fishymamba

Hey guys, I have a big ride tomorrow and I am very dehydrated right now. I barely drink any water usually and if I ride at this hydration level I will not be able to finish tomorrow's ride. My questions is: If I just drink a lot of water right now, and keep on drinking till I go to sleep, will I be fully hydrated by the morning? Is there a limit of water your body can process at one time?Do you have to drink consistently to maintain good hydration or can you just drink a big amount of water at one time? Thanks!

Trucker Dan

Drink some water. Optional: eat something salty.

Machka 

You can drink as much water as you want ... and it is probably a good idea to start drinking water now in preparation for your ride tomorrow.

HOWEVER, you can only drink as much water as you want IF you also consume electrolytes. Do not drink copious amounts of water without electrolytes. So, if you drink 1 litre of water throughout the evening (for example), then take an electrolyte pill or eat a small packet of salted potato chips or salted almonds with that water.

pmt

Yeah, consume a boatload of salt and/or electrolytes.

fishymamba

Thanks for the info guys! I drank 50oz of water before going to sleep last night and my dinner was pretty salt loaded so I didn't consume any extra salt. I just came back from the ride. I have to say that drinking all that water really helped me, I climber over 5000 feet and did 55 miles but I got no head aches or cramps.

revchuck 

This is a MAJOR fail. You need to be in the habit of staying hydrated for your general health, not just for riding. Drinking water throughout the day is the best way to do it - it's cheap and effective, and helps your body do what it needs to do. You don't need to slam immense amounts of it; a bottle or two before lunch and a bottle or two afterwards. If you don't want to shell out the money for bottled water, bring one of your cycling bottles and fill it from a tap. Being adequately hydrated will help you on your normal training rides during the week as well.

fishymamba

yeah I know i should really start drinking more, i usually only drink 25-40 oz in a day.

znomit

Citation needed.

ntjp

You must be quite new to exercising or something. Proper hydration is such a major issue and so ingrained in people who train, that when I first read your post I thought you were trolling. However, it looks like you're serious.

Drink loads of fluids. It's good for you and if you are dehydrated on the bike you will be overtaken by little old ladies. Do a google search for sports hydration or something, and read up on it. It's a little bit important! !

Sixty Fiver

Really ?

Dehydration is a chronic issue with huge numbers of people (estimates point to 75% of the NA population) who simply do not drink an adequate amount of water every day although they do drink a lot of other things like sodas and coffee which tend to dehydrate you.

25-40oz is about half the advised intake for an adult before you make adjustments for caffeinated beverages.

No citation from me either... just the experience of 12 years working in the health care field where I found many patients and clients who were suffering from health issues simpy because they just didn't drink enough water.

znomit

Do you prescribe coke or gatorade?

https://ajpregu.physiology.org/content/283/5/R993.full
https://cjonline.com/stories/021801/pat_hardwater.shtml

Sixty Fiver

We are not talking about sedentary individuals... citing from your first link.

https://ajpregu.physiology.org/content/283/5/R993.full

"It is to be emphasized that the conclusion is limited to healthy adults in atemperate climate leading a largely sedentaryexistence, precisely the population and conditions that the “at least” in 8 × 8 refers to. Equally to be emphasized, lest the message of this review be misconstrued, is the fact (based on published evidence) that large intakes of fluid, equal to and greater than 8 × 8, are advisable for the treatment or prevention of some diseases and certainly are called for under special circumstances, such as vigorous work and exercise, especially in hot climates. "

If you cycle or exercise regularly you need to pay attention to hydration and living where you do bet that most drink a fair amount to stay hydrated

The clients I worked with were fairly mobile and active individuals and most were deficient when it came to proper fluid intake to match their activity levels although other dietary and medication factors also played a part for some.

The 8 by 8 rule is not hard and fast as we vary in size, diets, and activity levels but most cyclists can tell you that dehydration is one of their major concerns... for hydration I would prescribe Gatorade as it contains electrolytes while Coke is always good for a little energy boost.