"James Connell" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:you don't lose enough salt in a few hours to realy make a dif. it's the dehydration, glycogen
levels that take the toll.
I disagree. I think you can easily lose enough salt to suffer cramps in the four hours the
original post referred to. I ALWAYS add about 1/8 teaspoon of salt to my half-strength gatorade
mix (2 quarts) during warmer season rides. (During the wintertime, I don't sweat as much salt
out, and don't usually need to add it.) Since I started this practice about 2 or 3 years ago
(because of some serious troubles with cramps), I can only think of about once or twice in that
time I have actually suffered from cramps, and I think those times were due to not having taken
enough of my (salted) gatorade during the ride. I had it there but failed to drink enough. Even
then, the cramps were MUCH less severe than they used to be. Potassium is certainly a factor to
consider also, as are calcium and magnesium. I am no nutrition expert, and don't mean to sound
like one, but all these are factors involved in muscle activity according to what I have read,
and my own personal experimentation with these convinces me they work. YMMV.
Quoted message said:gatorade always sours in my stomach in a race but it is fine on a less than max effort ride.
I have little trouble with that, but my half-strength mix probably helps in that regard. I also
make sure to get other stuff in my stomach along with the liquid (Hammer gel, usually, plus
Clifbar on longer races.)
Quoted message said:just be sure you don't 'douse' yourself with it instead of water! i did that once and it's amazing
how many bugs can stick to you in 4 hours of riding!
If you have enough mud and dirt on you, as was the case in our last race here, the bugs don't
matter much. Plus, we got an almost constant bathing in huge mud puddles. :-)
--
Off to ride the mountains, Dale Heath Reply to newsgroup. Spam is out of control.
