HYDRATION

Did you know the dehydration is the single largest contributor to fatigue when training or racing? Contracting muscles produce the force needed to propel you forward, whether that’s through water, on the bike, or on foot. But those working muscles also produce internal heat that must be dissipated quickly in order to avoid overheating. Sweating is a mechanism for ridding your body of heat, but it causes you to lose the very same fluids and the electrolyte sodium that you need in order to remain hydrated.

Dehydration impacts your performance when you lose just 2% of your body weight due to fluid loss. For a 150 lb cyclist, a 2% loss equates to just 3lbs. Training and racing, especially in the heat or humidity, can easily result in losses exceeding this 2% threshold.

To ensure that you are fully hydrated going into a workout or competition, consume 14-20oz of water or sports drink at lest 2-4 hrs before exercise. This will lead to urine production if you’re well hydrated. If it doesn’t, or if the urine that you produce is like the color of apple juice, drink another 8 fl oz about 2 hrs before exercise. A light yellow, “lemonade” urine color is consistent with adequate hydration.

You can stay in your hydration zone by matching your fluid intake during exercise to your sweat rate. This generally requires about 13-26 fl oz every hour of exercise, preferably in smaller amounts taken frequently. But fluid needs vary based on factors such as body size, pace, and weather conditions. So it’s best to calculate your sweat rate for the various conditions in which you train and race. For an easy guide to calculating your sweat rate, use the Sweat Rate Calculator at www.powerbar.src.

The advantages of a sports drink over plain water are many:

• Provides carbohydrates to help sustain blood glucose level during exercise
• Athletes typically consume more fluids when their hydration beverage is flavored
• Sodium and carbohydrates cause the ingested fluid to be absorbed more quickly
• Sodium also helps maintain your drive to continue drinking fluids when exercising, which is crucial to meeting your fluid needs.
• Sodium helps you retain the fluid consumed.
• Sodium is a key electrolyte that is lost in sweat. A low sodium level has been associated with muscle cramping in some athletes.

The cycling leg of a race or training session represents your best opportunity for fluid ingestion, but don’t go overboard. Taking in too much can result in abdominal fullness, bloating, and nausea as you transition to the run. Aim to consume a minimum of 20 fl oz per hour when you’re on the bike—but, of course, training is the place to refine your hydration strategy.

Wondering what type of sports drink to start with? Dr. Brian Perry at Inewmed in Seattle has treated elite cyclists and Ironman triathletes. His interest in endurance sports led him to research sports drinks and Powerbar Endurance (now rebranded as Powerbar Ironman Perform) got his top recommendation. Why? Firstly, the C2 max fuel combines a 2:1 ratio of glucose to fructose. Utilizing this combination, athletes are able to get 20-50% more fuel to working muscles compared to glucose alone. How? Your gut actually has two separate transport systems for both types of sugar. Research has shown, with C2Max as the fuel source, cycling time trial performance was improved 8% over glucose alone!

Ever felt that bloated feeling of water sloshing in your stomach? It's key to remember that water accompanies carbs as they're absorbed. So the more carbs you are able to absorb in the gut, the more water that will also empty.

-Nutrition tips extracted from the “Sports Nutrition Playbook” available on www. Powerbar.com along with many other nutrition resources!

Full disclosure: Laura O'Meara is an employee of Powerbar.