We’ve all been in this situation: you’ve been riding for who knows how long and you’ve become quite thirsty. If it has been a particularly hot day and you’ve been sweating a ton on top of the physical exertion, suddenly drink choice becomes much more important than usual. Here are the most commonly sought after drinks to keep yourself well hydrated and in tip top shape to enjoy your bike tour vacation.

Sports Drinks

Ahh, the sports drink. We tell ourselves they keep us hydrated and they can be good for us—fortunately, this is true for bikers who are on long journeys! The sugar present in these drinks is not a good choice for those who are not doing long bouts of aerobic activity.

Biking, however, is essentially one of the best forms of aerobic activity you can do. A long bike ride such or a bike tour is so thoroughly enjoyable and can be a mentally relaxing experience, that you may go for longer than you ordinarily would jogging or doing some other cardiovascular work.

Sports drinks come loaded with sugars, and more importantly, potassium, magnesium, and sodium. These minerals keep your electrolyte levels in balance so that you don’t feel lightheaded or dizzy during long sessions of exercise where you’ve lost a lot of these minerals through sweating. If you’ve been pushing your limits, chances are your muscle stores are starved for glycogen and your blood sugar levels are dropping—which can also lead to decreased performance and lightheadedness. That is where the sugar in these drinks comes in handy.

Verdict: Good for long and intense bicycle rides

If sports drinks were the yang of hydrating exercise drinks, then coconut water would be the yin. Many people have turned to coconut water as a sports drink replacement in recent times because of its high potassium content. Considering that many Americans are deficient in potassium in comparison to our sodium intakes, this has been a naturally popular drink in balancing out our sodium and potassium ratios. It is an excellent option for everyday hydration and getting a nice dose of potassium for our daily requirements. Potassium is an important mineral in reducing blood pressure as well.

If you are in the prior example—in a situation where you’re exercising for a long time (greater than 90 minutes) and going at a fast pace, thus losing a lot of fluids through sweat. This is not an adequate drink to have. The worst part about the misconception of coconut water as a good sports drink is that while it is a perfectly nutritious beverage to have in most circumstances, for this situation it isn’t. The reason is that the primary mineral lost during vigorous exercise is sodium, the primary mineral that coconut water supplies is not sodium, but potassium—which keeps sodium in check. If you are already deficient in sodium in the body due to heavy sweating, then drinking coconut water is only worsening the issue.

Try not to let this deflate you if you are a coconut water lover (I am as well), it is a marvelously healthy drink and is even a fantastic way to keep yourself trim year long because it’s a phenomenal aid in reducing bloating from too much sodium—which can help you look and feel better.

Verdict: Good for shorter duration exercise

Water

Water is our lifeblood. In terms of hydration, it doesn’t get any simpler than this. About 60% of an adult human body is made up of water if that doesn’t tell you how important it is to drink in large quantities than I don’t know what is. There really isn’t much to say, water is sufficient for hydration in the vast majority of exercise-related circumstances.

Verdict: A versatile and superior classic

Bike Tours Vacations offers a plethora of trail tours that will allow you to sightsee the best bike trails in Michigan. Whether you’re looking for a week-end biking tour to destress from work or are interested in a week-long tour to get out into the great beyond and breathe some fresh air, we’ve got you covered! To learn more about our biking tours, visit our contact page here or give us a call at (248)-345-6929!

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