[Closed] Electrolyte question

Probably not, IMO. Only if you are exercising long and hard in hot weather.

Having said that I do put generic electrolyte powder in my generic maltodextrin cos it's cheap as chips. I may not over the winter though.

Yeah if you're like me and sweat like **** in all weathers then they are recommended.

Can definitely tell the difference after a tough session if I've not taken some.

I use two

1. Nunn tablets

2. Squash plus pinch of salt and sugar

hardly notice any difference other than convenience and cost

Stupid questjqu but what are they supposed Todo?

Keep hydrated and avoid cramp - I sweat a lot when exercising

Could be freezing outside and i'll still sweat like hell. Most effective i've found though not the cheapest is  https://www.precisionhydration.com

I find if I'm out on a hot day riding I get awful cramps in my legs if I forget to take on some electrolytes. Don't bother outside of summer.

I use them every ride all year to stop cramp during and after exercise. I get terrible cramp in bed on the night if i don't use them.

They are not energy tablets though. Only electrolyte. They are designed to replace the electrolytes / salts you sweat out during exercise.

The electrolyte/cramping thing is probably a myth.  The Velonews podcast below goes into quite a bit of detail about what does and doesn’t cause cramp, worth a listen as it’s quite entertaining considering it’s reasonably technical.

https://www.velonews.com/2017/08/training/fast-talk-podcast-ep-26-cramping-myths-debunked_446593

It's more heated a topic than clips or flats....

I've got a collection of sis zero right through to torq with energy in it. Save me in the heat and in the big efforts I sweat hard and cramp when I get hydration and salts wrong (personal not scientific)

I’m not interested in the slightest what velonews say. You will find as many articles on the web that contradict each other.

all I can tell you is that if I do a hard ride I will get cramp on the night if I don’t have an electrolyte drink. I will wake up in agony and wherever I had cramp will feel bruised for days after. For the sake of £6.99 for a box of 20 nice tasting drinks which last me about a month it’s well worth taking them.

Anecdote trumps science everytime

Anecdote trumps science everytime

Given how many scientific options are going on here I'm happy to experiment on myself and spend my cash accordingly.

Also the sis go can do wonders for a hangover

Sis makes me vomit. And causes cramps in my stomach

So there's another anecdote.

If you can link to some referenced articles which support the cramping/electrolyte theory I’ll have a read but it does appear to be one of those myths which grew from nowhere.

Whilst the cost of the electrolytes is negligible is it not worth considering what’s actually happening rather than completely disregarding actual science because it doesn’t fit in with your preconceptions?

If you can link to some referenced articles which support the cramping/electrolyte theory I’ll have a read but it does appear to be one of those myths which grew from nowhere.

They might have, sure I've read some stuff but I'm happy with my placebo as I have a strong stomach, I don't even shit myself if I have a gel!

Most of the time I use them I'm.feeding energy in so the electrolyte bonus is just that.

I’m also happy even if it is a placebo. When I get home after a six hour 120 mile ride like today’s and my clothes are wet from sweat with salty white patches i can’t see it hurting to put some electrolytes back in.

If you spend enough time on google you will find scientific papers for both sides of any argument. Some may have even been written by real scientists and everything.

As others have said there are probably papers explaining that both sides of the story. Personally I find it helps. May be a placebo but either way works for me.

When you have been sat on the toilet for 48hrs shitting yourself and vomiting it’s medically recommended to take on some electrolytes.

The same hasn’t been said yet for riding a bike for a few hours.

I’ve used them though in really hot temps as recovery and to be fair I do feel fresher the next day.

Really don’t get the drinking a little salt thing though. It tastes awful and we already have way too much salt in our diets.

Electrolytes may well be a myth but my god do they make me feel better when I’ve got a hangover!

My favourite is High Five Zero - berry flavour.

Dioralyte might help.....I suffer from Crohns/Colitis and hydration is a nightmare,My Gastric nurse said isotonic juice is what I should drink to keep up on my Electrolytes I use the Dioralyte in the mornings,also been told about st marks solution for hydration

i know loads of crohns sufferers use the high 5,SIS stuff as water will only flush out the electrolytes in crohns sufferers,obviously my problem is more medical based but same principal on replacing to stop sufferering

Life Scientific had the main guy that's getting salt in food down, was v interesting.

He reckoned we need 0.5gm/day, average is 6 consumed.

We sweat out salt because we eat too much - it's one way the body gets it out.