Interesting Drink To Combat Weather Induced Hyper-Perspiration And Subsequent Electrolyte Depletion

Triathlon Forum
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It’s been hot over here in Southern California. Real hot. Triple digit hot. It’s hard to wake up early enough to be able to get a long ride in and avoid the heat. Damn near impossible is more like it.

Today was a long workout, just over 7 hours. I’ll be honest, it’s the longest time I’ve spent in the saddle since I’ve started training seriously, and it was hot today. I started around 9 and finished up around 5, taking an hour or so to refill bottles several times and stopping to get a sandwich about midway through.

I sweat more than most people, I think. And on hot days my jersey and bibs have white streaks all over them, portraying a dried up lake that was very salty. When I stopped in at a market after about 3 hours I scanned the drinks and noticed pretty much everything looked good. An odd thing happened though. The can of V-8 was screaming at me. I’ve always hated that stuff. I picked it up and checked out the bottle. Holy crap. 880mg of sodium. 700mg of potassium. If only it had some magnesium in it… (edit - looks like they have a V8 hopped up with magnesium too http://www.v8juice.com/v8.aspx?ProductID=2466) Anyway, I bought it, drank it and found it hard to believe I used to hate the stuff. Felt really good on the rest of the ride, whereas I’d usually bonk about 4 or 5 hours in, if not sooner, when riding in heat like today’s. I can’t say for sure if it was the V-8 that helped, but I think it did.

That’s really a crapload of sodium. Two of those bottles during a regular day where I don’t do a long workout in high heat and I’d probably end up really bloated. Do they make this stuff specifically for endurance athletes? Who else needs that much sodium in a 12oz 70 calorie drink?

Anybody else dig this stuff?

Anyway, maybe this stuff is no secret to endurance athletes, or maybe there is something I should know about it why not to drink it, but I thought I’d pass along this info in case you find yourself on the verge of bonking due to weather induced hyper-perspiration and electrolyte depletion. Grab a V-8 and some water, skip the Gatorade.

For the record, I am not currently sponsored by V8, the Campbell’s Soup Company, or any of it’s subsidiaries. For the right amount of money though, I’d ride around dressed up as an oversized tomato (which I hear is technically a berry).

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Interesting… I don’t think the vomiting would help my race results much though. :wink:

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/shameless plug #2 for V8/

I fly the red-eye from LAX to IAD quite often, sometimes leaving the office < 2hrs to flight. I stay up reading, listening to music or doing more paperwork. I’m beat once off that heavy (AF lingo for anything larger than an F-16), rent the car, and go straight into my brief refreshed (temporary lift from V8). I ask the FA for a couple V8s, adding a lemon and I’m fine.

Once that brief is done, I’m at the hotel in minutes.

V8 doesn’t last that long…

Cheers,

  • mike
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For the record, I am not currently sponsored by V8, the Campbell’s Soup Company, or any of it’s subsidiaries. For the right amount of money though, I’d ride around dressed up as an oversized tomato (which I hear is technically a berry).

That’s frickin’ hilarious you big geek.

As for the heat, my god, it must have been a whole 75 degrees here on the coast today while I was riding. Brutal. :slight_smile: That’s what you get for living in the 909, or the 760, or wherever.

I’m just getting back at you for posting you totals for last month, along with your cp20. Now I have to get off my ass and start training - stop getting stronger, you’re embarassing us old guys.

Hammer HEED is working for me in the heat lately, but keeping it cold is the hard part on longer rides. Whatever works though, and it’s amazing what looks/tastes good when your hot and tired, ain’t it?

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Lo-sod V8 has like 150 g of sodium. I drink that. Not for heat training though.

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I have had training sweat rates as high as 1.5L/hr. No telling what happens on race day. Last season I tried pre-loading with V8. One everyday x3 prior to raceday. I think it helps, might be placebo effect?

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V8 = major heartburn
.

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I didn’t read your post, but was it hot?

OK, I read it. Is this the first time you have had to be concerned about dehydration? You mean you don’t use anything like Endurolytes or Succeed on long rides?

That V-8 has a lot of sodium IF you are just making Bloody Marys, but if you are out in the heat riding a bike, it is NOT a lot of sodium. and if you wait until you are low, you are already screwed. Check this out, but the way I think this works is related, in part, to osmolarity–you remember osmosis, right? There has to be higher pressure in you stomach to force the fluids through your stomach wall, otherwise, they don’t get absorbed into your system. The sodium increases the pressure in the fluid of your stomach so it gets passed through the stomach lining. You have to keep stomach osmolarity in balance. You have heard where people keep drinking, then end their race, and die from hyponatremia, because when they are done running, their bodies go to work taking up the water, and squeeze the brain. I’m sure you have one of those somewhere, unless you haven’t unpacked it since the move.

