According to biological studies, our human body comprises of 60% percent of water, so staying hydrated plays a vital role in our everyday lives. For a cyclist, it is especially important, because, during cycling, a lot of energy is utilized. It has a great impact on sportive training. Whether you are cycling on a hot sunny day or a cloudy day, it is still something we need to be conscious of, the reason is that the human body is continuously losing excessive salt and water through sweating. If these things are neglected and not replaced on time, the body becomes dehydrated, which ultimately affects the performance of the cyclist and requires a long period to recover. Water loss can have fatal consequences on the human body, so staying topped up is especially for a sportsman is requisite.

Influencing Factors:

The more dehydrated you are at the start of the ride, the more you will need to drink during and after each ride.

1. Excessive sweating during bike rides depends on many factors, for example, genes, weather, and your fitness level. The more you sweat, the more water loss will take place in your body, because that’s how the human body works.
2. Longer duration of the ride- It is obvious that the longer the ride, the more you are likely to sweat, and in return, you need to compensate for the water loss by replenishing your water intake.
3. The Fitness level of an Individual- Every individual has a different fitness level; some gets exhausted more than others. Individuals that are highly trained tend to tolerate the water loss more than those who are beginners in sportive training.

Hydrating during Cycling:

      1. Thirst Mechanism:

The Human body has a thirst mechanism, which indicates when an individual needs to replenish his or her fluid intake. The second thing, which helps in figuring out whether your body is well or dehydrated, is to keep in check the color of urine.

2. Drink 300-500ml Water in the Morning:

As soon as you wake up, drink 300-500 ml of water, this will replace the water lost from sleep and will boost your metabolism during cycling.

3. Water intake during Hot Days:

Especially on hotter days, drinking 3-4 glasses of water one hour before the bike ride is vital, as this will give you a head start.

4. Water intake during Cold Days:

If you are cycling on cold days, it’s better to avoid consuming a large amount of water because body reduces the supply of blood and that will make you go to the toilet every other hour to excrete excessive fluid from the body.

5. Using Electrolyte Drinks:

When working out, replace water with an electrolyte drink. According to recent studies, water cannot replace electrolytes that are essential for the human body such as sodium, calcium, potassium etc. Neglecting this intake results in deterioration in performance and reduces the stamina of cyclist. It is recommended to use a rich mixture of electrolyte drink during winter as you will be drinking less and a weak solution during summer as you will be consuming more.

Therefore, to keep your body hydrated during cycling, you need to replenish after every bike ride. And keeping a balance between electrolytes and water intake is all that you need for a sound mind and a healthy body during cycling ventures.