hydration help!

What length is the tri you are training for? Are you asking for the
event or general training?

Gels aren't necessarily for hydration, they are mainly fuel to burn.

For hydration water and sports drinks are what most people (from my
experience) use to stay hydrated. Most people drink on their bikes
during the race and take in fluids at the aid stations (usually about a
mile to a mile and a half apart, depending on the length of the race).
For hydrations water will suffice. However, sports drinks also help
replenish the electrolytes lost during your event/training, and for
long events it is essential that you replenish them or hyponatremia
could set in (in rare cases has been fatal)
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyponatremia) . If you can't stomach
sports drinks there are capsules you can take to maintain a balance in
your system.

Thanks for the info. I've heard that capsules/tablets only provide a
fraction of what gels & sports drink provide so you need to take many
of them. Some people have reccomended taking Gatorade powder in film
cannisters, baby bottles, salt shakers etc. have you seen many people
doing this? Seems like it might work if you can stop for water and its
not too windy. Getting it in the narrow opening of some sports/water
bottles might be a problem. I am hoping to avoid using the gels which
are rather expensive per serving and don't taste so great. I figure
since I need water anyway why not just take the powder along and keep
it simple. Thanks in advance for your input.

Mrs. Tberry said:

What length is the tri you are training for? Are you asking for the
event or general training?

Gels aren't necessarily for hydration, they are mainly fuel to burn.

For hydration water and sports drinks are what most people (from my
experience) use to stay hydrated. Most people drink on their bikes
during the race and take in fluids at the aid stations (usually about a
mile to a mile and a half apart, depending on the length of the race).
For hydrations water will suffice. However, sports drinks also help
replenish the electrolytes lost during your event/training, and for
long events it is essential that you replenish them or hyponatremia
could set in (in rare cases has been fatal)
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyponatremia) . If you can't stomach
sports drinks there are capsules you can take to maintain a balance in
your system.

I think that what Mrs. Tberry was referring to are electrolyte
replacement tablets. I use these for 1/2 IM and longer events. Here is
one good product called Endurolytes:

http://www.hammernutrition.com/za/HNT?PAGE=PRODUCT&CAT=ELECT&PROD.ID=4037&OMI=10104,10082,10047&AMI=10104

Most people use Gatorade type sport drinks or whatever is on the course.
For many heavy sweaters (not the kind you wear..) in hot weather,
there aren't enough electrolytes in the sports drinks and add they take
electrolyte tablets.

I have seen people wearing flask belts to carry all their own gels AND
fluids on the course. I personally wouldn't do this.

Mixing powder into every bottle handed to you on the bike and into every
cup you grab each mile or so on the run would also be something I
wouldn't do.

I'm not sure what you by "gels are expensive" It would depend on your
budget but, you might get a season of racing out a 24 pack of gels.
These are $19.99. They have free shipping today 12/15/2006:

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=105&subcategory=1070&brand=&sku=2711&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Subcat%3A%20Nutritional%20Gels

hydrateme said:

Thanks for the info. I've heard that capsules/tablets only provide a
fraction of what gels & sports drink provide so you need to take many
of them. Some people have reccomended taking Gatorade powder in film
cannisters, baby bottles, salt shakers etc. have you seen many people
doing this? Seems like it might work if you can stop for water and its
not too windy. Getting it in the narrow opening of some sports/water
bottles might be a problem. I am hoping to avoid using the gels which
are rather expensive per serving and don't taste so great. I figure
since I need water anyway why not just take the powder along and keep
it simple. Thanks in advance for your input.

Mrs. Tberry said:

What length is the tri you are training for? Are you asking for the
event or general training?

Gels aren't necessarily for hydration, they are mainly fuel to burn.

For hydration water and sports drinks are what most people (from my
experience) use to stay hydrated. Most people drink on their bikes
during the race and take in fluids at the aid stations (usually about a
mile to a mile and a half apart, depending on the length of the race).
For hydrations water will suffice. However, sports drinks also help
replenish the electrolytes lost during your event/training, and for
long events it is essential that you replenish them or hyponatremia
could set in (in rare cases has been fatal)
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyponatremia) . If you can't stomach
sports drinks there are capsules you can take to maintain a balance in
your system.

hydrateme said:

Thanks for the info. I've heard that capsules/tablets only provide a
fraction of what gels & sports drink provide so you need to take many
of them. Some people have reccomended taking Gatorade powder in film
cannisters, baby bottles, salt shakers etc. have you seen many people
doing this? Seems like it might work if you can stop for water and its
not too windy. Getting it in the narrow opening of some sports/water
bottles might be a problem. I am hoping to avoid using the gels which
are rather expensive per serving and don't taste so great. I figure
since I need water anyway why not just take the powder along and keep
it simple. Thanks in advance for your input.

