The importance of hydration drinks in sports and bicycle racing
from
www.lancearmstrong.com
Dehydration is even more detrimental to a rider than bonking. During hot days in the south of France, the riders consume around 2 bottles per hour. Some of those bottles are just plain water, but about half contain a sports drink. The sports drinks provide carbohydrates to add to the food the riders eat, but the most important ingredients in a sports drink are the electrolytes. The human body functions on electricity and sodium and potassium are the primary conductors of that electricity. Without enough of either, nerve cells cannot function properly and muscles cease to work. In extreme cases, as with hyponutremia (water intoxication), the central nervous system begins to shut down as well.
None of this is news to a Tour de France rider; they are professional athletes and know that fuel and hydration are the keys to their success. Even so, many riders get themselves in trouble by failing to eat or drink enough during long hot stages. A 2-3% decrease in body weight due to dehydration leads to a 15% decrease in performance. Lance is strong, but he cannot afford to lose even 5% of his available power and still stay ahead of his competition.
The central nervous system (CNS) controls every nerve impulse in the body, and needs sodium, potassium, and calcium to conduct electrical signals that contract muscles and run all bodily functions. You lose a lot of electrolytes through sweat, as evidenced by the white crusty residue on riders' jerseys and helmet straps. (A mildly disgusting way to prove this to yourself is to lick your helmet strap. What you taste is almost entirely salt.) To prevent muscle cramps and more severe CNS consequences from losing too many electrolytes, riders try to make sure at least one of every three bottles they drink contains sports drink.
The important thing in choosing a sports drink is making sure it agrees with your stomach. Some drinks might be too sweet or syrupy and leave a rider feeling bloated. Lance Armstrong's drink of choice is Powerade�, because it works well for him and doesn't upset his stomach. (We hope to introduce Lance to Trek soon! - editor)
� Armstrong will sweat an average of 8 to 12 pounds each day
� Armstrong�s weight will fluctuate less then 1% due to his hydration and nutrition practices
� Armstrong will consume an average of 6,500 to 7,000 calories each day
� Armstrong will drink 2.5 to 3 gallons of fluid each day
-- Lance Armstrong's Coach Chris Carmichael