Hydration/Endurolyte/Electrolyte Issues

[Alex]

Today, I did a 30-mile road ride. I planned to get out early since temps are supposed to be near 100 today (but it's a dry heat...). I didn't get out as early as I planned and it was SO hot and there was not a cloud in the sky. I'm not a big sweater, but sweat was dripping down my face, off my chin, etc. The route I chose was quite hilly. I was drinking a lot of Clif Electrolyte drink, as well as water. I also was taking Hammer Endurolytes. I used the same combo of Clif drink and Endurolytes during a century I did in June, too.

After today's ride, just like after the century, I was SO BLOATED. It was a disgusting feeling. I got on the scale and discovered that I weighed 4 pounds more than when I left for my ride (125 vs. 129). Was I drinking too much? I was really pounding the Clif drink and water because of the copious amount of sweat and because the temps were in the 90s. Could the Endurolytes make me retain water? After the century and after today's ride, I didn't have to go to the bathroom much during the ride, but afterwards, I was running to the bathroom very, very frequently.

Could I be taking in too many electrolytes? When I have taken fewer Endurolytes, on shorter rides, I haven't gotten so bloated.

I am planning to do a century around Utah Lake in August and it promises to be quite hot, so I'm really trying to figure out what will work for me. Clearly, the current combo ain't it!

Should I try a different electrolyte drink? Normally, the Clif drink is fine for me, although during last weekend's mountain bike ride, I had bad stomach cramps. I also had Clif Bloks and Gu during today's ride.

I cut today's ride short because I was so darn hot. I started to get chills on one of the big climbs and I know from reading stuff on TE that chills are not good! I took a break, drank some water, and called DH to come get me. I could have pushed on, but I just didn't see the point. He had icy cold chocolate milk waiting for me in the car and I took a cool shower when I arrived home. Other than the bloating, I feel perfectly fine now.

All suggestions are appreciated!

Alex

[KnottedYet]

I am a sweat-monster. On my longer rides (maybe 50 miles or so) I generally drink 2 big bottles of Clif and 1 or 2 cans of Coke or a latte. (or a beer or 2 or 3.... TE rides to the RedHook Brewery!) Even in the cool Seattle weather I will sweat through my clothes and get crusty salty skin.

Weird as it may sound, plain water and I don't get along well on rides and if I drink too much my stomach gets oooky.

Maybe you pounded down too much water?

Retaining 4 pounds worth of water during a ride is pretty impressive! If you go by the ol' "a pint is a pound", you were retaining about a half gallon!

[Alex]

Knot,

Here are my estimates for today's ride.

54 ounces of Clif drink,

48 ounces of water, and

16 ounces of chocolate milk, post-ride.

The ride itself was less than 3 hours long. Yeah, I think I drank too much...

Alex

[emily_in_nc]

Here are my estimates for today's ride. 54 ounces of Clif drink, 48 ounces of water, and 16 ounces of chocolate milk, post-ride. The ride itself was less than 3 hours long. Yeah, I think I drank too much...Alex

I agree. On a ride of that length, I would have drunk about 48 oz. total even on a hot day. You have to be careful with drinking too much water, though the fact that you drank a lot of the Clif drink (with electrolytes/sodium) instead of only plain water hopefully made it just uncomfortable, not dangerous. Check out: http://drbenkim.com/drink-too-much-water-dangerous.html

Emily

[maillotpois]

wow. that's way too much water. a bottle (20 oz) an hour - sports drink, not water - should be enough unless you are at high altitude or it is over 85 degrees. even if at altitude or high temps you can only absorb 20 - 30 oz per hour. you had double that.

[Alex]

Hmm, 20 to 30 oz. an hour? That's good to know. I am at altitude and the temps were in the 90s. I guess I overcompensated...

I'll try some different things tomorrow, and I definitely won't drink quite so much.

Alex

[maillotpois]

Hey, your heart was in the right place - you were trying. That's just too much water.

[margo49]

Hmm, 20 to 30 oz. an hour?

alex

What is that is litres - 600 ml? Please.

Btw, I am usually fine with metric conversions but get confused with liquid American as it is diff from liquid Imperial.

[SadieKate]

Alex, are you riding at a different altitude than you live? If it is the same, it's really only the humidity that you need to worry about in addition to the heat. If you're riding at higher altitude than you live, your respiratory rate may increase and you'll loose water through more rapid breathing.

MP, correct me if I'm wrong.

If you live in SLC at 4,400-5,400 ft (depending on your location) and you're riding in the same general area/altitude, you should only have the humidity and heat to worry about. If you live at sea level and go ride at 5,000 ft, then your breathing will quicken and you'll loose water more quickly.

I'm in agreement with everyone on the over-hydration.

[SadieKate]

Margo, I like this online conversion calculator because it gives you the imperial and US options.

http://www.onlineconversion.com/

[maillotpois]

SK - true.

And, Margo - a bottle. Like a bike cage bottle = 20 oz roughly.

[margo49]

Wow! Have put it on favourites!
And, I was right! (altho' not to 9 decimal places)

[Alex]

That's what I felt like today! I started earlier and went up into Park City to ride, so about 2000 feet higher than yesterday. I averaged about 12 oz. of Heed per hour and had 3 Endurolytes during the course of the ride. I hammered just about the whole way and did hill repeats while waiting for my riding companions to catch up. (They were okay with that. Otherwise, I would have stuck with them.) I stopped for some potato chips at a convenience store because I was craving salt, which has never happened to me on a ride before. I also felt hungry, which also never happens. I weighed one pound less after my ride than when I started.

Thanks for everyone's feedback. Overhydration was definitely the problem yesterday. You all nailed it!

Alex

[KnottedYet]

Yay! Glad you had a better ride today!

[Thorn]

Wow! Have put it on favourites!
And, I was right! (altho' not to 9 decimal places)

Too many favorites and you can't find it (well, I can rarely find the things I put them)...try this next time...just ask Google. In the search area type, "1 liter to ounces".

The first "match" will be that "1 liter = 33.8140226 US fluid ounces" or about what they're saying.

Google will parse out and do a lot of conversions for you.