Whether you’re training indoors on a stationary bike or you’re braving the cold to ride outside, you may be wondering about electrolytes. Specifically, with all the wellness buzz around them now, should you be sipping an electrolyte-enhanced drink on and off the bike? What do you really need—and what’s worth the hype?
What are electrolytes?
Think of electrolytes as the electricity surging through your body to deliver power to all of your muscles and nerves, from your quads to your brain. These minerals—primarily sodium and magnesium—are critically important to keep in balance as an athlete, and as a human who wants to function at their highest level.
Athletes need to worry about electrolytes more than your average sedentary person for one simple reason: We sweat. Sometimes, we sweat a lot. And when we sweat, we lose those electrolytes, particularly sodium. (If you’re a salty sweater, you may notice that you end up with white salt stains on your cycling kit.)
Electrolytes are also responsible for maintaining our fluid balance. If we drink too much plain water on the bike and don’t add electrolytes, our bodies can’t actually process that water, and we end up in a dangerous place.
When do you need electrolytes on the bike?
Unless you’re doing a short, easy ride under an hour, your water bottle should always contain some type of electrolyte solution, whether it’s a sport drink that also contains carbs or is a low or no-calorie electrolyte mix or a pinch of sea salt. (For rides over 90 minutes or a hard 60+ minute ride, make sure you’re also adding carbohydrates for optimal performance.)
When do you need electrolytes off the bike?
Most sports drinks, gels, bars and chews contain electrolytes, but recently, electrolyte-specific drink mixes have risen in popularity both on and off the bike.
If you’re fueling and hydrating well on the bike and eating a diet that isn’t particularly low in sodium or magnesium, it’s unlikely that you desperately need to be adding an electrolyte mix to every glass of water that you consume. But if you notice that post-ride, you feel a bit of brain fog or fatigue despite eating a meal and drinking some water, adding some electrolyte drink mix or a pinch of sea salt to a glass of water is worth trying.
And of course, the other primary use of electrolytes in water is after a night of a bit too much wine. If you’ve overindulged, a glass of water with electrolytes at night or in the morning can help bring your body back into balance—though don’t expect miracles!
What’s the easiest way to get electrolytes?
There are a few easy ways to ensure that you’re getting in enough electrolytes throughout the day, even for the saltiest of sweaters:
- Use an electrolyte supplement like Enervit’s Pure-Pro Electrolytes Boost both on and off the bike. This salty lemon powder easily dissolves in your bottle and provides the sodium and magnesium your body needs—but without the calories. It’s a great one to sip pre-workout, especially if you are trying to train while fasted, and can be used in conjunction with more whole-food options like rice bars on the bike, since those whole foods tend to not have high electrolyte content.
- While you’re training, use a sport-specific drink mix or gel from Enervit—the C2:1Pro bars, gels and sports drink mixes—all have the best mix of electrolytes designed for cyclists. This way, you’re getting the optimal combination of simple carbohydrates and electrolytes in one convenient solution.
- When off the bike, if you tend to be a salty sweater, consider adding just a pinch of sea salt into water when you’re sipping (a squeeze of lemon juice makes this a refreshing drink!). This helps ensure that you have enough sodium in your system—but don’t overdo it, especially if you tend to eat a lot of heavily salted foods.
- Reminder: If you know that you get plenty of sodium in your diet or you have a history of health issues or high blood pressure, it’s always a good idea to check with your doctor about how you’re supplementing with electrolytes.
