Necessary on a long tour? I've never used them or given them much thought, I just have water. Next month I'm cycling my furthest, Bilbao to Malaga via Seville and some have told me that I will NEED sports drinks, to replace electrolytes (?) and water just won't do. It's not like I am against using something that may help, but, I've twice toured in Spain, in the heat for 2 weeks and I didn't die, or feel like that I might . I am aiming to plod, 40-50 miles day, day after day though.
IMHO sports drinks can be helpful (if you don't mind the expense and the faff) but aren't essential. The stuff that goes into sports drinks can still be had by eating and drinking normal foods and drinks sensibly. Sports drinks do have the advantage of delivering the stuff you need quickly and in one go - and so are good for racing when there is a large amount of power going out, but for a touring pace they are not so crucial (although if it's stupidly hot then the rehydration ones can be helpful).
As Si says they aren't essential. Just keep eating & drinking as normal. The food you eat (assuming a reasonably well balanced diet) will have all the nutrients including electrolytes you need. Any not needed will end up in your wee.
The human body is great at keeping itself healthy & in balance. Far better than any sports scientist can manage with costly pills & potions.
Bilbao to Malaga sounds a great trip. Enjoy it and enjoy the local food.
They are sports drinks arent they? Unless you are doing your 40-50 miles in three hours, it doesnt really count as sport does it? We are just doing some moderate exercise with a few small bits of strenuous thrown in.
I remember covering my food in salt when I was doing hard work in the tropics until I learnt that the Australian long distance city to city running champion just had ordinary food and water and never even added salt.
The default position should be to not bother with these things. Having said that, I do suffer from cramps after long days in the saddle so I use some Holland & Barret's Iso energy drink to keep them away, at a quarter or less of the suggested dose. If the weather was very hot I may consider this for as little as fifty miles due to the amount of sweating I would be doing, but I think that I am at the extreme end of the spectrum for this and most people will not need anything.
Coca Cola and water - about 50/50. Cheap and gives a good sugar boost. I also find it helps keep me hydrated when I get 'bored' drinking water. I usually drink it once a day towards the end of a long hot ride.
I've done a diy version post diarrhoea to stop dehydration. Small carton of fruit juice into a litre bottle and filled up with water. Add a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar. The proportions are supposed to be 30% fruit juice, 70% water but the rough and ready version was all I could use. In practise the salt and sugar could be "obtained" from roadside cafe's so only the juice and water needed to be bought.
I think its more important to read about and understand the symptoms of heat related conditions so you can do something about them early. And that might be to find shade and stop.
MarkF wrote:Necessary on a long tour? I've never used them or given them much thought, I just have water. Next month I'm cycling my furthest, Bilbao to Malaga via Seville and some have told me that I will NEED sports drinks, to replace electrolytes (?) and water just won't do. It's not like I am against using something that may help, but, I've twice toured in Spain, in the heat for 2 weeks and I didn't die, or feel like that I might . I am aiming to plod, 40-50 miles day, day after day though.
if water and ordinary food works for you then stick with what you know. 40-50 miles is not excessive, you are touring not racing. You can always buy a lucozade type sports drink at a shop if you feel you need some extra energy, but otherwise i would not bother.
I stand and rejoice everytime I see a woman ride by on a wheel the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood. HG Wells
simonhill wrote:Coca Cola and water - about 50/50. Cheap and gives a good sugar boost. I also find it helps keep me hydrated when I get 'bored' drinking water. I usually drink it once a day towards the end of a long hot ride.
Do you need a sugar boost when touring ? and sugar drinks aren't good for the teeth. I would be quite happy with plain water except that I tend to drink less than when I add a Nuun or Zero tablet (virtually no calories - no sugar.) As others have said you can get all the energy you need from solids.
Re the Coke thing: I suggested it as a cheap alternative to sometimes very expensive sports drinks.
I cycle mainly in the tropics. I find that I get bored drinking water and therefore run the risk of dehydration. The Coke - diluted and often with ice makes a pleasant change and I often take on over half a litre in one drink. I also get a ten minute rest in cafe or roadside shop and have even had a proposal of marriage at one of these stops. Maybe not the most healthy, but it worlks for me - hydration and rest.
Maybe bad for teeth, but dodging local bus and truck drivers is much higher up my health concerns!
Thanks for all the replies, just checked my route and yes, 40-50 daily miles in the bumpy bits and 60-70 on the flat (ish) middle bit. Think I'll stick with water and maybe some material from Loafers link.
Funny, I bought Cycling Active last night and there is a feature in there saying you need something more/better than water for a ride of more than an hours duration...............
I expect, that they expect, that you will be doing 25 miles in that hour, if not 25 miles then 1,000m of climbing.
I was a bit confused by those recommendations on the BBC site, apart from the 50:50 fruit juice and water they all just looked like sickly under diluted squash.
Also why, oh why, would you use chemical packed sugar-free squash and then add sugar!!!
Funny, I bought Cycling Active last night and there is a feature in there saying you need something more/better than water for a ride of more than an hours duration...............
Yes, and for a ride of that length you also need a carbon fibre bike that must cost no less than £2K
I've never used them or given them much thought, I just have water. Next month I'm cycling my furthest, Bilbao to Malaga via Seville and some have told me that I will NEED sports drinks, to replace electrolytes (?) and water just won't do. It's not like I am against using something that may help, but, I've twice toured in Spain, in the heat for 2 weeks and I didn't die, or feel like that I might . I am aiming to plod, 40-50 miles day, day after day though. 
