Are electrolyte tablets helpful for recreational cycling?
Question: I usually ride for one or two hours and have started adding electrolytes to my water bottles because I see many other cyclists using them. I do not have a regular cramping problem though. The only time I cramped badly was near the end of a century ride in very hot weather, after I had been riding much longer than usual. I am not sure whether electrolyte tablets are helpful for my normal rides, or whether I am just spending money and adding more salt than I need. How can a recreational rider decide when electrolytes are useful, how much to use, and when plain water is enough? —Kevin B.
RBR’S STAN PURDUM REPLIES: Rules of thumb are helpful in deciding about electrolyte usage. And the thumb rule here is that unless you are riding on a very hot and humid day, plain water is sufficient for rides of an hour or less. On longer rides, after the first hour, water plus electrolytes (or combined in a sports drink), sipped every 10-15 minutes rather than waiting until you feel thirsty will help you stay hydrated. When riding more than two hours, keep sipping water and electrolytes and add some carb-heavy snacks.
The reason we generally don’t need more than water on rides of an hour or less is that normal hydration and stored energy from our last meal can usually cover us sufficiently for that period. But as we continue cycling beyond that hour, water alone is not enough to sustain us as we lose essential minerals through perspiration. While cycling, wind can cause perspiration to evaporate so quickly that we may not even be aware we’re sweating, but electrolyte tablets and ready-made sport drinks help us replenish those minerals to keep our bodies in balance and enable our guts to absorb the water we need. (Electrolytes are a specific subset of dietary minerals that carry an electrical charge when dissolved in water, controlling fluid balance, muscle contractions and nerve signals.)
Rules of thumb, of course, come with limitations, since they are not tailored to the specifics of your body, your daily nutritional practices, your health issues and so on. And some problems that can occur on longer rides in the heat, such as cramping, are not necessarily headed off by electrolytes alone, though they likely help. (Scientists have no certain methods for how to prevent exercise-induced muscle cramps.)
So use my suggestions as a starting point and adjust your hydration practices and electrolyte usage according to how they make you feel and how they affect your cycling performance. But they are supported by enough empirical evidence to make them worthy of your consideration.
Stan Purdum has ridden several long-distance bike trips, including an across-America ride recounted in his book Roll Around Heaven All Day, and a trek on U.S. 62, from Niagara Falls, New York, to El Paso, Texas, the subject of his book Playing in Traffic. Stan, a freelance writer and editor, lives in Ohio. See more at www.StanPurdum.com.
