Drink plenty of water as the temperature rises!

Summertime is upon us and with that so is the heat and humidity.  Personally, I enjoy the rising mercury and look forward to getting outdoors to ride and train.  It never fails though; I always seem to forget how easy it is to become dehydrated in the hot sun.  The first time I go out and ride in the heat, I always end up with the classic symptoms of dehydration; dry mouth, headache, fatigue and sometimes nausea.  You see, I live in an area that is very cool in the winter and very hot in the summer. So when summer roles around, my body is not acclimated to the increased temperatures.  It never fails, before the second lap my body feels as though it is going to ignite.  If the same thing happens to you, it’s not your imagination.  According to the American Council on Exercise, your body temperature can raise as much as 5 degrees F in the first 15 minutes of exercise.  If you were to continue at that pace for very long, fatigue and heat exhaustion would no doubt take over.  I lived in Florida for a few years and never seemed to have the same problems with adjusting to the heat.  When you live in an area that is always hot and humid, you learn quickly and never forget how important proper hydration is.
 
What happens to me each summer is completely preventable.  Drinking enough fluid, whether it is water or a sports drink is imperative for training and racing in hot weather.  In order to maintain proper body temperature, bodily fluids must be replenished as they are lost.  The amount of fluid that you loose training or racing depends on many factors including your individual fitness level, how well acclimated you are to the environment that you train or ride in, the type of clothing you wear and the intensity at which you train or ride.  For motocross, almost all these factors are stacked against us, since races are held outdoors in the heat and humidity, riding gear is extremely hot, and we all understand how much energy is required to race.  Undoubtedly the motocross athlete will lose a substantial amount of liquid in the form of sweat during a race.

Hydration is an important factor in optimizing your athletic performance both while training and on the bike.  In motocross, we ride, race, and sometimes train in conditions of extreme heat and humidity which can rapidly lead to dehydration.  Dehydration is very preventable and if not avoided will result in decreased performance.  Something any racer never wants to hear.  Those of us that train during the week and race on the weekends, from the weekend warrior to the competitive rider, cannot depend on thirst for fluid replacement.  Chances are, by the time you actually feel thirsty, your body is well on its way to becoming severely dehydrated.  The following section will provide tips on how to maintain proper hydration and to optimize performance even in the most extreme race conditions like those present at Loretta Lynns.

• Start Hydrating Early. Drink 1-2 cups of water when you first get up in the morning.  If you are addicted to coffee, try drinking one cup of water for every cup of coffee throughout the day and switch to decaf.

•  Keep a bottle of water with you all day long.  A 7-eleven big gulp filled with water will do the job. 

• Drink Before you get thirsty.  Thirst is a sign that your body is already dehydrated.

• Drink 2-2 ½ cups of liquid 1-2 hours before exercising and then another 1-2 cups 30 minutes before exercise.

• Drink ½ -1 cup of fluid every 15 minutes of exercise.  Drinking while you race can be difficult, but a camel pack is a great way to get a sip on those long practice rides.  Hydrating while you train should pose no problems once you get used to always having a bottle with you.

• Replenish lost fluids.  According to the American College of Sports Medicine, you should consume 2 cups of fluid for every pound lost during exercise (Remember 8 ounces = 1 cup).  To get an idea of just how much you need to drink, you should start weighing yourself before and after you train or ride.  Any weight decrease is probably due to water loss (sorry +35 guys, but you didn't just lose 2 pounds of body fat).  If you lose 2 or more pounds during your workout you should drink 3 cups (24 oz.) of fluid for each pound lost.
 
• Keep drinking even after your thirst is quenched.  After exercise, it is more likely than not that you will be dehydrated to some extend.  The American College of Sports Medicine recommends including sodium either in or with fluids after exercise to reduce the dieresis that occurs when only plain water is ingested.  Because most commercial sport drinks do not contain enough sodium to optimize post exercise fluid replacement, you can rehydrate in conjunction with a sodium-containing meal.  High sodium items include:  soups, pickles, cheeses, processed meats, pizza, pretzels and popcorn.  Use of condiments such as soy sauce and ketchup, as well as salting food at the table also increase sodium intake.

