How Much Water Should I Drink When Cycling?

Cycling is an excellent way to stay physically fit and enjoy nature. However, keeping yourself properly hydrated is crucial when biking. It's essential to stay on top of your hydration game to maximize your bike riding potential. In this blog, we'll explore how much water you should consume when cycling.

It's worth considering that the water amount that suits your body may not be the same for others. It's always best to develop a hydration strategy that's perfect for your body. To accomplish this, you need to know your fluid needs by measuring your sweat rate during a ride. After measuring your sweat rate, replenish the lost fluids by drinking half of the lost water thirty minutes before cycling and the other half during the ride to maintain your body fluids balance.

In addition to drinking water, you can consume a sports drink with added electrolytes to replenish the lost electrolytes and fluids due to sweating during cycling. Electrolytes are vital minerals required to balance fluids in your cells, regulate nerve and muscle function and help maintain blood pressure. Drinking water and sports drinks combined will maximize performance, reduce fatigue and minimize the effects of dehydration.

When undertaking lengthy rides, your consumption of water should be consistent. To ensure integrity, you can set reminders or alarms in case you forget to drink water during cycling. Moreover, taking regular breaks to drink your preferred fluids can help you maintain a consistent water consumption pattern.

At Westbrook Cycles, we stock and supply an excellent range of cycling sports drinks and gels to keep you fuelled and hydrated, we also stock and supply a range of cycling water bottles & bottle cages for a wide range of road bikes and mountain bikes. We even offer specialist aero water bottles for those needing to retain an aerodynamic bike profile.