What's in your water bottle?

[Makuman]

I've been using the blue Gatorade powder from Costco. Was wondering if there's anything better? SOS? Amino acids? Nuun, etc etc etc. Want to start training for a 112 mile road race in august.

[Hepmike]

Water. Sorry, not to sound snarky or old-fashioned; but anything else seems to upset me belly. Curious to hear other responses though.

[jmoore]

Cytomax

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[cachagua]

Second on the Cytomax, and second on the water. Anything over 25 miles or so, I carry one of each.

Water, though, that's essential. I carry that if I don't carry anything else. Ever try to get a bug out of your eye with blue Gatorade? Ever try to explain what you look like afterward?

[nighthawk]

Sorry to disappoint... but just water for me. Two bottles generally. If I ride over 70 miles.. I try to plan a stop to refill.. but I've never found any of the electrolyte fluids to be very thirst quenching or energizing. But I don't race or train. I'm just out riding for fun and adventure.

Hops and barley at the end of the ride, for sure, though.

[YoKev]

mold and mold floatables

[SlowPokePete]

H2O here...

SPP

[rwsaunders]

Water and a pack of Sport Beans if it's really hot and humid. On long rides there's always a rest stop involved and I'll live it up with a Coke.

[Ralph]

On rides longer than about an hour.....you ride on sugar mostly. And you only need to replace some sodium. Gatorade has that. Others also.

A famous sports Doc recommends a coke (and maybe a snicker's bar) and some salty chips or nuts at the 80 mile mark.

[mcteague]

Water, I hate pouring Gatorade over my head! :D

Tim

[sokyroadie]

Sorry to disappoint... but just water for me. Two bottles generally. If I ride over 70 miles.. I try to plan a stop to refill.. but I've never found any of the electrolyte fluids to be very thirst quenching or energizing. But I don't race or train. I'm just out riding for fun and adventure.

Hops and barley at the end of the ride, for sure, though.

+1
Good old H2O from the tap.

Jeff

[ahumblecycler]

Water in one bottle (down tube), Buffalo Trace in the other (seat tube; great for the freezing cold rides), and whatever local brew offering a deal on 32 oz growler fill (Osprey pack).

If only one bottle, water in the summer and BT in the cold.

https://www.ahearnecycles.com/shop/spaceman-bicycle-flask-holster

[Alan]

Water in one bottle and Tailwind in the other. I really like Tailwind drink mix. It is light and can be mixed at your preferred dilution.

Alan

[biker72]

Plain water. Nothing fancy.

[dustyrider]

Water. I usually don't drink mixes on the ride just after or before.

[oldpotatoe]

Water. Sorry, not to sound snarky or old-fashioned; but anything else seems to upset me belly. Curious to hear other responses though.

Same here..even diluted a bunch, any 'mix' upsets my stomach. Water..yesterday 4 bottles on a 3 hour ride. Warm day. Eat an apple mid way thru ride..

[wpod]

A frozen bottle each of Skratch and h2o to beat the Baja heat & humidity.

[numbskull]

Water....and any fungus or slime mold growing in there since I last washed it.

[oldguy00]

Assuming you aren't doing a triathlon, ie. not planning to run after your ride, then I'd say a sports drink really isn't required.****
Just use water or whatever you like the taste of.


**** If, like many triathletes, you've decided to get all your calories from liquid, then that changes things. I'd recommend EFS (from First Endurance), 1 scoop per bottle, with 1 scoop of carbo pro added per bottle. I believe that will get you about 200 calories per bottle. Guessing you'll go through about 5 bottles over 112 miles? Add more carbo pro for more cals if needed, or carry a couple gels to top up.

[adub]

Water.

[oldguy00]

Water....and any fungus or slime mold growing in there since I last washed it.

Thats a constant battle. I love the camelback bottles with the closing spout, but have to spend a good amount of time rinsing them with very hot water, spraying hot water through the spouts, etc to keep them from getting mold inside. :(

[saab2000]

Under 25 miles water. Between 25 and 50 miles a powdered drink mix and my favorite is EFS, Electrolyte Fuel System. It's mostly sugar I think but it has electrolytes as well.

