Christophe Ramon
It looks very easy. We ride, sweat, get thirsty and drink some. So why hydration is presented as a complex science, a problem that requires a deep understanding of human gaps, modern tests, and ‘scientifically developed’ solutions? Does this really need to be complicated?
Is “Alcohol” when you are thirsty? Why is there so much dispute around this topic? And how can there be so many solutions that are so different, still considered based on the same scientific evidence?
Welcome to the simplest of hydration for athletes so far, scientific-even welcome to the controversial world. In this multi -part series, we will open what we know about hydration and electrolytes for cyclists. We will see why these topics have been discussed so warmly in the past years. Where there is a joint ground in various main characters. Where opinion is different and why; And the recent scientific acts that have been done quietly, often from the eyes of those who love the flames of conflict.
One and two parts cover one and two water from the body and hydration, while the part will dive into the role of three electrolytes. I hope you get away from these stories is that hydration and electrolytes (especially sodium) are complicated – you should not think about them in isolation. It is also the topic of the latest performance process podcast, where I sat down with Ronin McChanne to meet this important topic. If you prefer audio format, wherever you get your podcast or just scroll down.
Go into hydration
As a practitioner and researcher, I have made an interesting journey with hydration and electrolytes. I entered this profession as a practitioner in the mid -2000, at a time when the debate about this debate, how, and how much to drink, and whether electrolytes were important or not, often used as a war of David vs Golith, between sports and electrolyte drinks industry.
Just as McDonald’s is a fast food posters because of its dominance, Gateord has become an unofficial symbol of ‘Big Hydration’. It was not only the dominant market player, but also did most of the research in the area through the Gateord Sports Sciences Institute (GSSI). The GSSI also developed the methods and equipment that allowed practitioners to collect sweat samples and analyze sodium losses through their sports science and commercial partners in the Western world.
The opposing aspect of this debate was led by many research experts, but now retired but still controversial, no more than Professor Tim Naxes. Although Tim is more known for his thoughts around a low -carb, high -fat diet these days, it was before it was hydration and electrolytes on which he focused on most of his work, ending his 2012 book ‘Water Logde’ publication.
My move to the research came later, and as a scientist who entered the field of a generation after discussing his qualities, I was in a fortunate position that was not taken firmly in any direction. I was able to observe both sides of the argument without pushing myself to take my direction. I could see that the two sides were actually doing some great science, but their different interpretations were largely created because they were reaching the area from a different point of view.
Most of the GSSI focus was on low -level athletes, short, high -intensity sports where sweating losses are high and access, ability and drinking opportunities are limited. On the other hand, in South Africa, the Comrades Ultra marathon approached his role that provides medical aid, which is a race where he faced over -hydration cases as a result of a prolonged, low -intensity event, where access, ability and drinking opportunities are more likely to be liquid. It was not surprising to me that he created a lot of different views about appearing like hydration strategies. It was also not surprising that in both circumstances, a strategy or other strategy could not be the best way to apply.
What I have done below is to keep these two perspectives in mind. In addition to another decade or more research in the books, with the intensity of exercise and how we imagine the needs of different events, I hope to do what we know and apply it in a more proportional way. We need solutions that can improve health and efficiency, whether you are breaking a standard in the heat of the Ace Summer, or grinding a highly distance event like race across the United States or 24 -hour MTB event in a cold environment.
Explain our terms
Before we are very deep in science, we need to explain certain terms:
Total water of the body: The amount of water in the human body, which is usually manifested in a liter. It is slightly different among people that depends on how much you have body fat, but usually for women 50-55 % of the individual’s body weight, and 55-60 % for men (slightly more for a very lean individuals such as pro cycle riders).
Intra cellular fluid: The fluid that is inside the cells of our body. It is usually almost two -thirds of our physical water.
Extra cellular fluid: The fluid that is outside the cells of our body. It is one-third of the body’s total water and can be divided into further intravenously in the plasma fluid (or plasma volume)-our blood vessels in the fluid-and-saving fluid-the fluid that is around our cells.
Yohoids: Usually the state of being hydrated. Basically, the body is trying to get the fluid from the body and the out.
Hypo hydration: Less normal water conditions than the body, due to the loss of liquid, which has not been properly replaced. These disadvantages are mostly sweaty in the workout scenario, but can occur in the case of irrelevant urine disadvantages, or in the case of illness, vomiting and diarrhea.
Water deficiency: The process of losing total water of the body. People often confuse dehydration and hypo hydration. The technical difference is that there is a dehydration of water Process Losing water, while hypo hydration is ConclusionOr the condition of living in fluid deficit.
Hyper hydration: Due to the retention of excess fluid in the body, the condition of having more water than the normal physical water, instead of the usual process of urinating to maintain euhydration.
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Performance Science Hydration Performance process
