Hydration in cycling is essential to maintain optimal performance during exercise, since suffering from dehydration, even mild, can negatively affect the physical capacity and resistance of the athlete.
In addition, drinking only water is not enough to maintain adequate hydration, it is also necessary to replenish the electrolytes lost through sweat, hence the importance of incorporating isotonics in prolonged training.
During exercise, the body loses both fluids and salts through sweat, which can lead to a decrease in blood volume and cardiovascular performance. In a situation of dehydration, the blood thickens and the heart must work harder to distribute it to the muscles and organs. This concept is called cardiac drift.
On the other hand, the lack of fluids can also cause muscle fatigue and cramps, which have a negative impact on performance, and can cause anything from a feeling of exhaustion to a collapse of the muscles.
Electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium or magnesium, are important minerals that help maintain fluid balance and contribute to the proper functioning of muscles and nerves. While most athletes are aware of the critical role of hydration, many don't know how to measure their sweat rate to determine how much fluid they need during a race.
Calculating your sweat rate is an effective way to determine the amount of fluid you lose during exercise. To know it, the cyclist must weigh himself before and after training. The idea is that during the time you carry out the activity, write down everything you ingest, both liquid and solid, to later take the initial weight and subtract it from the final weight, adding everything you have taken. In this way, we will know the amount of liquid lost during the activity.
From here, the amount of sodium that we have to ingest per hour is also calculated, knowing that in a liter of sweat we can find concentrations of between 500 mg and 1200 mg of sodium. This deficit can be compensated with mineral salt pills and isotonic drinks, which can be supplemented without problem.
Once the activity is over, 150% of the lost weight should be recovered with liquid. In this case, it would be good to combine it with carbohydrates and proteins, along with some muscle recovery.
Adequate hydration, as well as a good diet before training and during exercise, is crucial for cycling performance. An adverse situation, with a lack of liquid or food in the body, can cause serious health problems.
In fact, in some long-distance races, there are points to control the weight lost. If the values exceed 3-4%, the athlete must leave the race, always looking out for the athlete's health.
Drinking is essential, not only to "feed" the muscles, but also to keep body temperature regulated and everything working as it should.
