Staying completely hydrated a day or two before doing a big ride is generally a good idea. I personally believe that if you aren't doing heavy physical activity I don't see any difference in drinking gatorade or just plain water (you're not replenishing electrolytes or carbohydrates in the days before a ride).

 

I'm no doctor but I don't think you can "stock up" on electrolytes ahead of time. The idea is to replenish them with the drink as they go out with your sweat. It can help to sip one in the hour or so before a ride, so you're replenishing electrolytes from the get-go, but I don't think it would be the same drinking it a full day before.

I forget where I heard this little rule of thumb, but I generally only make an effort to drink an electrolyte drink like Gatorade if I'm going to be sweating for an hour or more. Usually don't drink it on rides though, no matter the duration, as I don't want to put anything but water in my Camelbak. But I will drink one right afterwards.

 

I drink water the night before. On my rides I stay away from gatorade and drink Cytomax.

 

I use Endurolytes, gatoraid has way too much fructose.

 

It's a good idea to drink electolytes when your sweating alot to avoid dehydration or when dehydrated. Drinking them before that point does nill to nothing unless there's something about you that your doc knows that's not the norm.
I usually drink alot of water, especially before during and after a ride. I only drink electrolyte drinks if and when I start to sweat alot.
Sugar, corn syrup, fructose, whatever in your electolytes drink are actually good during and after prolonged exertion.
My .02

 

i agree with just during the ride (as needed). i've put ice water in my bottle with some lemon juice and a teaspoon of sugar for that added boost- does well for me on those really hot days. i always drink a ton of water all the time though. once you're really thirsty, it's hard to get fully hydrated again while doing any type of activity.

 

Agreed, I don't think you can electrolyte-load, but I could be wrong. You can check around, several companies make electrolyte supplements in pill form if you are trying to stay away from sugary drinks like gatorade. I use them for endurance racing but for normal xc races, less than 2.5hrs, I just use Heed or Perp and water.

 

I just started using SaltStick brand electrolyte pills during my rides. I didn't want to muck up my camel back or carry a water bottle, so these were the perfect solution. I take one every hour or so and they work very well: no cramping or mental fatigue.

 

plain water to hydrate everyday. if your nutrition structure is good enough there is no need to drink electrolyte supplements throughout the day...they may even be wasted.

sports drinks are for during activity. just my opinion. i run or cycle daily and have no hydration, performance, or cramping issues. so it works for me.

as for staying hydrated, thats up to you but you should start hydrating 12hrs(minimum) before planned physical activity/exercise. water is cheap so why not just stay hydrated daily?


also..huge props to powerade ZERO, love that stuff.

 

You should drink electrolytes ALL THE TIME.

Preferably Brawndo.

Brawndo: The Thirst Mutilator - YouTube

Edit: As it was apparently not obvious, the above remark is completely sarcastic. Gatorade is not a great thing to be drinking even during sports- it's designed more to appeal to sweet-toothed drivers passing through gas stations than for sports use. It's just too concentrated for quick absorbtion during sports unless you heavily dilute it with water. A doctor who recommends Gatorade is either hugely simplifying things, or doesn't have much experience with sports nutrition.

If you are not excercising, drink water.

 

i know the video was a goof but not sure about your "all the time" remark. you cannot pre-load electrolytes. you only replenish or replace them.

 

As said, stay away from gatoraid. Hammer nutrition makes HEED(high energy electrolyte drink) and Perpetium mixes that don't give me heartburn like so many others do. Try different kinds until you find the one that suits you.

Gatoraid is like uncarbonated soda, but better than nothing I guess.

 

I understand some of the anti-Gatorade comments, but it does have a big advantage in that it's easy to find and comes in all kinds of pre-made serving sizes. I keep some G2 on hand for since it's lower in sugar and I can just throw a bottle in the car/pack if I'm in a hurry. Gatorade is definitely better than nothing. Better than water? Player's choice.

I think Gatorade is lacking because electrolytes are more than just sodium; not even Gatorade "Pro" gives you more than sodium and potassium. Also I think their recovery drinks are too protein-heavy. (Unless you're more concerned with bulk than overall functional fitness.) My sports drink of choice is Accelerade because I'm a believer in the 4:1 carb to protein ratio, I like the taste, and it agrees with me as I'm working out. But (watered-down) Gatorade is a convenience-based Plan B.

EDIT - I hadn't heard of HEED before. I'll definitely look into it, I like other Hammer stuff I've used.

 

Heat does some funny stuff to people. Due to sweating, people will drink more water to stay "hydrated" however sometimes "hydration" is not the problem.

When you sweat, you sweat out electrolytes, and sometimes plain water is not enough to replace those. Over hydration can actually do more harm than good in regards to electrolytes. You can still "bonk" and cramp, even if you are well hydrated.

I'm a fan of Hammer Heed. Whatever they put in that stuff WORKS. In the winter, when I'm not sweating so much or if I'm going on a quick ride, I don't use a sports drink. If I'm going big, or right before a race, I'll use the drinks.

 

I heard on a triathalon podcast that you can drink water with glycerol the day before a very hot event. Apparently the glycerol causes your cells to absorb more water than usual. I don't know if this works for sure and probably only worth trying if you are in a serious race in very hot conditions though!

 

Gatorade sucks as an electrolyte replacement. Seriously, simply read the nutritional label, nothing.

Pedialyte is what you need.

 

Will try. Thanks for the advice.

 

Re:

Electrolytes may enter or leave a cell through the cell membrane and are required for a variety of cellular functions. These provide energy and fluids as well as the electrolytes. The energy is in the form of glucose, a type of sugar.

 

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