The Importance of Hydration + Fitness
At our Denver cycling studio, we often talk about the importance of the right gear, the perfect playlist, and the best techniques for getting the most out of your ride. But there's one crucial aspect of performance and health that sometimes gets overlooked: hydration. Ensuring you drink enough water is a simple yet powerful way to enhance your indoor cycling experience and overall well-being. Let's dig into why staying hydrated is essential and how it can make a world of difference in your health and fitness journey.
Why Hydration Matters
Water makes up about 60% of the human body. It's the unsung hero that keeps every cell, tissue, and organ in peak condition, so you look and feel your best. From aiding digestion and nutrient absorption to regulating body temperature and eliminating waste, water is involved in almost every bodily function. For us cyclists, it’s particularly critical as it helps maintain blood volume, which in turn ensures that oxygen and nutrients are efficiently transported to our muscles during those intense rides.
Symptoms of Dehydration
Dehydration is no joke. It can be really hard on your body even if you are mildly dehydrated. And here’s the kicker: thirst isn’t the most reliable indicator of your body’s need for water.
While the signs and symptoms of dehydration differ depending on your age, most adults who are dehydrated exhibit the following symptoms:
Extreme thirst
Less frequent urination
Dark-colored urine
Fatigue
Dizziness
Confusion
Hydration & High Altitudes
Living and cycling in Denver comes with the unique challenge of staying hydrated at a high altitude. At higher elevations, the air is thinner and drier, leading to increased water loss through respiration. This means you need to drink even more water than you would at sea level to stay properly hydrated. Dehydration at high altitudes can exacerbate symptoms like fatigue, dizziness, and headaches, which can impact your performance and overall health.
Staying hydrated also helps prevent altitude sickness, which can cause symptoms like headaches, nausea, and shortness of breath.
What are The Best Ways to Stay Hydrated?
Staying hydrated isn’t as complicated as you’d think. Here are some practical tips from Taylor Wesely, of Radiate Nutrition, to ensure you’re getting enough fluids:
Drink Plenty of Water: We know, we know. This seems a bit obvious, but it’s really important. To make this step easier, we strongly recommend using a reusable water bottle and taking it with you wherever you go throughout the day. That way, you’ll make it as simple and convenient as possible for yourself to up your water intake throughout the day. You could even set reminders in your phone if you want to be better about keeping yourself accountable.
Incorporate Hydrating Foods into Your Diet: A sneaky way to get more water into your system is to eat more foods that have a high water content. Think cucumbers, oranges, watermelons, strawberries, and even lettuce.
Pay Attention to Getting Enough Electrolytes into Your System: Electrolytes are minerals your body needs to function. Your body’s cells use electrolytes to conduct electrical charges, which is how your muscles contract. These same electrical charges also help with chemical reactions, especially when it comes to hydration and the balance of fluids inside and outside of cells. You lose electrolytes when you sweat or urinate, so it’s important to focus on keeping them as elevated as possible (especially after a cycling class!). You can up the electrolytes in your system through eating foods rich in minerals, such as nuts, beans, bone broth, bananas, sweet potatoes, coconut water, mushrooms, avocados, fish, milk, whole grains, spinach, and more (click here for a more comprehensive list!).
Hydrate Before, During, and After Your Workouts: Whether you’re riding with us or getting your sweat on elsewhere, you need to make sure you’re staying hydrated before, during, and after your workout session.
Calculate Your Hydration Needs
According to Mayo Clinic, men should generally have a fluid intake of about 15.5 cups, while women should aim for 11.5 cups of fluid a day. There’s another rule of thumb many people like to follow is to drink half of your body weight in ounces every day. And while both of the above are generally true, it all depends on you and your unique circumstances–how much you’re exercising, the environment you’re in, your overall health, and whether or not you’re pregnant or breast-feeding.
We are passionate about keeping our riders as healthy (and happy!) as possible, which is why we’ve partnered with registered Taylor Wesely and her company, Radiate Nutrition. If you’re interested in exclusive discounts on personalized nutrition coaching services, click the button below.