Then for real rides of more than 50 miles I'll drop a couple capsules of Hammer Endurolytes into the mix, especially if it's going to exceed 75 miles.

These things change depending on rest stops and eating, but water alone doesn't cut it for multi-hour rides. In fact, it can put the body's electrolyte balance out of skew and can actually be dangerous in extreme situations.

[charliedid]

Water and nuun 70/30 split

[regularguy412]

Skratch mixed up at about 70% of recommended and also a small scoop of BCAA's(helps with muscle soreness). I add a small amount of electrolyte powder if it's really hot out (I sweat like crazy and lose minerals). I'll also bring gels on 30-40 mile higher intensity rides with the group. For longer rides I'll also bring seedless grapes, energy bars or fig bars for a bit more solid food.

Had to stop using Cytomax a few years ago. Was upsetting my stomach and I began noticing that it refused to remain in suspension. It would tend to clump at the bottom of the bottle, even after I had thoroughly mixed it prior to the ride. I really used to love that stuff back when I was racing in the 1990's.

Mike in AR:beer:

[commonguy001]

Water unless it's hot and I'll be out for 4-7 hours.
I add Nuun tabs on those rides, I like orange.

Usually don't like drinking my calories but they had Heed at the aid stations at a gravel event I just did. It's not sweet (I don't do sweet and I think they had unflavored ) and was easy on the stomach.

[ptourkin]

First bottle is APX or Skratch plus two scoops of CarboPro = about 300 calories. For a long supported race or something with drop bags, I'd like to repeat those bottles or at least the electrolyte component as much as possible. The other bottle is always plain water.

During a brevet or double where I don't have electrolytes for the bottle, I'll take an electrolyte pill every few hours. I agree with this not being necessary on shorter rides or days when you are resting the next day but on a decent ride or a week-long training block, being lackadaisical about hydration and electrolytes is going to bite you in the ass.

[shovelhd]

I've been using the blue Gatorade powder from Costco. Was wondering if there's anything better? SOS? Amino acids? Nuun, etc etc etc. Want to start training for a 112 mile road race in august.

That's what works for me. Front bottle only. I carry plain water in the rear bottle.

[shovelhd]

Thats a constant battle. I love the camelback bottles with the closing spout, but have to spend a good amount of time rinsing them with very hot water, spraying hot water through the spouts, etc to keep them from getting mold inside. :(

I bleach them every couple of months. In between, just a rinse.

[kppolich]

Long ride or race: 1 bottle water, 1 bottle Roctane
TT or CX:No bottles
Crit: 1/2 bottle of water

[Seramount]

filtered water and ice.

[kingpin75s]

Tap water plus Berkey filter for almost all rides.

Will run additives in one bottle if I am doing a 100+ mile event.

[Tony]

Any over 20 miles of hard effort I make a mix of Green tea, Honey, Lemon, and pick Himalayan salt.

[bironi]

water, but sometimes I forget to fill it.

[Black Dog]

Gin.

[fa63]

After messing around with various things, I have been having good luck lately with one bottle of water, and one bottle of coke (yeah, I know).

[clyde the point]

longer than 25 miles one water and one vitalyte. shorter just water from the well here in Ohier.

[jischr]

water,,but I start popping a salt stick hourly when riding over 3 hrs.

[rustychisel]

Water.

Those other things - as mentioned - can play havoc with your stomach. Also, they rot your teeth (seriously).

[Makuman]

Any over 20 miles of hard effort I make a mix of Green tea, Honey, Lemon, and pick Himalayan salt.

That's a new one! Might try that! Thanks

[martl]

Water. It remains drinkeable even warm, i can pour it over my head if i want, and i don't have to clean sticky mess from my downtube.

[bpiecuch]

Another vote for Water, Nuun active, and Skratch exercise mix.

The mix of the three depends on weather and length of ride. Short and cool, just water. Add some hotter weather, and I'll add a bottle of Nuun. Long and hot summer rides, one bottle of nuun and one of Skratch. I'll bring along extra nuun tablets or skratch packets for the 60-100mi rides, and find a water stop along the way.

With the amount I sweat, the Nuun does a great job of replacing those electrolytes. The Skratch gives me a few extra calories, above and beyond any solids I may take. And best of all, neither upset my stomach, YMMV.