I put drink powder in an extra water bottle on the bike, or in a flask
for the run. You can always get clean water at aid stations. However,
drinking something that does not agree with you or work for you can
hamper your chances of finishing.

I am however, moving over to more gels, less sports drink, some (mixed)
salt tablets, and water. Gels are usually provided on the course and I
can take them before the aid station, and then take water at the aid
station to follow the gel down. I have found that water and gels work
much better than drink and gels, or drink and water alone. I get a lot
more energy that is sustainable, and it keeps me busy so that I am not
looking at my watch as much. Also my stomach doesn't get full of
sloshing liquid in a longer event, like it would if I required the salt
and sugar in the drink.

If the gels provided on the course are not what I am used to, then I mix
the gels with my own, or use only my own gels if I know that I need to.
This way I am dependable on my own self. Plus, with so many people that
get sick on the course, I know that my drinks and gels are clean. ie,
the porta potty users are not touching my gels that I will stick in my
mouth.

ymmv

Try Carb-BOOM for great tasting gels - they no longer sponsor Canadians
so I'm out, but I still like the product.

www.carbboom.com

hydrateme said:

Thanks for the info. I've heard that capsules/tablets only provide a
fraction of what gels & sports drink provide so you need to take many
of them. Some people have reccomended taking Gatorade powder in film
cannisters, baby bottles, salt shakers etc. have you seen many people
doing this? Seems like it might work if you can stop for water and its
not too windy. Getting it in the narrow opening of some sports/water
bottles might be a problem. I am hoping to avoid using the gels which
are rather expensive per serving and don't taste so great. I figure
since I need water anyway why not just take the powder along and keep
it simple. Thanks in advance for your input.

Mrs. Tberry said:

What length is the tri you are training for? Are you asking for the
event or general training?

Gels aren't necessarily for hydration, they are mainly fuel to burn.

For hydration water and sports drinks are what most people (from my
experience) use to stay hydrated. Most people drink on their bikes
during the race and take in fluids at the aid stations (usually about a
mile to a mile and a half apart, depending on the length of the race).
For hydrations water will suffice. However, sports drinks also help
replenish the electrolytes lost during your event/training, and for
long events it is essential that you replenish them or hyponatremia
could set in (in rare cases has been fatal)
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyponatremia) . If you can't stomach
sports drinks there are capsules you can take to maintain a balance in
your system.

Onne said:

Try Carb-BOOM for great tasting gels - they no longer sponsor Canadians
so I'm out, but I still like the product.

When did they stop sponsoring Canadians?
I had sponsorship this past year (2006).

Regardless of what anyone suggests, you need to experiment with
anything you can find and see what works best for you. Some people
can't do gels, while others can't do sports drinks. Without trying
various things, you'll never know what works best for you. You need to
go through trial and error to find out what is going to work best for
you on race day. Also, know that the sponsors of a race has usually
provide the aid stations at a race. You don't want to rely entirely on
the aid stations, they may only have supplies of something your body
can't tolerate. Always come prepared and have one of those little
lunch box things on your bike or something and have plenty of water
bottles on your bike.

Still I think everyone it would be helpful to know what length you are
training for so we know how much intake you are going to need for your
event.

hydrateme said:

What do you do to hydrate? I can't seem to find a solution. Gels?
(taste nasty, expensive, still needs water) Sports drink? (best option
but what do you do when you finish your sports bottle?) Camelbak,
Fuelbelt etc.? (too heavy & uncomfortable).

Thanks in advance for your response.

Has anyone out there tried the film cannister/plastic baggies to hold
extra amount of sports powder? during competition? during training?

hydrateme said:

hydrateme said:

What do you do to hydrate? I can't seem to find a solution. Gels?
(taste nasty, expensive, still needs water) Sports drink? (best option
but what do you do when you finish your sports bottle?) Camelbak,
Fuelbelt etc.? (too heavy & uncomfortable).

Thanks in advance for your response.

Has anyone out there tried the film cannister/plastic baggies to hold
extra amount of sports powder? during competition? during training?

I have tried several methods, from plastic bags to water bottles. Gel
flasks worked the best for me.

Sports powder is a funny creature, it changes structure when you change
the container. Sometimes the sports powder turns gelatinous, sometimes
crunchy and other times it turns into hard pucks. Sports powder is easy
to spill out of a plastic baggy, and baggies rip or get small holes in
them very easy.

Quoted message said:

Has anyone out there tried the film cannister/plastic baggies to hold
extra amount of sports powder? during competition? during training?

That's what I did for a trail 50-miler last April. It was five 10-mile
loops. I carried a few baggies filled with enough Cytomax powder for a 24-
oz water bottle. So I only had to carry one bottle throughout the event. I
kept the extra powder and baggies in my bag at the start.

--
Phil M.