# I Think I May Need Electrolytes



## DrumsXO (May 2, 2016)

Hey, everyone.

I went on a ride with a local mountain biking group today (this was my second ride with them actually), and at one point, I started to get a pretty nasty side stitch. I've never experienced this before when riding, but know from getting them when I used to play paintball, that it's usually a result of a bit of dehydration.

The total ride distance was about 12.5 miles that we completed in about 1.5 hours. During that time, I sucked down almost all 2 liters of water in my hydro bladder, but it was just plain water. When the ride was over, my base layer was literally drenched with sweat. I think I need to go about getting more electrolytes while I ride, but I'm not sure of the best way to do that.

Should I replace the water with sugar-free (I have Diabetes) Gatorade / Powerade, or use electrolyte tablets to put into my hydro bladder? If your suggestion is the latter of the two (the tablets), can you recommend a brand to me?

Thanks, everyone! This is something I've already decided to do, so please save your comments about not needing electrolytes for a 1.5 hour ride for another thread. At this point, it's happening; I'm just looking for suggestions on what brand of tablets to use (if I go that route), or opinions on whether Gatorade or Powerade are the better option.


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## blacksheep5150 (Oct 22, 2014)

I went with the product tailwind . I tried a couple others and they made me thirsty . Just did a 35 miler climbing 5500 ft , usually i eat something every hour . I found that with tailwind , i was not hungry and i stayed hydrated ..there is lots of options , you may have to try different ones to find what works for you 


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

pick an electrolyte, any electrolyte. You can get them from the tabs you mentioned above, but I'd be reluctant to put them in my camelbak or good water bottle. They can cause mold/funk in the bladder, and nobody wants that. A simple cheap waterbottle for the mixes is all I use. Easy to clean, and I don't worry about it if I can't clean it. 

Other sources of electrolytes that I like

GU/gels. might not work the best for diabetes because of the high sugar content, but they are effective for midride energy. I think there are some low-sugar/sucralose options, but I haven't looked for them.

Bananas/broccoli, Best before a ride, but they are good mid-ride too

Pickles. It's a vegetable soaked in salt brine. Hard to get more electrolytes than that. Classic pickles, or the pickled vegetables like carrots, onions, and cauliflour.


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## 127.0.0.1 (Nov 19, 2013)

I am not sure you need anything other than ride harder and ride longer

I get this same side stitch stuff when I let myself get out of top condition and try to get back in. it goes away over time

anyhow 

type 1 here

and to me 1.5 hours is barely a ride, 3 hours getting a stitch I would then
worry about electrolytes, but everyone mileage varies I don't know anything else
about what you eat and how your body works or runs or seen your bloodwork
or anything else really

try this

pop a 500mg calcium supplement morning and night if you don't do it already.
this mineral regimen stops any leg cramps (for me) if I do not take calcium
may also help side stitches (never get cramps unless I am out 2+ hours anyway)

a) w/o calcium 
when I get a cramp on a ride, it stays and I might have to stop. 
with calcium I get a cramp it goes away quick with a little adjustment in what I am doing, and I can work it loose while riding, and keep on the rivet

b) nighttime legs cramps. with calcium, never. without, sometimes.


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## dave54 (Jul 1, 2003)

Side stitches are usually lactic acid.
Use any electrolyte. See which works for you. Everyone is different.


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## DrumsXO (May 2, 2016)

Picked up a bottle of these at my LBS today.










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## 127.0.0.1 (Nov 19, 2013)

being diabetic you should absolutely do this (if you have not already)

figure out what type of [effort and adrenaline load] does to your blood sugar level

do a major ride

bring alcohol wipes and your blood tester

every 30 minutes stop and test blood like clockwork

continue

do this for at least 3 major rides. get a feel for what your blood sugar level is and how it responds to your efforts on bike. do not want any sugar or carbs intake during any ride if your BS does not drop below 170 give or take. in some diabetics BS climbs during hard efforts, others it drops, others it depends on basal insulin. you just don't know till you do some testing cycles and find out for sure

depending on what I am doing, I can ride and drink gatorade and BS stays at 80. other types of rides it'll climb to 300 or more if i just look at carbs. all depends...

generally I ride with water only and if i start ride at 110 it stays right at 110, but again, it all depends on day, temp, planet alignment, what I had yesterday...etc....

so if you have a meter it will help a LOT at understanding things and might even help identify cramping such as, if BS goes to 600 while riding you are really gonna suffer and no electrolyte on earth will fix it


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## TomP (Jan 12, 2004)

watts888 said:


> pick an electrolyte, any electrolyte. You can get them from the tabs you mentioned above, but I'd be reluctant to put them in my camelbak or good water bottle. They can cause mold/funk in the bladder, and nobody wants that. A simple cheap waterbottle for the mixes is all I use. Easy to clean, and I don't worry about it if I can't clean it.
> 
> Other sources of electrolytes that I like
> 
> ...


