Training, Nutrition
& Health

• Consume about half a liter (one tall cycling water bottle) of fluids per hour to avoid dehydration. Of course if it is cool out, you're not sweating much, or you're a smaller person this amount can be reduced.
• Do not consume too much fluid. Do not consume more than about 1½ liters per hour. Your system cannot properly assimilate that much liquid intake and you will probably get stomach cramps if you try.
• Do NOT consume only water. This can be DEADLY (causing Hyponatremia) in endurance sports. Consume electrolytes with your water. Vitalyte is the best source of electrolytes and contains no artificial flavors or colors. The critical electrolytes include minerals for proper muscle function.
• Do not use "salt tablets" as your source of electrolytes. Sodium is just one of the minerals your body needs, and salt tablets typically do not contain calcium, magnesium, or potassium. You should not ingest more than 100 to 600 mg of sodium per hour.
• Be sure to include some carbohydrates (in drink or solid form) if you're going to ride more than a couple hours to avoid "bonking." Maltodextrin (available from bakery supply stores) metabolizes quickly and can be mixed with your regular electrolyte drink (like Vitalyte). Hammer Nutrition's "Perpetuem" provides this sort of high-carb drink mix in handy (albeit pricey), jersey-pocket-sized packets. My favorite is the "Caffé Latte" flavor, which also includes a legal dose of performance-enhancing caffeine.
• Don't try to consume more than about 300 calories per hour, even on all-day events. Your stomach will tell you (through uncomfortable cramping, vomiting, etc.) if you try to exceed this amount because it simply cannot absorb more than that.
• When exercising for more than two hours, you should consume some protein along with the carbs to help the muscles survive your long workout and recover better after your workout.
• Prior-night carbo-loading is silly. Pigging out the night before will do nothing for your ride or race result. Just minimize your sugar and alcohol input close to race day and drink lots of water. If you're trying to store more energy in your body have slightly more carbs for several days before your event, but only if it's a long (> 4 hours) event.
• Complete your morning meal 3 hours before your race to top off your liver glycogen (not to fuel your whole race energy consumption!), but don't wake up early just to eat early because getting enough sleep is crucial for your race performance, too.
• If you're feeling a bit hungry, have a "little something" just 5 or 10 minutes before your race.

Cycling-Specific Nutritional Supplements:

• First Endurance (Try "Pre-Race" to help get your mojo working for early morning races.)