• You should follow the same guidelines when exercising indoors. Even if the air conditioning is on, you still sweat a lot if you spend 45 minutes or more on a stepper, treadmill or stationary bike. Don’t assume you have to be outdoors for serious dehydration to occur.
• How can you be sure you're drinking enough water?  The next time you visit your local porta potty at the track take a look down and note the color of you urine.  When your urine is clear, rather than yellow, you are sufficiently hydrated.
 
•  Eliminate caffeine.  Don't forget that caffeinated beverages are diuretics. These drinks make you pee and lose fluid quickly, so you’ll need an additional glass of water for each cup of coffee or carbonated drink you have. Alcohol also dehydrates you, so for every beer you consume, match it with a glass of water.

• While at the track, try to remove your race clothes and boots between motos.  I know it looks cool and you want everyone at the track to know that you race, but what is more important, off the track image or on the track results?  You would be surprised at how much you sweat just sitting there in those Fox pants and Alpine Star boots.  This is especially true for you parents with youngsters at the races.  Get them out of those hot clothes when they are not riding. 

•  Drink, drink, drink!  All of these recommendations are, of course, in addition to the eight glasses of water per day that I know you are already drinking.

A sports drink like Cytomax is best for training periods lasting longer than 1 hour

Now that you know how to stay hydrated, let’s talk a little about   Sports drinks vs. Water   Which one is the best for you?  According to research, that depends on how long you exercise.  The American College of Sports Medicine recommends drinking water for exercise under 1 hour and a sports drink for anything longer.  If you are a light hearted weekend warrior that trains for 30 to 45 minutes a session, water is more than sufficient for hydration.  Water is easily absorbed, readily available, and less expensive than sports drinks.  If you choose water, drink cold water.  Cold water is absorbed more rapidly and will aid in decreasing body temperature.

Research has however concluded that for exercise lasting longer than 45 minutes to an hour or high intensity workouts of any duration like running, aerobics, biking, MX or intense weight training, a sports drink may be beneficial in delaying muscle fatigue by providing your body with additional energy.  Leading motocross trainers Aldon Baker and Kirk Layfield recommend diluting your favorite sports drink with water for best results.  This tends to be easier on the stomach and cheaper in the long run.  Aldon has his riders use Cytomax to keep their hydration levels at their peek.  A sports drink offers the following benefits over water.

• Sports drinks contain water, carbohydrates and electrolytes (generally sodium and potassium).  A poor mans sports drink can be made by mixing one cup water, one cup orange juice and a pinch of salt.
• Sports drinks will replenish fluids while containing a small amount of carbohydrate and electrolytes.
• A steady source of carbohydrates during exercise fights off fatigue and enhances performance by fueling the muscles during exercise.
• Studies show that a solution containing electrolytes and carbohydrates may be absorbed more quickly and helps to retain fluids consumed after prolonged intense exercise.
• A good-tasting sports drink may encourage you to consume more fluid.

One last thing, lets talk a little about this new oxygenated water thing.  The first time I heard about oxygenated water, I laughed like I was reading David Pingree's column.  But after I calmed down a bit I decided to make sure my pessimistic nature wasn’t rearing its ugly head.  Maybe there was something to this after all.  The commercial says it’s good for you so it must be, right?  Well, I went to the ole’ trusty internet and did a search on the topic.  My instincts were right.  The Gatorade website had this to say about the topic as did many, many others.

“There is absolutely no validity to the claims for oxygenated water. The notion that ingesting a beverage with additional dissolved oxygen will somehow influence the oxygen content of the blood is as weak a proposition as would be taking water into the lungs to help stay hydrated. There are two fundamental reasons why oxygenated water doesn't work. The first is that the tiny amount of oxygen that can be dissolved in water will come out of solution as it is warmed by the body; the same thing happens when we consume a carbonated beverage - the birth of the burp. The second reason is that arterial blood is already almost totally saturated with oxygen; little more can be added. Even breathing 100% oxygen has little impact on the oxyhemoglobin content or the dissolved oxygen content of blood. Bob Murray, PhD Director Gatorade Exercise Physiology Lab”

So there you have it.  There were countless other credible sources that said the same thing about oxygenated water.  So stick with regular old tap water or Cytomax and you will be just fine.  T hat's it for now and as always, Virtual Trainer can be reached anytime at crytset@comcast.net. In addition, be sure and check out the Racer X archives section, your complete one-stop information zone for motocross fitness.