Anyway, the above is about 85% accurate, and this is just as, or more important as, taking in the right amount and kind of calories on a long effort.

Personally, I use succeed–higher dose so fewer capsules to take. If you want I will post a little pic of the container I keep them in so they are ready to take on handed while riding yet stay dry.

Also, “stopping” for anything means you are doing intervals, not a long ride. So you can’t brag about a “7 hour” ride–just two back-to-back 3.5 hour intervals–probably at a pathetically slow pace.

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It’s my secret weapon - drink it all the time and actually can start craving it in summer.

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Also, “stopping” for anything means you are doing intervals, not a long ride. So you can’t brag about a “7 hour” ride–just two back-to-back 3.5 hour intervals–probably at a pathetically slow pace.

I found the rest of you post rather insightful and filled with good information. I was wondering if you pulled another cut and paste job like the John Cobb thing. Then I read the last line and knew it was really you.

I would be interested in seeing your little container. I was thinking about a tic-tac box, but I’d like to see what you got.

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Pill-Popper, aka Monk,

Having lived in Southern California nearly my whole life it’s pretty safe to say I’ve been concerned about getting dehydrated before. I was just pointing out that this low calorie vegetable juice seems to have a lot of the stuff we need during hot/humid days. I’ve never tried Endurolytes or Succeed, but feel free to post some pictures of the three of you doing your thing. And let me know the contents of it too while you’re at it. I’m going to look for some of the Bone Health V8, which is loaded up with magnesium as well as sodium and potassium.

I’m not totall sure what you were saying about osmolarity. Would I be less likely to absorb nutrients from V8 then endurolytes? Or were you going somewhere else with that?

I read last night that magnesium is supposed to help people who suffer from restless leg syndrome, or whatever the proper medical name is.

Since much of my ride was on closed mountain back roads yesterday, where I had to stop and climb over a gate (if only I could bunny hop a good 4 feet, I’d be able to do a real long ride), you might say I did something more like 10 intervals of varying length.

BTW, there was this stuff, I think it was called Snappy Tom, and a 12 oz serving of that had over 1400 mg of sodium. Gnarly.

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Sojo – I saw V8 cans at an organized century ride up here in No Cal and thought “ewwwwwwwwwwww.” Awhile later, when I was dehydrated as a raisin, I thought “yessssssssssssssssss.” I dunno if I’d want to lug one of them around w/ me regularly, but then again, it’s no biggie if it gets warm, I guess. That stuff doesn’t have to be chilled like sweet drinks seem to need to be.

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I use Accelerade, for 14 oz, mixed with Gatorade for 14 oz., and 1 tsp of Sea Salt in a 28 oz bottle. I sweat proffusely and this has stopped the cramping for me, even on longer rides. Did 5 3/4 hours in NC Mountains yesterday and went through 7 bottles with no cramping and plenty of energy. Now if I could just find some damn legs!!

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Check out InfinIT nutrition for a custom blended drink of your choice. You can have it made with whatever your want (flavor, caffeine, amino acids, potassium, sodium, etc.). There is a generic “hot weather” formula, recovery drink formula, etc. or you can input your weight, height, what kind of racing/training you do, heavy/salty sweater etc. and the formula is estimated for you - you can then “tweak” it for the right osmolarity or after testing later.

They have a good web site, I think www.infinitnutrition.com and they are from Cincinnati as well :slight_smile: Mike (founder) occasionally posts here too.

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Did 5 3/4 hours in NC Mountains yesterday and went through 7 bottles with no cramping and plenty of energy.

Do you have a team car following you around? WOW!

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I thought I am the only one who uses V8. Under normal conditions I find this stuff disgusting. But after my Sunday long rides I often go for a run. At the end of the run I stop and get a V8. It always gives me a satisfying feeling of being replenished. It is very good at that. But, I have no doubt that if I had one DURING a long training session or a race I will be very sick indeed.

More recently I found an organic German vegetable juice in the store. It is called “Eden Organic Vegetable Cocktail” and it costs much more, but it is much nicer. You can feel the different vegetables, not just a thick tomato blend. And I can drink 750ml of the stuff in nearly one go. I can absorb it like nothing else.