CYKOM promises you will have endurance and strength throughout your bike ride with electrolytes that make you feel like you could be riding forever! To consistently win the sprint, explore our diverse collection of electrolytes. These are salt substances that can aid in avoiding dehydration, even in the most challenging training sessions.
What are electrolytes?
Electrolytes are essential minerals that help regulate various functions in your body. These minerals have an electrical charge and can be found in your blood, urine, and body fluids.
One of the most essential functions of electrolytes is to help maintain the proper fluid balance in your body. When you sweat during exercise or in hot weather, your body loses fluids and electrolytes, which can lead to dehydration.
There are many different types of electrolytes, including:
- Sodium
- Potassium
- Calcium Magnesium
- Chloride Phosphate
- Bicarbonate
By consuming fluids and foods that contain electrolytes, you can help replenish these minerals and maintain a healthy fluid balance.
We have a wide range of electrolytes that are easy to mix with water, making them perfect for a long ride in the saddle. If you need a great water bottle, you can check out our large selection of water bottles here.
Electrolytes also help regulate your body's pH levels, which is the balance between acid and alkaline in your body. Proper pH levels are important for maintaining healthy body functions like enzyme activity and cell growth.
Additionally, electrolytes are important for nerve and muscle function. For example, sodium and potassium are necessary for nerve impulses to travel between cells, while calcium and magnesium are important for muscle contractions.
When should you consume electrolytes?
Electrolytes can be consumed before, during, and after exercise, especially for athletes or people who engage in intense physical activity. This is because sweating during exercise can cause the body to lose electrolytes, which can lead to dehydration and a decrease in performance.
By replenishing electrolytes during and after exercise, you can help maintain your fluid balance, prevent muscle cramps, and support your overall performance.
Additionally, electrolytes can also be consumed if you feel dehydrated due to illness or hot weather.
Dehydration can negatively affect performance, but there is no clear evidence of how much and when. When dehydration reaches over 3% of body weight, it will likely affect performance.
Most people's maximum sweat rate is around 2-2.5 liters per hour and can be reached within an hour. For example, an 80 kg man with a maximum sweat rate of 2.5 L/hour is likely to experience a decrease in performance towards the end of a bike ride, and it is important to drink something during the ride.
For a 2-hour bike ride, we recommend having electrolytes and carbohydrates in your water bottle to maintain good performance. Salt intake is important during longer training sessions or competitions, especially in hot weather.
In addition to a wide range of electrolytes, we - CYKOM - also have a large selection of quality saddle bags.
In the winter, it is easier for us to hold on to salt due to the cold, which keeps us cool and reduces sweating. Dehydration can lead to cramps, and it is common for people to drink several liters of water a day while forgetting to take in salt through their diet or supplements.
Although electrolytes may not be as important in winter as they are in summer, there are other factors that come into play when cycling through the winter: namely, being able to stay warm.
We have a lot of cool cycling winter jackets that we think you should check out. Then you can be sure that you can keep warm.
How much do you sweat?
We all know about sweating. It smells, is not always pleasant, and can be very disturbing at times. But it is a good reason for our body to react as it does.
During exercise or other activities that increase body temperature, sweat glands are activated and begin to produce sweat. Sweat is primarily composed of water and electrolytes such as sodium and chloride, and its composition can vary depending on the individual and type of activity.
It is important to note that there can be significant variation in the amount of salt a person loses through sweat, and thus electrolyte requirements can also vary.
You can determine if you are a "salt-sweater" by wearing a black cotton t-shirt during a warm workout and observing if clear salt spots appear on the t-shirt. If so, it may indicate that you are losing a significant amount of salt through your sweat and may need additional electrolytes to replenish what has been lost.
If you want to do the test while cycling, you can also do it. It just requires a dark-colored cycling jersey. Fortunately, we also have plenty of those. Check them out here.
Which electrolytes should you take?
At CYKOM, we offer a wide range of electrolytes. We can therefore offer something for everyone.
Our PurePower Hydro Plus Tabs are very popular, and for a good reason. They are super effective. They work as tabs, so you just need to dissolve them in water and drink them.
They are quickly and effectively absorbed into the system, making them a great alternative for those who want quick energy without absorbing carbohydrates.
In addition to the above, PurePower Hydro Tabs are also a source of Vitamin C.
We offer four flavors: Citrus, Orange, Raspberry, and Red Berries.
In addition to our popular tabs, we also have a wide selection of PurePower Carbo Race electrolytes, which can be purchased in 1 kg bags. Here you can easily dose the amount yourself, but we recommend 60 grams of powder to 700 ml of water.
If you are going on a long workout, you can easily ensure that you have electrolytes in your water bottle and avoid dehydration. We offer several flavors: Raspberry, Citrus, and Elderflower.
How many electrolytes should you take?
As mentioned earlier, we are all different, varying from person to person. However, we encourage following the instructions on the product. We also recommend that the maximum dosage not exceed four tabs daily.
Do you need electrolytes, or can you just stick to water?
When you lose a significant amount of fluid, you lose not only water but also electrolytes. Electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium are crucial in regulating various bodily functions, including muscle function and hydration.
Therefore, it is important to replenish electrolytes in addition to water, especially during prolonged physical activity or hot weather conditions.
If you don't replenish these electrolytes, your body's salt and fluid balance can be compromised, leading to dehydration, muscle cramps, fatigue, and even more severe conditions.
In addition to taking electrolytes before or during cycling, it's also important to ensure good electrolyte balance as soon as you get off the bike. This can help increase your overall recovery.
Several parameters play a role in recovery, massage and compression boots can be mentioned as essential aspects of your recovery. Check out our range of products that can help with your recovery here.
If you only drink water, you can dilute the electrolyte content in your body and worsen the problem. In mild cases of electrolyte deficiency, you can correct it by consuming salt through food and drink.
Electrolytes for indoor cycling?
While spinning has been the preferred form of exercise for many indoor enthusiasts for many years, Zwift has recently gained tremendous popularity. Here you connect your road bike to a hometrainer and can ride against others from the comfort of your living room - or wherever you are - through the screen you are connected to.
Electrolytes are essential for indoor training sessions like Zwift cycling because they help regulate various body functions, including fluid balance, muscle contraction, and nerve impulses. During exercise, our bodies lose electrolytes through sweat, and if they are not replaced, this can lead to dehydration and muscle cramps.
Indoor training sessions like Zwift cycling can be particularly intense. They can lead to increased sweat production and electrolyte loss, especially if the training session is long or performed in a hot and humid atmosphere. Therefore, it is essential to replenish electrolyte levels to maintain optimal performance and prevent potential health risks.
Overall, electrolytes play a crucial role in maintaining proper body functions during exercise, and it is vital to ensure that electrolyte levels are replenished during and after indoor training sessions like Zwift cycling.
If you think indoor cycling and Zwift sound cool, check out our range of hometrainers.
