Energy drink for cycling: choosing the best option for optimal recovery?
If you play sports, especially cycling , and you have questions about hydration , this article is for you! Cycling is a sport that requires a long effort and variable intensity. And having optimal nutrition and hydration is essential for your performance. We will see together which energy drink to favor according to your profile.
The importance of hydration when cycling
Why is hydration crucial during physical effort?
During intense and prolonged physical effort such as cycling , we sweat more than normal. In fact, the body uses this phenomenon to maintain a stable temperature in our organism. However, this sweat causes a loss of water and minerals , such as sodium , potassium , magnesium and calcium . This is why good hydration is important , in order to compensate for the losses of your body and for your health.
If we only talk about performance, dehydration can reduce your physical abilities . Studies have shown that a dehydrated person (2% dehydration) will have a decrease in their physical and mental performance of up to 20% during a race. In addition, it can have negative effects on concentration, increase the risk of injury and cause cramps or headaches.
What is a sports energy drink?
Definition and role of energy drinks
An energy or isotonic drink is a drink whose purpose is to hydrate you during significant physical effort and provide you with the necessary energy. It is mainly composed of water, electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium), which will allow optimal hydration, but also carbohydrates, to provide energy to your body.
When you exercise, energy drinks allow you to recharge your energy stores and ensure an adequate supply of electrolytes and vitamins. Another element to take into account is recovery, because in fact, the minerals, vitamins, BCAAs (branched chain amino acids) and antioxidants present in energy drinks will allow you to reduce fatigue and recover better after your workout.
Are energy drinks effective for cycling?
When cycling, you need an intake of around 60g of carbohydrates per hour. They can be consumed in the form of bars or gels. However, energy drinks are more easily assimilated and contain between 30 and 40g of carbohydrates per 500mL of drink. It is therefore strongly recommended to carry some with you or in your bottle before leaving.
When and how to consume energy drinks while cycling?
When you practice a sport, there are a few recommendations to know about hydration with energy drinks. In particular, it is recommended to drink about 500 mL of energy drink, 30 minutes before your effort. During the activity, this is a consumption of between 500 and 800 mL per hour for optimal hydration. Finally, after the effort, try to drink about 1.5L of electrolyte drink for each kilo lost.
Be careful not to wait until you feel thirsty to hydrate yourself , because that means it's too late! Also avoid consuming too many carbohydrates, this can become counterproductive. Also, don't neglect electrolytes, potassium, magnesium, calcium and sodium which are very important for your body.
How to choose the right energy drink for cycling?
The criteria to take into account:
To choose your energy drink , it is important to know if your effort will be short and intense or prolonged. In the first case, it is better to choose a drink with a little carbohydrates to have fast sugars. For a long outing, it is best to take an isotonic drink to have carbohydrates and electrolytes.
Your choice can also be based on the composition of the drink. Depending on your needs, you should look at the concentrations of carbohydrates, electrolytes and vitamins . The most important thing is to have the necessary sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium intake to be able to rehydrate your body. Carbohydrates and vitamins are more or less necessary depending on what you want. Also check that you are not intolerant to carbohydrates.
What is the best energy drink for cycling?
The needs of cyclists are more those of a long-term effort. The energy drink made for you, must contain electrolytes as well as carbohydrates.
Hydratis is then the solution you need! You will find in each tablet 1.9g of carbohydrates and the rest of the electrolytes.Hydratis tablets allow you to prepare your electrolytic drinks very simply, knowing exactly what is in your bottle or can. In addition, Hydratis offers you many pleasant and varied tastes. You can choose the flavors that suit you among lemon, peach, wild fruits for example.
How to dose your energy drink correctly?
Dosage for short effort vs long effort
When cycling, especially during a long ride , we lose a lot of water, carbohydrates and electrolytes. This is why we must restore the water balance of our body, at the risk of seeing our performance decrease, or even creating more serious problems. To give figures, dehydration equivalent to 2% of our body weight can reduce performance by almost 20% . In addition, digestive disorders can occur without warning on the bike and to avoid this, you must consume suitable energy drinks.
To get an idea of how to dose your drinks, we will study two cases, on one hand, a moderate effort and on the other, a more intense effort.
If your activity is intermediate, try to have a carbohydrate concentration between 4 and 6% (this represents between 40 and 60 g/L). On the other hand, if there is intensity, you will have to increase and go between 6 and 8% (60 to 80 g/L). It is therefore important to know what type of effort you are going to provide to choose an energy drink accordingly.
What drink for a long cycling effort?
For a long outing that exceeds 3 hours , energy needs become important, so it is recommended to consume 60 to 90 g of carbohydrates every hour, as well as sodium, magnesium, potassium and calcium. To reach this amount, you can take a gel , solid nutrition or energy drinks . As for drinks, you should try to drink about 600 mL per hour, to avoid unbalancing your body.
A simple energy drink: mix 750 mL of water with 60 g of carbohydrates, in the form you want and add 1.5 g of salt and 150 mg of potassium. This mixture is a very good compromise between hydration and energy.
Now you have the tools you need to choose the best energy drink for you. To recap, the most important thing is to have a supply of minerals, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium as well as a source of energy. However, in terms of quantity, it varies depending on your effort. It's up to you!
Bibliography
Murray, B. (2007). Hydration and Physical Performance. In Journal of the American College of Nutrition (Vol. 26, Issue sup5, p. 542S-548S). Informa UK Limited. https://doi.org/10.1080/07315724.2007.10719656
Geesmann, B., Mester, J., & Koehler, K. (2014). Energy Balance, Macronutrient Intake, and Hydration Status During a 1,230 km Ultra-Endurance Bike Marathon. In International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (Vol. 24, Issue 5, p. 497-506). Human Kinetics. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2013-0169
