Rehydration how to?

[xendistar]

The problem I have is I am trying to do a balancing act in being on a diet so I watch what I eat & drink and being able to keep myself hydrated and energised on a ride. The energy drinks give you the energy but works against you as they are quite high in calories (as you would expect). So if I do a long ride I should lose weight, but if I have to drink energy drinks (the same can be said of taking foods as well) to keep going you get to the point where one defeats the other and I don't loose any weight.

The electrolyte tablets I had to day are very low in calories but then you would expect that as they are more minerals as opposed to carbohydrates in energy drinks.

If I knew exactly how much energy\calories I burned during a ride and how much I had to drink\food I have to consume on a ride to keep me going then that would be great. I think I would burn more than I consume which would give you the weight loss during the ride.

[MTBLeague]

If I knew exactly how much energy\calories I burned during a ride and how much I had to drink\food I have to consume on a ride to keep me going then that would be great. I think I would burn more than I consume which would give you the weight loss during the ride.

In the unique position of knowing exactly how many packets of Dextrosol tablest I burn during the more regular rides and can guess with a fair amount of accuracy when in unfamilliar ground.

It's more than you think, Red route @ GT 1 & 1.5 to 2 packets Black 2 and up to 3 depending, If I get this wrong and go low blood sugar I will be cycling like a drunk, too high blood turns to syrup, but I will use it up anyway.

My problem is with feeling like I have the appropriate amount of energy in my system, it's great when you hit the spot, but mostly its a pain.

[reevil]

The High 5s are supposed to be low calorie :

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/M...?ModelID=42650

Or with caffeine http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/M...?ModelID=55056


There's probably some other sh1t in there which is bad for you but hey, you can't have your cake & eat it!

*edit* Sorry, you mentioned that already!

[GTDan]

I make up a drink with this from phd-fitness:
http://www.phd-fitness.co.uk/store/p...te-1600Gr.html

I get my gels from dolphin fitness:
I start the ride with one of these:
http://www.dolphinfitness.co.uk/en/s...ts-berry/24169
and top up with these:
http://www.dolphinfitness.co.uk/en/s...-30-gels/24109

I check every time, but those guys keep coming up the cheapest.

Good price!

I used SIS GO yesterday round cannock. I hadn't been on the singletracks since before christmas and i knew it!!

Had to know if the drink helped but certainly afterwards i didn't feel like death. Taste wise it was ok i suppose.

[DomDom]

I use dioralyte powder, or to be more accurate, boots cheaper own version. Cheap and has worked well, I used to suffer bad cramps in my left hammy, it more or less cured it, a couple of sachets as soon as I'm back and it rarely comes back.

I used to use this and may start again along with stretching!!

[DomDom]

Do Torq gels not do the same then and powder? I used these yesterday and still got cramp in both legs 2 /3 in - it did subside with the gels but always there. I think I am low on magnesium

[Tazzedx]

Here ya go DomDom looks like you may be correct

Possible causes of muscle cramps

Muscle cramps can have many possible causes. They include:

Poor blood circulation in the legs
Overexertion of the calf muscles while exercising
Insufficient stretching before exercise
Exercising in the heat
Muscle fatigue
Dehydration
Magnesium and/or potassium deficiency
Calcium deficiency
Malfunctioning nerves, which could be caused by a problem such as a spinal cord injury or pinched nerve in the neck or back
a side effect of medication
Treatment of a muscle spasm

When muscle cramps occur there are several things you can do to help ease them, such as massaging, stretching or icing the muscle, warming the muscle, or taking a bath with Epsom salts.

For a cramp in the calf or the back of the thigh (hamstring), try putting your weight on the affected leg and bending your knee slightly, or sit or lie down with your leg out straight and pull the top of your foot towards your head. For a cramp in the front of the thigh (quadriceps), hold on to a chair to steady yourself and pull your foot back towards your bottom.

To help reduce the risk of cramps in the future try the following:

Eat more foods rich in vitamins and calcium
Stay well hydrated
Stretch properly before exercise
In most cases self-care measures are sufficient for dealing with muscle cramps, which typically go away within minutes. However, if you experience them frequently or for no apparent reason, you should seek medical advice. They could signal a medical problem that requires treatment.