Before Workouts: Consuming 6-8 glasses of water and maintaining a straw to clear colored urine remain good rules of thumb. While no clear RDA has been put forth yet there seems to be agreement that we can improve the specificity of our daily hydration goal by aiming for 0.5-0.6 fluid ounces per pound of body weight (roughly 33-39 ml/kg). So as a starting point you can estimate your daily fluid requirements in fluid ounces by multiplying your body weight in pounds by .5 to .6. Most people will find that when properly hydrated they are up 1 -2 times during the night. In the couple of hours prior to your workout weigh yourself to get an idea of your ‘hydrated weight’, which can be compared to your post ride weight and help determine how effectively you hydrated during your ride. In general, aim to keep your fluid consumption fairly stable each day. Many athletes make the mistake of over hydrating leading up to a big event and this can be counter-productive as the body’s ability to perform muscle contraction and support the cardiovascular system are impaired. Maintain your healthy consumption as suggested above and in the 4 hour prior to a race you can look at consuming two 16 ounce water-bottles to top up your stores. Try to be done drinking in the 20-30min prior to the start to give you stomach a chance to empty. For tougher workouts especially, try executing a similar strategy so that you are used to hydrating in this way.
During Workout: A simple rule we try to work towards is consuming 1 regular sized bike water-bottle every 45 minutes or 1 large bottle per hour with a goal of ~20-25 ounces an hour depending on body weight and temperature. Remember each bottle should contain some carbohydrate (general recommendation is 200-250kca/hour for workouts >1hr or that include intensity over 75%) and more central to this discussion, electrolytes. Electrolytes are imperative to many bodily functions such as muscle contraction and fluid balance. Consuming only water during exercise can result in ‘hyper hydration’ as the body becomes dilute. This can quickly become a very serious problem (i.e. cramping, dizziness, nausea).
After Workout: This is one of the reasons that a liquid recovery drink (ie. Recoverite by Hammer) becomes an effective performance tool. It contains carbs and protein in a convenient form, in a reasonable amount and with the added benefit of water consumption to immediately restock both energy and hydration stores in the 30-60min post exercise. If you are not prepared to buy into the ‘recovery potions’ then remember to include a glass of water in the 30-60min post-workout window, along with some good digestible carbohydrates/protein. It is good practice to weigh yourself soon after finishing a workout in a similar state as pre-weighing (towel off and perform in minimal, dry clothing) and note the difference in weight. Ideally there will be about 1-2% of body weight loss (if not you may have over-hydrated, so keep an eye for this trend over several rides). If you are over 2% loss then consider upping the amount you drink before and during your next ride. Again, watch your urine colour is clear to a very light yellow rather then a dark yellow. With your weight difference noted, consume 16oz/500ml/small bottle/2 cups/1 pint for each pound difference gradually over the next few hours. I put a little chart on my scale that lets me know how much water for a given difference between .25 and 5 lbs (a calculator may be needed to help indicate % of body weight to start). In closing try keeping this info in a training log, along with performance and workout information to ensure you continue to make improvements and catch mistakes effectively.
Have Another!
Steve and Peter
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Did my 30 Burpees for time today (thursday) after my tempo workout and it too 2:01 ... I love doing burbees !! doesn't anyone else!
ReplyDeletePeter