A shot(z) of hydration for Kona

The 100km Kona Odyssey is about as hard as it gets. Hills so steep you feel like you’re going backwards, single track racing requiring unwavering concentration and undulating terrain surprising you at every turn make eating and drinking all the more difficult. Amongst all this, the what, why and how of hydration is crucial with one of the main challenges getting it in you. Hayley Blieden, (BNutrDiet, APD, AN) from Shotz Sports Nutrition takes a look at rehydration factors for Kona.

For those of you that often experience cramping please read on. If you suffer gut issues or just want to clear up any misconceptions in regard to fluid replacement please also read on. Before you do it is important to recognise what demographic you fit into as the majority of marketing is directed at the mass market: the unhealthy couch potatoes.

Today I speak to you as athletes. When I say athletes, I am assuming that I am discussing hydration with fit, healthy people who consume a nutritionally balanced diet. I am assuming that your diet is predominantly comprised of fruit, vegetables, nuts, grainy breads and cereals, low fat dairy products and lean meats and poultry. I am assuming you do not fall into the 60% of Australian men and women who are classified as overweight or obese. Finally, I am assuming that you fall into the niche market of athletes and not the mass market of... other.

Okay, now that I have set the scene, let's talk about hydration and how we can maximize YOUR performance. Hydration is a topic that is discussed to the nth degree, and rightfully so. It is vitally important. Along with training and nutrition, the hydration status of an athlete can markedly influence your performance. Whilst hydration is super important it is also super simple: replace what you lose.

What do you lose in sweat?

There are two main components of sweat that are essential to replace. The first is water. The amount of water that each of us should drink varies considerably. You can measure your individual fluid requirements by weighing yourself both before and after a training session. A loss in weight is a direct reflection of fluid loss eg. 1kg reduction body weight is equivalent to 1L fluid loss. Sweat losses between athletes will vary significantly from approximately 400ml up to 2.5 litres per hour. As the gut can only tolerate approximately 1L of fluid per hour or 130-225ml every 10-15 minutes, it is important to drink early and often.

Note: As the gut can only tolerate approximately 1L of fluid per hour, aim to minimize percentage of fluid lost.

Now for the second component: ELECTROLYTES! PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!

Electrolytes are often a grey area for many athletes. We recognize that our sweat is salty, yet the mass media discusses the replacement of magnesium, potassium and calcium. I hope the following information clears up these misconceptions and makes rehydration clear and simple.

Here are the facts. In one litre of sweat, an athlete will lose anywhere between 800mg to 1800mg of sodium but has been known to exceed 2200mg. In this same litre of sweat, an athlete will lose between 0-10mg of magnesium.

The first thing I notice is the whopping amount of sodium lost. Makes sense doesn't it? When you're admitted to hospital with dehydration the first thing the doctors will hook you up to is a saline drip - sodium and water. There is no magnesium in a saline drip. Why? Because the amount of magnesium lost in sweat is insignificant and doesn’t warrant replacing.

So why is sodium so important? Sodium is the only electrolyte that is extracellular (meaning in the blood stream). Its role during activity is to assist in delivering carbohydrate, oxygen and nutrients to the brain and working muscles. With insufficient amounts of sodium in the blood stream, your working muscles won't receive the nutrients they require to function optimally. This will be the catalyst for cramping, fatigue and complete frustration.

What do you need to rehydrate?

As mentioned above, rehydrating is super simple- replace what you lose. Yet mass marketing and advice for the general population has made this simple matter confusing and expensive. Products the likes of Shotz Electrolyte Tablets are scientifically designed for rehydration. By adding a Shotz tablet to 500ml of water you have the ideal sports rehydration drink; water and sodium without the sugar. By removing the sugar/sucrose the stomach is able to tolerate greater volumes without the bloated feeling left by traditional sugary sports drinks.

It’s easy to measure your sweat volume loss, yet the sodium loss is more difficult. We all have different concentrations of sodium in our sweat. You may have a lower sweat rate than someone your same size, yet you may have a higher concentration of sodium in your sweat. This can explain why some athletes are more susceptible to cramping than others. The good news is, once identified it can be managed with a proper fluid replacement strategy. By removing the refined sugar, you can increase the sodium concentration by adding more Shotz tablets (there’s a handy score mark to split the tablets) and customize YOUR drink in an attempt to match YOUR sweat loss.

What NOT to drink while exercising;-

1. Sports drink: Traditional sugary sports drinks are inappropriate and detrimental to the athlete. They contain low levels of sodium, combined with the refined sugars, which often result in gut irritation and bloating.

2. Water: Whilst water is the perfect fluid when not exercising, with excessive sweating, large volumes of water will further dilute the sodium concentration in your blood stream.

If you suffer from cramping, light headedness, fatigue and confusion or if you just want to be adequately hydrated, drop a Shotz Electrolyte Tablet in a bottle of water today!

If you have questions regarding specific nutrition/hydration requirements please do not hesitate to contact:

Hayley Blieden

Hayley@shotz1.com

BNutrDiet, APD, AN

Disclaimer: This article has been provided by Hayley in good faith and accuracy, but it is noted (obviously) for the purposes of transparency that Hayley is employed by Shotz, which is also a sponsor of the Kona Odyssey.

ENTRIES FOR THE KONA ODYSSEY ARE STILL OPEN FOR THE 100km and 15KM. ENTER HERE

Ford Otway Cycling Classic EVENT PROGRAM NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

(Rainforest Ride - Posted 5/02/2012)

With the Ford Otway Cycling Classic getting closer and closer, we have finalised all the logistical plans for the event and have just uploaded the event program for the ride.

The event program makes for essential reading for any participants (and their friends and families who want to know what’s going on) as it includes all the logistical information and details about the day itself – including the event schedule, course maps, rider service points, safety information and much more.

The Event Program can be now be downloaded from the event website HERE.

If you have any questions after reading the program then contact rapid Ascent on info@rapidascent.com.au or call us on (03) 5261 5511. Happy riding and we’ll see you on February 26th.

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(All events - Posted 1/02/2012)
Last year’s Otway Odyssey mountain bike marathon marked a milestone for thirty-odd riders, a persistent bunch who owned the distinction of being the only competitors to be saddling up for their fifth hit out in a row. Did they make it? Not if El Ninja had anything to do with it... (PART 2 of 2)

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