[Mike Bryant]

If temps are 90+ and rides 50 miles or more, I mix in a quart of water, 1/4 tsp Himalayan salt (has some trace minerals I apparently need), 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, and 1 heaping TSP honey. Split the mix between my two bottles and top off with water. Sweat a lot and will suffer in the SE summer if I'm not replacing electrolytes during a long ride.


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[AngryScientist]

when i used to bike commute to work, one of my favorite things to do on hot morning was to fill a water bottle with iced coffee. refreshing cold caffeination was a real pleasure on a hot day.

[martl]

when i used to bike commute to work, one of my favorite things to do on hot morning was to fill a water bottle with iced coffee. refreshing cold caffeination was a real pleasure on a hot day.

Coffee is a legit answer :D I love to drop in on a small village cafe in italy on a ride - 5min max, typically not even an €. A rider i knew told me they would do that 8-12x per training ride when he rode for an italian amateur team. Was in the sixties, tho.

[giordana93]

Coffee is a legit answer :D I love to drop in on a small village cafe in italy on a ride - 5min max, typically not even an €. A rider i knew told me they would do that 8-12x per training ride when he rode for an italian amateur team. Was in the sixties, tho.

I would say that coffee is a legit answer for the OP (112 mile road race in summer) only at the end of the ride--like last 5 miles. Otherwise, it depends on how heavily one sweats. I'm a water-only guy for almost all my riding, but I am a heavy sweater and salt loss is a legitimate reason for electrolyte replacement drinks. If you have a good diet and sweat normally, you may be fine with water alone, but the absorption rate of a sports drink is higher than water alone and you will definitely lose some salt through sweating in a long summer ride with high intensity like a road race.

That said, I will often do the one bottle plain water one bottle gatorade, full strength, or have a diluted solution in both on centuries. Some people do have issues with digestibility, and I will say that for that, I really like the Skratch products. A little pricey, and a little weird tasting at first because there is less sugar and more salt than the typical "sports drink" formulas which are really soda competitors. for that matter, coke and such do have high sugar and sodium, along with caffeine, so a diluted, flat coke used to be a common end of race drink. but I find it kinda nasty. best advice on that is to try a few different products under similar (long, hot, intense) conditions to see what tastes right and treats your tummy right. good luck.

worth reading about hyponatremia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyponatremia), which has afflicted marathon runners drinking only water

[Walter]

I start with a small bottle of diluted Hammer Heed before I ride. Frst bottle on the bike is more Heed mixed full strength, last bottle is plain water.

If the ride is really long, first bottle is Hammer Perpetuem, followed by plain water.

Hammer gels along for the ride as well.

The heavy, sugary powders (like Skratch) upset my gut...

A riding buddy gets upset gut with Heed and loves Skratch...

[martl]

worth reading about hyponatremia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyponatremia), which has afflicted marathon runners drinking only water

During a couple of millenia of evolution, the human body has become quite good at telling the mind what it needs. It is worth listening ;)

[PQJ]

There can be only one - Hammer H.E.E.D. Been using it for 12+ years. Mild taste, easily digestible, does the job.

[carpediemracing]

I've never gotten to the point where I'm worrying about nutrition for a 112 mile race. However I've done a number of 100-130 mile rides.

I've tried a bunch of stuff but for me it's water.

If given some easy riding (like during my long rides I'll stop at a store) I'll eat peanuts (salt/fat), something with sugar (pop tart is a good value for pure sugar that doesn't melt). If getting hand ups I'd want to get Coke in some of my bottles, preferably either on ice or in an insulated bottle.

For some reason I basically cramp immediately when I drink electrolyte drinks (Powerade, Gatorade, the tablets... NUUN?, and one or two other things). I got horribly sick when I had something else that's trendy. This cramp thing started happening maybe 8 or 9 years ago and every time I think maybe I should have electrolytes I go about 10 minutes and then cramp. When I upgraded to 2 I was racing on water, crits up to 90 minutes long, so well within internal glycogen stores range.

[pdmtong]

I may use Nuun, Osmo, Skratch (electrolytes w/o calories) in one bottle but the other bottle always has water. plain water. in case I need to douse my head, wash my glasses, clean a wound, wash my hands after changing a tire....

