before the ride , which can carry you through much of the workout.

One of the best ways to limit the amount of fluid you need to take in during a brief ride is to drink enough before it. The American Council on Exercise supports these numbers. Do this and how much you take in during the workout becomes less vital. One concern is that many people are at least mildly dehydrated all the time, meaning entering a workout already at a deficit, which can impede performance , even for shorter duration exercise and especially when riding in hot environments.

If you find that you are peeing frequently before your workout, your pee color is clear, and there is no underlying health reason, Sumbal cautions that this can be a sign that you are either drinking too much water, not consuming enough sodium, or a mixture of both.

Another option to fill up before you ride is to drink plain water with preworkout foods that contain some sodium. In addition to sodium, you can add a touch of simple carbs , like maple syrup , to your pre-exercise water to also bolster absorption rates.

A half teaspoon of maple syrup for each cup of water should suffice. Sumbal suggests still reaching for your bidon on occasion during short rides to make sure you are maintaining good hydration overall. Drinking to thirst can work for rides lasting less than an hour, especially if exercising in cooler conditions and at low intensities , she adds.

Go for ounces per hour or ounces every 15 minutes. Include carbs g per hour and electrolytes mg of sodium per hour with your fluid intake. Once you push past the hour mark, keeping on top of your hydration needs becomes more pressing.

The longer you ride the more fluid you shed, making it paramount to drink enough. That works out to 6 to 7 ounces every 15 minutes of activity. Sumbal suggests taking small sips more frequently to help with digestion and minimize stomach sloshing.

Standard-sized water bottles will hold 21 to 26 ounces of fluid, so a goal is to consume at least one of these each hour of your ride by taking long pulls off your bottle at a few regular intervals.

Remember that this hydration guideline can vary depending on the individual, and factors like intensity and temperature. And thirst is a subjective measure. Find out the importance of staying well hydrated on the bike and how to do it in this article. We cover every aspect of cycling nutrition to make you a stronger bike rider.

Find out how to keep optimally hydrated, what, how much and when to drink and how to prevent performance losses due to dehydration.

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If you don't know your username, enter the email address with which your account is registered and we will send you a reminder. Insight Zone Nutrition Getting started Eating on the bike Drinking on the bike Recipes. Follow these tips from Healthspan Elite, the Official Sports Nutrition Partner and Official Vitamin and Supplement Partner to the Great Britain Cycling Team and British Cycling.

Reduced performance Studies have shown that surprisingly low fluid losses can significantly affect your ability to ride. Daily drinking Before considering what, when and how much to drink on the bike, making sure you stay well hydrated all the time will mean maintaining optimal hydration levels when riding will be far easier.

What about before a ride? Elite Activ Hydrate How much to drink on the bike The best way to obtain an estimate of how much fluid you need to drink is to conduct a minute sweat test. Can I drink too much? What about cramp? Check you threshold power or heart rate, find your training zones and ride strictly to them.

Follow a structured training plan that builds in a gradual progressive way like the British Cycling Training Plans. Take on fluids containing electrolytes continually throughout your ride. Even in cooler conditions aim to take on ml per hour. Work on your mobility using this routine. Eat foods rich in magnesium and calcium and, if necessary, consider magnesium supplementation such as Elite Magnesium Plus.

Hydration on the bike Find out the importance of staying well hydrated on the bike and how to do it in this article. Knowledge Level: Beginner Find out more.

Fuelling and hydration for indoor cycling Tips and advice for fuelling and hydration for indoor rides, workouts and races. Find out more. The fuel you put into your body is a massive factor in determining the performance you get out of it We cover every aspect of cycling nutrition to make you a stronger bike rider.

Hydration on the bike Knowledge Level: Beginner. Avoiding stomach problems on the bike Knowledge Level: Intermediate. Fuelling and hydration for indoor cycling. Cycling nutrition for long rides Knowledge Level: Beginner. Nutrition for the working cyclist Knowledge Level: Beginner.

