Time for a Comfort Break
Ever wondered why you need a tinkle thirty minutes into a ride? Hydration tips in cold weather from Matt Hart.
Why is it that about half an hour after setting off for a ride in the current cold weather I’m absolutely bursting to go for a pee? Should I knock the pre-ride cup of tea on the head?
You should try going for a ride sans morning cuppa for starters and it might solve the problem. Apart from the fluid content, tea also contains caffeine, which has a diuretic effect. A diuretic basically increases urine production in the kidneys, flushing water out of the body.
The other clue to your (actually ‘our’, I’m not afraid to say) problem is in the weather. Cooler weather means that you will sweat less, especially if the intensity at which you’re riding is low, which it often is in the winter, and as a consequence, any excess water that’s usually lost through sweating will end up in your bladder. On a hot day, the fluid from your cuppa would be immediately absorbed into the tissues of your rapidly dehydrating body and it’s unlikely that much of the fluid consumed during your ride would make it to your toilet bowl either!
Also, did you know that water production is a natural consequence of metabolism? A sedentary person will produce between 150 and 250ml per day – more for people with higher metabolic rates and higher still when the weather’s cold (called ‘non-shivering thermogenesis’). If we introduce some exercise, the figure rises further. According to my physiology reference book, during an intense hour of exercise, when 245g of carbohydrate may be metabolized, the body produces 146ml of water! So, we have this uncanny ability to re-hydrate ourselves whilst we exercise. Cool eh?
However, If you were to ride at this 245g per hour pace on a hot summer’s day, or whilst training indoors, you’d probably lose in excess of 1500ml fluid through sweating, so the relatively small amount of water produced through metabolism would contribute only slightly to your overall fluid requirements. It’s a different story when the weather’s cold though. With little or no sweating going on, where does this water go? Add this metabolic waste to the fluid from your cup of Rosie and the water from the energy drink you’ve been sipping at since the start of your ride and hey presto ‘full bladder’ and a desperate need for a ‘piss-stop’. It’s all about water input and output.
There you go Colin, and I bet you just wanted a simple answer…
Finally, just a quick couple of pointers. You’ll need less fluid during colder weather for sure, but you’re still far better off over than under consuming. A piss-stop is a small price to pay for a quality ride, so don’t starve yourself of the runny stuff. You can get away with mixing your energy drink up a bit stronger, so that you won’t need as much juice to get the energy in, or take your carbohydrate in a solid form like an energy bar. Remember also that you’ll lose a fair amount of fluid through sweating if you’re really togged up in winter gear and riding at a brisk tempo, so consume fluid accordingly. Cold weather doesn’t automatically mean ‘no sweating’.
Right, now I’ll p*!s off…
Matt Hart runs TORQ Fitness Training and Consultancy who have developed their range of performance nutrition products through a need to offer the highest standard of support to the athletes they work with. Matt’s philosophy is clear. His mission is for TORQ to produce the most highly effective performance nutrition on the market using natural and organic ingredients of a premium quality. He also believes that as TORQ has its roots firmly entrenched in Fitness Consultancy and cycling, this provides the company with its unique edge and integrity. For further information, visit