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Help Surviving Heat and Humidity and water loss.

wexford

Maximum Pace
Jul 3, 2012
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Last two outside rides, I have weighed myself (naked) before and after the ride. This morning's ride was the early TCC Tama Tuesday ride which is always a hard spanking ride (for me). It's early though so not that hot yet. My elapsed time was 2h37 and riding was 2h17 for about 60km. I drink 2 x 610ml bottles of water (no ice) with some electrolytes. My post ride weight was 2kg down. That's pretty savage. Pre-ride I ate a bowl of oatmeal before taking me weight also. Guess I need to drink more. Not sure how though. 1kg of water is 1L, so I'd need an extra 2L of water somehow. Or somehow reduce how much I sweat. I don't feel I am sweating a mad amount but my clothes are soaked post ride. I guess one thing I could do is get bigger bottles. But then again @GrantT was only riding with one bottle. Maybe he was stealing my water?

The previous ride on Sunday, I lost 1kg over a similar period which I though was a lot at the time.

Anyway - just wondering what others are doing and how you are combatting the heat.

Clothes wise, I had a light weight short sleeve (TCC) jersey and a thin tank top type base layer.
 
You could try what the pros do, put a bunch of ice in women's tights and put it on top of your neck under the jersey. It could keep your temps down for a bit and so limit water loss.
 
As a rule of thumb, I drink about 0.6-1.25 liters per hour, depending on weather, the route and intensity. During my ride today it was about 1 liter per hour on average as it was quite hot and humid (about 30-35 degrees), but we were riding mostly in the flat. If you lose 2 kg during a relatively short two hour ride, you are definitely not drinking enough. Keep in mind that you should not wait until you are thirsty in the same way that you should not wait with food until you are hungry — then it is already too late.

So I highly suggest you keep track of your water intake during the ride. For example, you could aim for 1 liter per hour in this warm weather, and then you know you will need one pit stop during your ride. Also, you should put ice in your water, that makes a world of difference in hot weather. If you can get insulating bottles (E. g. Camelbak makes an insulated and a non-insulated version in large and regular sizes.) Our fridge automatically makes ice cubes, you just need to fill some water into a reservoir and voila. But perhaps you need to make them by hand.
 
If you think you are sweating too much, you might want to add some more salt to your diet. This helps with water retention. At this time of year I always add a bit to my food and drinks as I am losing so much in sweat anyway.

But obviously sweat is the best way to cool your body.

So your fluid input has to exceed your output. So if you drank 2 x 500ml bottles and lost 2 kg, that's a net loss of 3 kg (ie. 500ml x 6). So 6 bottles. Preferably 7!

I did a 2h45 ride yesterday and did 8 x 500ml bottles. I plot my rides via cold springs and vending machines and aim to empty the contents of each bottle before I reach the check point. Even then I got home and did a shake and two pints of orange juice...

Also with regards to temperature, although it is cooler early doors, the % relative humidity is usually higher so you sweat loads anyway...


Drink, drink, drink!

Andy

https://www.facebook.com/biketrainingandracinginjapan/
 
I think I'll get myself some larger bottles as a start. I guess I sweat more on the hills because I'm moving slower and working harder, whereas on the flats I'm going faster and getting cooled by the wind. Will have to figure out how to work a water stop into the rides although can't see us stopping twice for a total of 6 bottles. @GrantT - how are you surviving the same ride on 1 bottle lad? Ah - you are going faster up hills...
 
@OreoCookie - writing to you makes me hungry. Not sure why.

Ice. Yeah. I have the insulated podiums. I think they hold less though and I guess adding ice my limit that some more. But I guess the ice will cool me down too. I'll experiment with ice and see where it takes me also.
 
@andywood - what shake you drinking post ride? 2 pints of orange juice... do you just like orange juice or is there a reason for that?
 
On my 90min ride this morning I used a bit over half a water bottle. This is normal for me. But if I was going to be riding any longer I aim to drink a bottle an hour and have one water one electrolytes that I alternate between. Oats I would never do before riding, heavy in the stomach and they seem to require additional water to digest.

I also make sure I have a big drink before I leave.
 
I drink a big glass of water before and after the ride, also I'm probably not quite as near my limit as you might be :).
Another thing to consider is, how did you feel after today's ride? Did you feel bad after losing 2 kg?
 
Will have to figure out how to work a water stop into the rides although can't see us stopping twice for a total of 6 bottles. @GrantT - how are you surviving the same ride on 1 bottle lad? Ah - you are going faster up hills...

You probably already know this, but just in case you don't, there's lovely spring water available (for free) not far off your route.
https://goo.gl/maps/mjsFdUbg9hE2
This might help with supplies?
 
I think I'll get myself some larger bottles as a start. I guess I sweat more on the hills because I'm moving slower and working harder, whereas on the flats I'm going faster and getting cooled by the wind. Will have to figure out how to work a water stop into the rides although can't see us stopping twice for a total of 6 bottles. @GrantT - how are you surviving the same ride on 1 bottle lad? Ah - you are going faster up hills...
You gotta drink how much you gotta drink. On training loops this should be especially simple, konbinis are everywhere. A 2 liter bottle of water costs only 92 ¥ plus tax or so. Depending on your needs, you can add a mineral tablet to the water in one of the bottles, you drink another half liter during the pit stop and use the remaining water to cool head and upper body.

Another option is a Camelbak bladder. I know it is sacrilege amongst roadies, but mountain bikers have used them for years. I have a small Deuter backpack that fits a 3 liter bladder, and that works quite well, too. In the summer it is admittedly a bit of a pain, but especially when it gets colder, having a backpack is actually kinda nice: I put in a spare base layer, a pair of socks, perhaps an extra pair of gloves, a softshell jacket and of course all my favorite tools.
 
I drink a big glass of water before and after the ride, also I'm probably not quite as near my limit as you might be :).
Another thing to consider is, how did you feel after today's ride? Did you feel bad after losing 2 kg?

I always feel absolutely fabulous after these rides. On top of the world. Energetic and ready to start my day :) Best breakfast in the world. So yeah, I don't feel too bad for losing it (probably as I had drank a lot of water the previous day to make sure I was topped up also). My problem is really the longer rides where if that ride continued for another hour or two, I'd be crawling home with my tongue hanging out. I know its about attacking the issue early rather than leaving it till its too late so I'm finding all this info interesting and also quite amazed by seeing how much I lost.

I don't drink before I go out though... Kinda obvious in retrospect. It's hard to line up everything to get out the door in 30 minutes, so I'll add that to the routine. Next, I'll be wanting to stop for a pee. haha.
 
I have a big glass of water before hitting the road. Then I average about 4 bottles over the course of 100 km. More than that more water. I then drink another big one post-race along with a spinach, cucumber, almond milk, tumeric, protein shake.

A word of caution from experience. I didn't drink enough last year and ended u having kidney stones. It was a combo of dehydration, coffee, and eating foods that are prone to giving one these nasty little buggers. (Affects the older folk more than the young-uns)
 
Nice easy ride today just spinning for an hour in zone 1. 1 bottle and 0.1kg down post ride. Was a nice breeze today with no direct sun but I was idling mostly also so didn't sweat much. A guy in regular clothes on a road bike came up behind me, probably wondered by I was spinning so much and going nowhere and then eventually passed me :)
 
Yesterday's discovery was also that my wife uses ice to make her morning ice coffee so I gotta make sure there is plenty of ice for her too or I'll find myself in hot water. Decided to chill my bottles the night before though. That worked well this morning.
 
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