I also use Tailwind Nutrition. It has enough electrolytes that I don't need anything else. How it would work with your diabetes I do not know.

Assuming you aren't going to use an energy/electrolyte product, I'd say watts888 is pretty much right. Before I discovered Tailwind I was using a variety of strategies. One thing I discovered was that electrolyte products didn't have much on good ol' table salt. Sodium Choride. I used to carry around a little film can (look it up on the internet) of sea salt crystals. I think normal table salt would be plenty effective, but it is kind of nasty to dump some into your mouth. With salt crystals you can just toss them in and swallow. I never did more than about half a teaspoon at a time. And it was really only 3+ hour rides. I had access to a nearly unlimited supply of Hammer Endurolytes. They had seemingly no effect. Even when using them to supplement Hammer HEED.

I also agree that your basic diet is an important consideration.

As for foods that have helpful nutrition, everybody thinks bananas are the premium source of potassium, but the Medjool Date has as much potassium as several bananas and all in a small fruit that can be eaten in two bites. Very good for jersey pocket, easier by far to eat on the bike than a gel. Bite off the side, pluck the pit out with your teeth and drop it, eat the rest.

Good luck.


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## Oh My Sack! (Aug 21, 2006)

If you put them in your water bladder, just spend $3 and buy a big box of effervescing denture cleaner tablets at Walmart. Throw a couple in your bladder every few rides, let it soak, and rinse out. Bladder stays clean and pretty much taste free of any product. Works on water bottles, too....and coffee cups/pots, etc.

I use Tailwind Nutrition by the bag. Stuff is great but again, it's using maltodextrin so I don't know that you can get away with that from the Diabetic standpoint.


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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Oh My Sack! said:


> ... buy a big box of effervescing denture cleaner tablets at Walmart. Throw a couple in your bladder every few rides, let it soak, and rinse out. Bladder stays clean and pretty much taste free of any product.


Have to try this.


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## DrumsXO (May 2, 2016)

Thanks for the information, everyone. Especially 127.0.0.1 for the blood sugar information. I never thought that my sugar could be rising instead of falling, so I'll have to do some testing. 

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## watts888 (Oct 2, 2012)

Blood sugar is a twisted mess. My wife is diabetic with full blown dead pancreas and pump. If she starts exercise, her blood sugar goes all over the place, and it's different every time based on what she's doing, how much she's exerting herself, and food. Also found out that alcohol really messes with blood sugar. Couple glasses of dry wine (no sugar in it after fermentation), sugar levels rise like crazy, then tank.


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## DrumsXO (May 2, 2016)

watts888 said:


> Blood sugar is a twisted mess. My wife is diabetic with full blown dead pancreas and pump. If she starts exercise, her blood sugar goes all over the place, and it's different every time based on what she's doing, how much she's exerting herself, and food. Also found out that alcohol really messes with blood sugar. Couple glasses of dry wine (no sugar in it after fermentation), sugar levels rise like crazy, then tank.


Yeah, I've had some crazy moments in my life as a Diabetic. I've yet to have any issues while hiking (for years) or biking (only recently).

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## Guest (Oct 6, 2016)

Best and Worst Electrolyte Drinks | PaleoEdge


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## mtnbkrmike (Mar 26, 2015)

nvphatty said:


> Best and Worst Electrolyte Drinks | PaleoEdge


I have been using Hammer products exclusively for years, mostly because they are always very gentle on my stomach. Good to see that they are a decent product.

I am perpetually dehydrated. I went through a period where after each ride, I would cramp up so bad in one of my hamstrings that I would literally crumble to the ground, no matter where I was when it happened. It would take a few minutes for me to even be able to straighten my leg, after writhing on the ground in pretty intense pain.

I began trying to do a better job hydrating pre-ride. I always eat a banana on the way to the trail head and I take Hammer Endurolyte capsules during the ride. Since making these changes I have been 100% cramp free.


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## Guest (Oct 7, 2016)

mtnbkrmike said:


> I began trying to do a better job hydrating pre-ride. I always eat a banana on the way to the trail head and I take Hammer Endurolyte capsules during the ride. Since making these changes I have been 100% cramp free.


nice to hear results can be had. The pre-ride ritual is a major key to supplying our bodies (more so as we age) with essentials.