[scoobydrew]

Riding road and gravel bike:
1 bottle full of plain water
1 bottle full of a mix (Skratch, Tailwind, etc.) or coconut water

Riding Mtb:
Hydration pack full of water + any gels or gummies on the side.

[LouDeeter]

Water usually, but when temp turns hot, I dilute the water with a couple of ounces of either Gatorade G2 for the electrolytes or Coconut water, when I can find it on sale at the grocery store. I doubt that either really adds much given the dilution but it acts like a placebo. Recently, I've been smacked a few times with exercise induced hyperglycemia about 15 minutes into a ride and my doc told me to carry a simple sugar source to pop in my mouth to overcome that when it happens.

[bicycletricycle]

Water

Sometimes on long rides I will buy a Gatorade. And fill one bottle with it.

No coffee in bottle but I will stop and have a coffee in a ride.

I like coffee

[giordana93]

During a couple of millenia of evolution, the human body has become quite good at telling the mind what it needs. It is worth listening ;)

I thought my post was pretty clear that normal diet probably supplies enough sodium and that water usually suffices; but some people do lose lots of salt and though highly unlikely in a short (!) ride like a century, it is possible to dehydrate and a little salt can't hurt; even helps with absorption being more isotonic. The World Health Organization has a formula for rehydration under extreme cases and uses lots of salt and some sugar. And whereas human evolution has indeed done a pretty good job of making us able to self-regulate water and food intake, evolution did not account for ultra-marathons and other dumb ass things we do to our body, so I will stand by "it's worth reading about" wrt hydration, and yes even death by hydration. infants die of it from diluted formula and athletes, especially when their brains shut down from fatigue and the effects of over-hydration, have died of it too. wink back at ya

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology-science/science/drinking-much-water-killed-14-5976264

I'm too lazy to find a less sensational and more scientific article than that, but they are out there

[ultraman6970]

Whats in my water bottle???

- water.

[hobbanero]

Osmo or Skratch. They have a very light taste, and are formulated to be absorbed by the body more quickly than water. Gatorade is basically garbage....too much sugar. You would be better off with water than Gatorade.

[AJosiahK]

I always have a big one with water, and a small (or big depending) with an electrolyte mix, Nuun is my current fav

[Ralph]

Dr Mirkin on subject. He doesn't work for a drink maker.


http://www.drmirkin.com/public/ezine072609.html

[VaBchMatt]

I've been using the blue Gatorade powder from Costco. Was wondering if there's anything better? SOS? Amino acids? Nuun, etc etc etc. Want to start training for a 112 mile road race in august.



Water for the most part. On longer hot rides some sea salt, tablespoon or two of lemon juice & maple syrup.


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[livingminimal]

Occasionally a Nuun tab. No idea if it actually does anything. It's probably placebo or something, but some of the flavors are decent.

[geeter]

Coffee.....only half joking.

Nuun has been great. I used to do Cytomax for years but I like Nuun on hot days and for 60 plus milers. After trying to go water only on those a few times and cramping, I decided to stick with Nuun.

[ColonelJLloyd]

Thats a constant battle. I love the camelback bottles with the closing spout, but have to spend a good amount of time rinsing them with very hot water, spraying hot water through the spouts, etc to keep them from getting mold inside. :(

Every few uses I steam my Podium caps/spouts in one of these (https://www.amazon.com/Medela-Quick-Clean-Micro-Steam-Count/dp/B000096QQ5).

http://www.mommygear.com/media/medela/medela-quick-clean-micro-steam-bags-5-pack.jpg

[Dirtdiggler]

Tailwind because I can get it locally and crank sports e-fuel if I mail order.

[SoCalSteve]

NUUN, been using it for many, many years. Every bottle, every ride. Never cramp. Not once.

[Jgrooms]

As mentioned by others. Heed. Easy on stomach. Not sugary. Complex carb.
Heed 1-3. Add gel 3-5. 5 plus add Perp/ honey/banana/juice blend (aka 'real' food for the cherry pie crowd).

For ultra stuff I think Hammer has the system worked out.


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[NPcycling]

Water. I will drink the Gatorade after a ride of 50 miles or more.

[ojingoh]

Water and a patch kit+mini-pump