[Sportsandrec] Drink the water Joe

[Thornbury, Kelly]

Don't be a hero when it comes to not cracking open that water...A 2-3% loss in water weight can easily equate to a 20% loss in performance or more...not to mention the fact that water (sweat and the evaporation of) is the chief source of thermoregulation for the body. The 100 minute ride is awesome, no question, but I can't even begin to imagine how effective the workout would have been, or how impressive you would have been, by avoiding the sauna before hand and drinking 8-16 ounces of water every 15 minutes, and going for the Gatorade after the first hour or so. Throwing down the gauntlet is great, but do it smart man,by challenging others to work at the same wattage, revs, or those "sprints" to the end of that hill, but not by endangering your health. Not trying to knock your effort, but what I just read is scary...If you would like, contact me off list and I can send you the American College of Sports Medicine position statement on rehydration during exercise. I think the information within the statement will so increase your workout performance. 

Kelly Thornbury
 kthornbury at bresnan.net