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## JakeXHoskins (Oct 11, 2016)

Electrolytes is what you need to get rid of the cramping and feel better after riding in general. My new favorite way to get electrolytes that i found is called Totelytes. You get them on amazon and they've been working wonders for me


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## Choice Cut Nutrition (Nov 9, 2016)

Always interesting hearing from people with type 1.

I teach diabetes education classes every day. Mostly type 2. Just a few type 1's here and there. None of them being endurance athletes. 

I had a good time reading this thread. Thanks guys.


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## Steezus (Jul 25, 2007)

I put electrolyte mix in my water bladder and always use it. I just make sure that I empty it to about 1/4 full, blow air into it so the water pools in the bladder and not the hose or the opening and throw it in the freezer. Keeps my water cold for the next ride as well. I've never needed to clean out my bladders doing this, just the hose and mouthpiece from time to time.


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## OlMarin (Oct 22, 2016)

I too am type 1. I found it is as becauseGIANT says. Dropping BS can cause 'stitches'. A good trick I use is to mix up good old Kool Aid with whatever sweetener level you need. Currently I've been using 2/3C Splenda and 1/3C sugar to get the right balance. Your needs may vary. You could add an electrolyte to that if needed, but watch your BS first (wait, this ain't a political thread :lol: )
And the comment about denture tabs for cleaning potable fluid containers, yup. Been doing that for years. Just rinse the Bejesus out of it.


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Interesting article:











> *Sports Drink Vs Water*
> 
> What is your pleasure when it comes to hydrating your body? Water or sports drinks?
> 
> ...


Sauce: Get Out There : Sports Drink Vs Water


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## OlMarin (Oct 22, 2016)

> but anecdotally sports drinks are often more appealing given their enhanced taste and therefore people are likely to consume more during exercise leading to better hydration.


this times a bazillion. Luvs me some peach mango Kool-Aid


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## pwsewater (Mar 6, 2020)

*Great resource*



nvphatty said:


> Best and Worst Electrolyte Drinks /QUOTE]
> 
> Thanks for sharing! This was a really helpful article.


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## wytemike21 (Jul 10, 2015)

This is an awesome thread! I am a type 1 diabetic who has been mountain biking for over 10 years and was diagnosed.when I was 4 and I am 36 and have been an athlete my whole life. I wear a CGM pump that auto-adjusts basal and has temp bg targets. With years of training to getting in shape for longer rides 5k climbing 20-30 miles, I would consistently hit a ceiling due to heavy cramping that I think is diabetes related as I can feel I am adequately in shape.

My body becomes extremely insulin sensitive, at approximately a 3x multiplier, insulin left over or bolus for any food intake has to be very low or I will shoot down very fast. With that happening I have to eat a mixture of carbs to keep my BS up but my body seems to digest and intake very little carbs even when I ingest a lot. I eat gels, Clif bars, blocks, waffles, sandwiches...name a carb type I've tried at a rate where I can't eat any more and even at a basal near zero with no bolus my BS tends to decrease...then coming out of the ride I get an immediate massive BS explosion...no insulin...massive carb/food ingestion...some how body isn't converting during ride..but it will right after. 

So that was long...but if anyone has run into the same issue let me know if you figured it out!

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## fsrxc (Jan 31, 2004)

wytemike21 said:


> This is an awesome thread! I am a type 1 diabetic who has been mountain biking for over 10 years and was diagnosed.when I was 4 and I am 36 and have been an athlete my whole life. I wear a CGM pump that auto-adjusts basal and has temp bg targets. With years of training to getting in shape for longer rides 5k climbing 20-30 miles, I would consistently hit a ceiling due to heavy cramping that I think is diabetes related as I can feel I am adequately in shape.
> 
> My body becomes extremely insulin sensitive, at approximately a 3x multiplier, insulin left over or bolus for any food intake has to be very low or I will shoot down very fast. With that happening I have to eat a mixture of carbs to keep my BS up but my body seems to digest and intake very little carbs even when I ingest a lot. I eat gels, Clif bars, blocks, waffles, sandwiches...name a carb type I've tried at a rate where I can't eat any more and even at a basal near zero with no bolus my BS tends to decrease...then coming out of the ride I get an immediate massive BS explosion...no insulin...massive carb/food ingestion...some how body isn't converting during ride..but it will right after.
> 
> ...


I occasionally see the same thing, during a run or bike, even gel can have a delayed effect on BG, then like you it can spike afterwords, so for now I'm just using gatorade, it smells like chemical cleaner but it has simple sugars and generally it will bump BG in 10-20 minutes.


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