Dry Mouth???
 

Does anyone have any tips for eliminating/avoiding dry mouth/cotton mouth while riding. I always carry water bottles but while it solves the problem, it's temporary and interrupts the ride and breaks momentum.

Any tips will be appreciated!

Thanks!!

As far as I can tell, you will never really be able to avoid it when riding in hot weather. To reduce or minimize it, be sure you're doing the following:

- Start hydrating before your ride. Like, hours before.

- During the ride, drink before you feel thirsty. Taking frequent little sips is better than big guzzles at longer intervals.

- Electrolytes need to be replenished as well. This will not prevent cotton mouth, but it's related to the topic. I like Gatorade Zero (not the original, sugary formula). There are also powders you can mix into your water. My favorite of these is Skratch.

Dry mouth is a sign that you need hydration. Don't wait to feel thirsty to drink. Learn to drink while riding.

And, breath through your nose and keep your mouth closed.

Try putting some lemon juice in your water. But what everyone else said, drink before you feel thirsty, try not to breathe through your mouth.

Thanks to everyone who replied!!

living in reno it gets hot here. yesterday's ride was 102. drinking before riding makes no difference (for me). i drink about 6 cups of tea (12 oz) while at work and it makes no difference. it is also hard to not breath through my mouth. the dry heat just dries me out pretty quickly. i sip often during rides.

Unless you are drinking decaffeinated or herbal teas, you may be doing yourself a disservice. From Healthfully…

“Kidneys maintain homeostasis in the bloodstream by regulating the balance between sodium and water in order to ensure bodily cells are likewise balanced. Caffeine hinders the resorption of sodium and water in the kidneys. Resorption refers to uptake into the bloodstream. Subsequently, the kidneys only have the option to withdraw water or sodium to maintain balance in the bloodstream and cells. Alternatively, caffeine prevents water depletion to the extent of causing dehydration, because caffeine is most often ingested in a liquid, such as coffee or soda, that contains water.”

I have a countdown timer on my computer, which is available on several watches which reminds me to drink every 15 minutes. You might want to look into something like that. As the others have said, staying hydrated is key. The golden rule is to drink before you are thirsty and eat before you are hungry. You may also want to try chewing gum to stimulate your salivary glands unless you are going so hard that you risk inhaling it.

I have chronic dry mouth issues, rx's being part of the cause, bowel and prostate issues, also. I almost always have water on hand to sip on. When biking, I occasionally pop a small piece of gum or candy into my mouth for immediate relief. Tiny piece of sugarless gum works best for me. That, of course, is in addition to the water or fluid mixture I drink, close to a quart per hour.

A trick I learned in the Army when we were in the field was to put a pebble in my mouth until we could stop for water. It works very well to prevent dry mouth.

Chewing gum works for me.

I tend to have the problem more when it's cooler. Sucking on Shot Blocks works for me.

perhaps. but 11% humidity doesn't help either.

Breathe through your nose instead of your mouth.

Breath thru your nose, you'll make more power at least until the first ventilatory threshold, it has to do with vasodilation and not blowing off your CO2, you'll deliver more oxygen. I get nose bleeds in 11% hot desert conditions

And, make sure you are consistently hydrated before and after the ride. No chance to keep up hydration levels perfectly during the ride

Gum.

actually use to this a a lot in high school. I actually remember the wrestlers would use this to help shave weight. Not sure it really worked for that, but it did keep your mouth moist.

c'mon, riding a bike is my one chance to be a mouth breather. :eek:

I like the Ricola Mixed Berry flavor personally great for sore throats and such but also good for dry mouth. A hard candy could also work but the Ricola seems slightly better for you-ish.

However yes hydrate properly and attempt to keep your mouth closed if you can. That will go a long way.

Learn to be able to drink while riding. The ride will not be interrupted or slowed down. If you can't manage a water bottle, buy a hydration pack

+1 I will actually have Gatorade or some sort of electrolyte drink before the ride so that it's easier to stay hydrated during the ride.


I was about to suggest this. It's normal for newer riders to be uncomfortable riding while drinking, but that's exactly why the bottle cages are placed where they are. Start by leaving your valve open (unless you're on very bumpy terrain) and coasting while taking a drink on a straight section of road. Glance down for a fraction of a second to see where you're aiming for to put the bottle back, and keep a good grip on it until it's secure back in the cage. As you get more comfortable, you can try pedaling while doing it and not looking down as you get used to where to aim the bottle. It eventually gets to the point that you don't even break your rhythm.

I don't know where you live, but the only times dry mouth bothers me is when humidity is low. When that happens I take more frequent, smaller in volume, drinks. (If you have chronic dry mouth, consult a Dr. or dentist, that can be a serious health issue.)

You should be able to drink from a cage mounted water bottle without interruption or break in momentum. If you can't, practice until you can. It's not like walking a high wire over the Grand Canyon, it's just reaching down, grabbing the bottle, taking a drink, putting it back, while pedaling. Most cyclists do it thousands of times a year. I try to take a drink every 10 min. during a ride.

As for breathing through your nose, as some are suggesting, that's just silly. Maybe up to aerobic zone efforts, depending, but when putting out any significant effort you'll be breathing through your mouth, your nose, and any other orifices you may have handy.

Many of the common medications used by the "over 50" population will cause dry mouth.
Talk with you MD. Maybe you can switch the time of day you take the medication or switch the medication all together.

raisins or Mike & Ike's?
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...530b45dfb3.jpg

Seems like every single drug advertised on TV causes dry mouth.

As others have said nose breathing and gum. For me the gum works more than nose breathing but using my nose sure helps.