Rehydration how to?

[steve_sordy]

DOn't put energy drinks in your bladder. It seems you carry enough water just not enough salts. Aldo had a good one, dioralyte powder, the stuff you should take when you've got the shits to replace lost salt.
Sweat is salt leaving the body as well as fluids so this is important to replace.
Eating loads of energy drinks and bars is wrong as well. YOu need some proper food that will burn slowly unlike energy bars that give you bursts of energy.
On rides, about halfway through, stop and take a 30 minute break, drink water, eat food replace lost salt.
Everyone is different when it comes to loosing salt and sweating.
By all means take an energy drink, but don't rely on it.
Steve have you put your bladder in the freezer?

Seeing as this is about 180 deg opposite to what I said, its well worth continuing the debate.
Easy one first.
No, I haven't put the baldder in the freezer. I've read about this, but never had to do it. Cleaning properly seems to work, rather than just killing the bugs and leaving their corpses to be consumed next time I ride.

The SIS GO Electrolyte Energy - Fuel, is not just an energy drink. It is only distinguished in content from the SIS product dedicated to electolyte replacement by about 2% more maltodextrose, ie 92% instead of 90%. So I thought I was safe to go for the electrolyte energy option. As I said, it works for me, and I did try the pure electrolyte option, as well as the dioralyte route.

As for the food aspect. I eat well as a normal way of life. On the morning of a ride, I eat a humongous bowl of cereals, nuts, seeds, fibre, oats etc. This is all stuff at the correct end of the glycaemic index, ie slow burning. I eat the funsize Mars and the energy bars because they are light to carry, easy to eat, and they provide what I need, when I need it. I once had a "proper meal" at lunchtime and I was bloody near crippled trying to ride afterwards as my body diverted resources to digesting it. Ever since, I eat well the night before and the morning, and then eat lightly. As I said, it works for me. I fully accept that we are all different and I would suggest that what works for one may not work for another. The key is to try a few alternatives until you find one that works for you.

[Gunwitch]

Bloody phone.
I stand corrected. I find eating a couple of butties is alright for me. I've not had cramps because of it.
I now understand the difference between the energy drinks and SIS Go, thank you , might have to try some myself because by 4pm i was seriously flagging today myself.

[steve_sordy]

............. by 4pm i was seriously flagging today myself.

You want to try it when you're 60!

I need all the help I can get. When I've felt totally poleaxed, I've even tried Lucozade shots. These contain 120mg of caffeine. They sure work on me. Within 10 mins I'll be bouncing the bike all over the place. But they are the last resort, because no matter how many miles I've done, I won't sleep for over 12 hours afterwards!

[Tango]

for my two pen'orth

My Ideal (albeit not what I always do) pedal day foods

get out of bed, pint mug of tea, two slices of toast n jam

golden syrup flavour oat so simple

banana on the way to the trail or on arival

camel bbak filled with SIS go or equivalent (yes the bladder was stored in the freezer as the same one has been for the last 4 years and never been washed)

In the cold weather on shorter rides i use ribena and water to half fill it then top up with boiling water. its great to have a warm drink during the ride

during the ride I use roasted nut tracker bars / malt loaf / jam sandwiches (jam sandwiches are the best mid ride snack IMHO) on the trail and usually carry orange (no not because I ride an orange ) flavour glucose tablets.

Post ride Mars drink is great, but I must say that anything savoury is a god send after all theat sweet stuff.

crisp (for the salt) ginsters chicken and mushroom slice ( mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm )

always eat as soon as you finish riding and take on fluids,

lastly the simple adage

DRINK DEFORE THIRSTY, EAT BEFORE HUNGRY

is always a good guide

you dont wait til you run out of fuel before putting more petrol in the car

[Tango]

oh and a tin of ambrosia rice pud post ride is like heaven

[steve_sordy]

....DRINK DEFORE THIRSTY, EAT BEFORE HUNGRY

is always a good guide

you dont wait til you run out of fuel before putting more petrol in the car

Wise words.

[xendistar]

Well that makes sense, it seems as though I have completely the wrong energy drink, I have the SIS PSP22 which is from their Energise range and not there Hydrate range

Well that makes sense, will have look into the other option to rehydrate myself with electrolytes based drinks of one form or another

[steve_sordy]

Forum wisdom strikes again!

[Tango]

makes a difference Xen

cant put too much good stuff in the camel bak.

if you are gonna carry something in it, it may as well contain something usefull. water is great (my nan always said that lions got strong on it when I asked for lemonade and she didnt have any) but is is still just plain old water. great to swim in, steam veggies and make a cuppa. but i dont even want it with my whiskey.

so if i must have water and carry the bugger around it may as well have some goodnes in it

[SteveMTB]

Lucozade tablets work for me but best to take pre cramp or in other words prevent, I do this by popping a couple before climbs, I never put anything but water in my pack now but on long XC 100ish miles I take a couple of cans of redbull and hold back on drinking them untill at least 60 miles in or 60% of your total ride distance.

A good hearty cooked breakfast and a large mug of T pre ride and drink as much fluid as you can handle before you leave, if your riding from the morning then chances are your body has had 0 fluids for at least 10 hours and a 200ml cup of tea is no substitute, even if you dont feel thirsty before your ride DRINK if your body doesnt need it then it just passes through also washing out your liver which can only be good for you especially if you had a few beers the night before.

Pasta is a good way to store fluid in your body, if your planning a long ride the next day then EAT, I ride the SDW about 4 times a year and start preparing my body 2 days before by making sure it has what it needs so no burgers for me.

Although we all get cramp (if you dont then your not riding hard enough) most of it can be avoided if you give your body what it needs now instead of waiting until it tells you you dont have enough. Ive 'knocked' enough times to almost learn my lesson

Carry some asprin too (add it to your first aid kit that you always carry lol) there are some prescription stuff you can take as a muscle relaxant but im not getting slated for writing it here!!!

Berroca I found was a good post ride drink but it does make your pi55 look radioactive.

Warm up and stretch if you dont want to look like a ballet dancer then just ride slower for the first section of your ride and warm up your body, lots of people even die by spontaneously exercising!! And dont forget the all important warm down after a long ride just walk around the car a bit and take your time loading it up, I once scrambled up the crib goch then ran to snowdon summit and then ran back down the pyg trail got straight into the van and had the worst cramp I have ever experienced it felt like my legs were being ripped apart

This should help you 'prevent' cramp, just remember try not to cure something that could have been prevented