Thirst Whilst Cycling

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
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Mick F
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Re: Thirst Whilst Cycling

Post by Mick F »

78 miles Swindon to Bridgwater today.

I left at 05:00 without a breakfast and only a drink of water.
Stopped at Trowbridge 30 odd miles and found a cafe for cooked breakfast and a cup of tea.
Next stop was Glastonbury 62 miles. Large Cornish pasty and cuppa.

Made it here and still had water to spare in the first bottle. Second bottle untouched.
Mick F. Cornwall
ANTONISH
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Re: Thirst Whilst Cycling

Post by ANTONISH »

As I get older I find I'm less inclined to drink during a ride. Like Mick F I can go a long way on little liquid but I do try to drink more - it's just that I feel I'm forcing myself - especially when the weather is cold.
At a stop I find I can drink tea or coffee and get a reasonable amount of a cold drink down, particularly if the drink is in a glass.
One problem I experience is getting a cold drink that isn't from a chiller cabinet - I find they are generally far too cold - this seems a modern thing.
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bigjim
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Re: Thirst Whilst Cycling

Post by bigjim »

Kidney stones could be the wake up call.

So can Gout. Dehydration is a no no and a trigger. I've just got over an attack and it's not pleasant. I never knew I was prone to it and evidently it can be building up for up to ten or twenty years. I'm notorious for not drinking enough on rides. Thats all changed now. :(
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Tigerbiten
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Re: Thirst Whilst Cycling

Post by Tigerbiten »

Started today at 8:30 with 3*0.75 litre bottles full plus 2 litres in the camelback.
Ended the day 7 hours later with 1 full bottle left.
But the temperature is getting close to 30C near Belgrade, so 0.5 litres an hour is about right.
Vorpal
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Re: Thirst Whilst Cycling

Post by Vorpal »

When one can tell by the colour of wee, it is too late, and dehydration has already occurred.

It is better to drink a little, often. And if it's hot out, add some electrolyte drops, or another source of electrolytes.
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fluffybunnyuk
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Re: Thirst Whilst Cycling

Post by fluffybunnyuk »

Wow Im impressed how little you all drink!!! I did 80 miles in 6hrs on the flat with 4 panniers and a tent on Friday, but I was drinking 1 litre/hour roughly.
2x0.750l bottles on the bike and 2 1 litre bottles in the panniers, and a refill at the shop for water at halfway.

I still ended up dehydrated :p
Vorpal
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Re: Thirst Whilst Cycling

Post by Vorpal »

I drank about 1/2 litre on my 10 mile commute this morning. And I had a cup of coffee & a tall glass of juice before I left.

It was quite humid, and it's all up hill (300ish metres)so I was sweating a lot.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
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Tigerbiten
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Re: Thirst Whilst Cycling

Post by Tigerbiten »

fluffybunnyuk wrote:Wow Im impressed how little you all drink!!! I did 80 miles in 6hrs on the flat with 4 panniers and a tent on Friday, but I was drinking 1 litre/hour roughly.
2x0.750l bottles on the bike and 2 1 litre bottles in the panniers, and a refill at the shop for water at halfway.

I still ended up dehydrated :p

It all depends on how hot it is.
3 days ago, it was sunny and +30Cand I drank adout 5 litres, yesterday it was wet and only about 20C and I only drank half that in the same distance/time.
Psamathe
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Re: Thirst Whilst Cycling

Post by Psamathe »

I've found recently that my knee problems have meant I aim for shorter rides. However, the counter effect is that I am pushing myself faster (I wont mention speeds nor distances as they are both probably laughable to many here; even though I do wear lycra shorts!). And as things are getting warmer I'm still not drinking from my bottle. And whenI get home I don't feel thirsty; but I have a glass of squash and end-up drinking it all at once and still don't feel thirsty and have another.

So my body seems to be wanting more liquids but I don't get the thirst feeling !!

Maybe it's part of getting older and I don't tend to feel hungry these days either (and I eat because its e.g. supper time).