Register Login Recover Register with British Cycling Today, it's Free! How quickly you sweat and how much salt you lose in your sweat is unique to your physiology.

The amount of water and electrolytes you should be taking in during an indoor workout can vary based on your sweat rate and sweat composition. Sweat rate is the rate at which your body releases sweat.

It can be thought of as the amount of liters per hour your body sweats. Everyone has a different sweat rate. Depending on your body weight, the density of your sweat glands, and your capacity to sweat, your sweat rate might be higher or lower than the average person.

A higher sweat rate might mean you need to take in more water while a lower sweat rate could demand less water. While your sweat rate is an independent part of your physiology, how much you sweat can vary from one workout to the next.

Sweat composition , on the other hand, is mostly stable from one workout to the next. Sweat composition is the concentration of sodium in your sweat.

Research suggests that consuming a lot of sodium, or too little sodium can impact the amount of sodium in your sweat, but this variable generally remains the same. Get the right workout, every time with training that adapts to you.

Depending on your sweat rate and sweat composition, how much electrolytes you should consume during an indoor workout may vary.

If you lose a lot of salt when you train, you might need to take in more electrolytes during your workouts. Athletes can begin with general hydration rules, but will also want to drink intuitively and pay attention to their own unique response to different hydration strategies.

Best practices will vary based on the athlete. In fact, your level of hydration and electrolytes going into that workout will be more important for that hour then what you drink during the workout.

If your workouts are less than an hour be conscious of your hydration and electrolytes going into the workout. The habits you build on the trainer are the habits you take into races and demanding days on the bike.

A solution of 2 to 3 grams of carbs per mL of fluid should allow for optimal water absorption rates. If you struggle with the lack of flavor, making your drink more palatable via a flavored sports drink or electrolyte mix will help you consume more. In general, your goal is to consume at 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrates for each hour of activity, which can come from a combo of fluids and food.

And like water, there can be performance benefits to consuming smaller amounts of carbs in fluid form at more frequent intervals. In general, if your body weight is still a few pounds below normal by the end of your workout, you are very thirsty, you are craving salty foods , and have a dark pee the hue of apple juice the day after a longer ride , Sumbal says this is a tip-off that you did not adequately hydrate during and after your workout.

In contrast, a stable body weight, not being overly thirsty, and a pee that is straw-colored shows that you are staying on top of your hydration needs. Consume ounces of fluid, g of carbs, and mg of sodium every hour of your ride. Your goal should be small, frequent sips.

When out for the long haul, stay acutely aware of your hydration. The chances that you can keep up the pace for multiple hours when in a significantly dehydrated state is slim. For many athletes, the amount of fluids they believe they are consuming versus the amount they actually take in can be miles apart.

That is 1 to 1. If you are not getting your carbs from solid foods, you most certainly need calories in your bottle.

Data shows that sweat rates can vary significantly among cyclists during a multi-hour ride, which would impact fluid needs. There will also be differences in needs among men and women, which research still needs to fully explain.

Drinking high amounts of only plain water for this duration without consuming sufficient sodium can lead to a potentially serious condition known as hyponatremia, or a dangerous drop of sodium in your blood.

So make sure to have some salt with you. Sodium in your water bottle may also help you avoid those dreaded muscle cramps , at least according to one small study.

So think about using nudges to remind you to drink up. This could be as simple as setting a timer on your watch or GPS device to beep every 15 minutes to remind you to take a swig or two of fluid.

If you know that your water bottles hold 24 ounces of fluid and you return home with both of them drained or with them only half empty make note of this to give you a clearer picture of how you are hydrating and how you can make improvements.

An important note while working toward better hydration: If you normally drink 16 ounces of fluid per hour, but suddenly double this amount to stay better hydrated this could result in an unpleasant stomach experience.

This can gradually train your gut to tolerate the increased load. So if you pull into a gas station for a bottled coffee drink or cold soda you can count these toward your fluid intake.

