There’s an easy trick to boost your performance and endurance on your bike. Drink plenty of water! It helps you retain fluids and tolerate the heat. Then you can get in your daily workout and conquer the toughest trails with almost no burnout. Follow these tips to properly hydrate before, during, and after your rides.
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1. Drink Up Before You Ride
Pre-hydration is necessary for any physical activity. Including biking. Drink 16-20 ounces of water an hour or two before you hop in the saddle. You’ll start off strong and can sustain your energy through the whole trip.
2. Travel With a Water Bottle
Always bring at least one bottle of water with you to drink along the way. The more, the better, as long as it fits on your frame or in your gear bag. Make sure the bottles are durable enough for rough conditions.
3. Plan Your Route Around Water
If possible, ride in a place with opportunities to refill your bottle. Because even if you bring a lot of water, anything can happen. You might push yourself too hard and need more hydration. Or maybe the sun comes out and you need to fight off the heat.
4. Sip Throughout Your Ride
Don’t wait until you’re extremely tired or thirsty to drink water. Take regular sips throughout your ride instead of drinking a large amount at one time. Use time intervals or landmarks as reminders. But don’t drink too much, otherwise you could experience confusion, nausea, or vomiting.
5. Listen to Your Body
Everyone’s different and you might need more water than you think. Pay attention to signs of dehydration. Like if you start to feel especially tired or dizzy. Drink more water before it gets worse.
6. Monitor the Weather
It might be a really hot day. Or it can start off cold and then get hot and humid by the afternoon. In either case, you need to drink more water to accommodate for fluids lost through sweating.
7. Try Electrolytes
For longer rides or hot and humid conditions, or if you don’t like regular water, try electrolyte-rich drinks or supplements. They replace salts lost through sweat.
8. Keep Drinking Afterward
Rehydrate after your ride to replace lost fluids. Try to drink 24 ounces of water within the first 30 minutes out of the saddle. You can also try coconut water or a recovery drink.