Ian
MikeF
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Re: Thirst Whilst Cycling

Post by MikeF »

Coffee is a diuretic so that's the last thing you should be drinking on a ride if you want to remain hydrated.
Although I like always to carry a bottle of water, I don't usually drink much. But then I don't travel that far or fast compared with others (Often 20-30 miles with computed average moving speed 10-11mph not all on surfaced roads). I often like to include a climb that will make me puff, but I daresay others might regard those as undulations. :lol: Each morning I eat a bowl of porridge, which contains about 1pint of liquid as well as a drink of water, so I feel "hydrated" when I set out.
Wanting to pee often is a sign of old age - at least for men. :wink:
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RickH
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Re: Thirst Whilst Cycling

Post by RickH »

Whilst caffeine (not just in coffee) is a mild diuretic its effects, at least on most people, do not mean you will pass more fluid than you take in. If you have a 1/2 pint (10 fl oz for any readers of an American disposition) mug of medium strength coffee or tea you probably get the hydration benefit of at least 9 fl oz of the liquid. Plus any rest, emotional & social benefits that you may also get.

The performance benefits of making sure you don't get mildly dehydrated also should not be over-exaggerated for a leisure cyclist either. The 3% dehydration giving 10% loss of power may well be true & relevant for athletes performing at or near maximum power. For the rest of us it probably mean that that steep hill that we would normally get up at 60% of capacity needs us to run at nearer 70% if we're running a bit dry. It may make us huff & puff a bit more or, on harder terrain, ride a little slower, but it isn't generally going to have a huge impact.

Rick.
Former member of the Cult of the Polystyrene Head Carbuncle.
Ayesha
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Re: Thirst Whilst Cycling

Post by Ayesha »

In the process, the body produces 1g of water for every 4 kCals used.

This water leaves the body on exhaled breath, through the bladder and through the skin as sweat.
Every km uses approx. 25 kCals, and ascending 100 m uses approx. 25 kCals.

Work it out on a calculator beforehand and drink BEFORE the ride and during the ride instead of after it.
Ayesha
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Re: Thirst Whilst Cycling

Post by Ayesha »

RickH wrote:Whilst caffeine (not just in coffee) is a mild diuretic its effects, at least on most people, do not mean you will pass more fluid than you take in. If you have a 1/2 pint (10 fl oz for any readers of an American disposition) mug of medium strength coffee or tea you probably get the hydration benefit of at least 9 fl oz of the liquid. Plus any rest, emotional & social benefits that you may also get.

The performance benefits of making sure you don't get mildly dehydrated also should not be over-exaggerated for a leisure cyclist either. The 3% dehydration giving 10% loss of power may well be true & relevant for athletes performing at or near maximum power. For the rest of us it probably mean that that steep hill that we would normally get up at 60% of capacity needs us to run at nearer 70% if we're running a bit dry. It may make us huff & puff a bit more or, on harder terrain, ride a little slower, but it isn't generally going to have a huge impact.

Rick.


In the United Staes, a PINT is 16 oz, so 1/2 pint is 8 floz.

32 oz is a quart. The usual Mickey D cola, enough for an 1800 kCal, 80 - 100 km bike ride.

Warning. Be careful when you drop a High5 Zero tablet in full sugar cola. It throths up like a fire extinguisher.
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Mick F
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Re: Thirst Whilst Cycling

Post by Mick F »

Ayesha wrote: .................. and drink BEFORE the ride and during the ride instead of after it.

I like three or four mugs of tea in the morning.
I take water with me but don't drink much unless it's hot weather.
Mick F. Cornwall
beetroot
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Re: Thirst Whilst Cycling

Post by beetroot »

Psamathe wrote:Or rather maybe lack of it.

I know full well of the need to keep hydrated, etc., but now the weather has warmed-up a bit, the last few days I've noticed whilst out riding that I don't seem to get thirsty. I've reduced my mileage (thanks to my knees) and am doing around 25 mile rides. I'm deliberately stopping after 10 miles or so because I know I should drink, not because I'm thirsty. And that seems to start "saliva issues" (see, we really do need a "men's section" on the forum to discuss spitting, and other similar subjects). And the surprise when I got home was I has several large glasses of squash straight after each other, yet never really felt thirsty.

So, as things warm-up, should I just stop and drink every so many miles'ish or just wait until I'm thirsty ? Do others get to feel thirsty or just get in the habit of drinking?

Ian


I'd have thought that if well hydrated before setting out, unless very hot, no need for water in a ride of less than two hours. Take a single bottle and just drink as you feel the need. Obviously on a longer ride a more structured approach may be appropriate
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