But Sumbal cautions that you need to be mindful that fluids like coffee and soda are not formulated to meet physiological needs during exercise. To gauge your hydration efforts Sumbal explains that it can be useful to monitor your pee.

One way to better estimate how much liquid you need to drink to side-step performance-sapping dehydration is a sweat test: Weigh yourself naked before a workout, then during a typical training session keep track of how much you drink.

Weigh yourself naked again postworkout, then subtract your postworkout weight from your preworkout weight and convert to ounces.

Add to that number however many ounces of liquid you consumed. For example, if you lost one pound but drank eight ounces it means you sweated out about 24 ounces in one hour.

On the flip side, Sumbal says if you are gaining weight during your rides, you are drinking too much, which can cause excess water in the bloodstream. To determine how much you should be drinking every 15 minutes, divide your hourly fluid loss by four in the above example it would be 6 ounces.

Repeat the test in a few different environmental conditions and during different intensities of riding. The sports drink assists in restoring muscle glycogen. If you mix your own sports drink, researchers recommend using alkaline water as this has shown to potentially offer hydration advantages after exercise.

Bringing a registered dietitian into your nutrition conversation could prove useful. In a recent study, athletes who used a registered dietitian reduced their intake of high-calorie and low-nutrient-dense foods and consumed improved nutrition post-exercise when compared with previous food intake.

If any of these apply to you, considering a session with a registered dietitian could prove beneficial:. Nutrition and hydration are essential components of training and post-exercise for any cyclist, whether you compete in races or are a weekend rider.

You need to understand what your body requires to train and recover, which comes with practice. Experiment with your diet to see what works best for you as well as utilize water and sports drinks for your hydration to find what works best for your body.

Everyone is unique and has individual needs. If you are new to cycling, speak to a healthcare provider. They can evaluate your fitness level and medical history and let you know what is right for you. You also may want to work with a registered dietitian.

They can help you develop meal plans the support your cycling efforts. Cyclists need a mix of fluids, carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals. It is best to eat a balanced diet while focusing on your unique nutritional needs when you are training.

Depending on your sport goals, you can try a combination of foods during training to determine what works best for you. Bananas are good for cyclists because they are both healthy and provide necessary potassium.

Researchers took blood samples pre-, immediately post-exercise, and 1-hour post-exercise. They found consuming a carb drink or a banana resulted in similar blood glucose, oxidative stress, and performance level. At higher altitudes, 4 to 6 milligrams per kilogram of weight is recommended.

Judge LW, Bellar DM, Popp JK, et al. Hydration to maximize performance and recovery: Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among collegiate track and field throwers. J Hum Kinet. Beck KL, Thomson JS, Swift RJ, von Hurst PR. Role of nutrition in performance enhancement and postexercise recovery.

Open Access J Sports Med. Kerksick CM, Wilborn CD, Roberts MD, et al. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

Hull MV, Neddo J, Jagim AR, Oliver JM, Greenwood M, Jones MT. Availability of a sports dietitian may lead to improved performance and recovery of NCAA division I baseball athletes. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. Nieman DC, Gillitt ND, Henson DA, et al.

Bananas as an energy source during exercise: A metabolomics approach. PLoS One. Guest NS, VanDusseldorp TA, Nelson MT, et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: caffeine and exercise performance. By Jennifer Purdie, M. Ed, CPT Jennifer Purdie, M.

Ed, is a certified personal trainer, freelance writer, and author of "Growth Mindset for Athletes, Coaches and Trainers. Use limited data to select advertising. Create profiles for personalised advertising. Use profiles to select personalised advertising. Create profiles to personalise content.

Use profiles to select personalised content. Finally, hydration is unique to you so experiment it find what works for you. Remember — If you feel faint, dizzy or start to get a headache while out riding please stop and seek shade or better still an air conditioned room and medical assistance ASAP.

Dehydration is a serious issue for athletes on hot days and can lead to death. Five Hydration Tips for Cyclists. Previous Next.

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