1st Rule of Dehydration Prevention:
“Drinking while riding”
Presented by: Jeff Lockwood, LIFE SPORT INC.
What a concept! I know what you are thinking, no duh. Please read on. The most common reason for poor performance is due to the failure of following the first rule of dehydration prevention. Having coached nearly a thousand athletes over the past 25+ years, I have noticed a common theme among many riders who participate in group rides, centuries and charity events. This would be failing to drink early and often.
Typically, these riders do an excellent job in their training preparation. They start training several months in advance. The training program is meticulously executed. Table nutrition is on track to provide the needed weight loss or weight management for a peak performance. During training rides the pockets are set with good tasting gels, sport bars and the like. The bottles have been carefully filled with the appropriate quantities of electrolytes and carbohydrates or even protein solutions. A drink schedule is outlined and followed on every training ride.
The day of the event arrives. All the drinks and sports bars are set in place. The event starts with a mass of riders in encircling you. The pace is beyond brisk, it is absolutely full throttle and this will continue for the next hour. You are busy watching out for road hazards, bike hazards and fellow riders behaving in a hazardous manner. Your attention is on everything but drinking or eating. Finally you realize you should take a drink to stay on schedule, but the pace is too high, or the road is too bumpy, or the riders around you are too close, or the cross wind is too strong, or the hill is too steep. So you wait until it clears up a bit. Now it has been over an hour and half and you have become dislodged from the lead group and your water bottle is still full.