Electrolyte, Hydration tablets anyone?

Hey,

Has anyone tried using electrolyte/hydration tablets for trackdays to help with giving you that edge to keep hydrated along with drinking alot of water?

I drink water 2 days before a trackday and ALOT during. But I still get pretty de-hydrated 1-2 sessions after lunchtime.

Does anyone have real personal experience and feedback with using these tablets to aid you?
What brand worked for you?

 

Nuun is my go-to. They're a must-have if you're doing a lot of riding. If by "pretty de-hydrated 1-2 sessions after lunchtime" you mean you're still sweating (indicating you've got plenty of water in you) but you're functionally drained, then yes you're absolutely running low on salt and other electrolytes and the tablets will help.

Years ago @gpstar748 and I did an 8-hour endurance race in South Africa in the dead heat of (their) summer and between 55-minute sessions I was pounding two 16oz bottles of water with a Nuun tablet each. One session we had a mixup and didn't get the tablets dissolved into the water, and I had to come in at about the 20-minute mark because I was gonna fall off the bike I was so wrecked. Couple bottles with Nuun later I was back up and running just fine.

 

Tailwind is the best product I've ever used. It's electrolyte plus calories and if you want it, caffeine. There's about 200 cals in a packet which dissolves in ~12 oz of water.

I've mostly used it for endurance sports. I've never had issues getting fatigued on the bike, but I'd imagine it would make a huge difference to just pound a packet after each race or session.

 

I do Sport Legs (capsule), Nuun (tablet) or coconut water depending on what I have available at the time and how hot it is. All of them work for me.

I first started using them while long distance cycling in the dead of summer here in FL and I noticed a huge difference in my endurance and post riding fatigue.

 

i have been using Nuun tablets for the past 3-4 years with good success. they also work when you come home from a night of drinking and dont want to be hungover

 

I just pop a few "tri salt" capsules (calcium, magnesium and potassium) if I'm going to have a long day at the track. Much cheaper than the fancy flavored dissolvable stuff and works just as well.

 

Endurolytes (with and without caffeine):
https://www.hammernutrition.com/products/electrolytes

If you want calories, Heed:
https://www.hammernutrition.com/heed-sports-drink

One of the easiest mistakes to make it over-hydrating with Gatorade, Powerade, etc. Empty calories.

(I've got discount/promo codes if anyone wants)

 

I use the Nuun tablets for cycling.

 

I like Skratch Labs. They have a regular sport hydration mix and an extreme hydration mix.

In the morning I do a serving of the extreme stuff and a scoop of the regular in a 1 liter bottle. After lunch, two scoops of regular in a 1 liter bottle. Fill in with plain water as needed the rest of the day.

It tastes a little salty but is otherwise fruity and delicious, and it definitely works without wrecking your stomach. I sweat like crazy but never have issues with showing signs of dehydration, even on the hottest days.

 

I've had great results cycling with Delta Charge. Very effective and tastes great. Electrolytes and amino acids (and some other stuff, but no stimulants). Not a tablet but a powder.

 

I buy this at Costco— someone please tell me if it’s poison because I like it!
https://www.amazon.com/Zipfizz-Heal...ocphy=9007353&hvtargid=pla-571116022475&psc=1

 

I'm a fan of EFS- but I have used NUUN tablets, too. I think the more important thing is how is your fitness? Once I got fit enough to do the D-200, trackdays, even in the dead of summer here in south FL became easy.

If you can cycle for 2 hours in the summer that is a good start.

 

It's possible to have too much of these electrolyte replenishment supplements.

The Skratch stuff comes in, I think, 3 varying potencies. An all day level you can alternate between bottles of plain water throughout the day, to a one hit and done level. I started using the all day mix on occasion for all day riding a couple years ago. I imagine I would hit the one and done before an MX/SX race if I was still doing that.

One time at a four day VIR event in August, I had only been drinking water to hydrate. On the fourth day, I suddenly couldn't remember my riding buddy's names. I was completely cognizant of where I was, what we were doing and recognized each of the riders and their bikes - some of these guys I've been riding with nearly twenty years! - but I couldn't spit out their names. I was like WTF?

I headed to the “big” trailer in search of answers. Coaches, after asking about my fluid intake, said I had depleted my electrolytes...flushed 'em all out. At their suggestion, I hit a couple cups of the medium strength Skratch and was back in business an half hour later.

Too many electrolytes is bad, but I think none is worse. What's my name?

 

Liquid IV FTW

 

Nuun Sport + Caffeine: Electrolyte Tablets

 

I am a big Pedialyte fan. I’ve even started using a packet daily and found a noticeable difference in energy levels throughout the day.

 

Infinit for me.
You can do a 1 on 1 consultation if you have specific questions or just don’t know where to start. They also have a great worksheet to help you figure out exactly what you need to replace per hour.

 

dehydrated or fatigued? There is a difference. FL & GA summers are pretty brutal in 20lbs of gear. Not sure who said pre drinking water is a good start but the sport/hydration mixes from ANY of the above mentioned brands work really well. Ultimately its up to the end user... for me Skratch works fantastic being a T1. I also will take a supplemental sodium tablet since I sweat like ____________(insert euphemism here) You will never drink a powerade or any of that soft drink company garbage again.
I try to avoid caffeine mixes.

 

Good point Gino.

 

it tends to jack my heartrate up. Normally I might touch ~195 bpms… I drink 1 of those... my HR monitor will see 210-215 bpm for a spike.