On the advice from the ‘flashes’ after last weeks Rivvy ride and the onset of some cramp.

My ZYM electrolyte tablets have arrived.

Question is, do i dissolve 1 tablet for every 500ml of water ie 6 tablets in a 3ltr camelback? which sounds alot and expensive!

or do you guys just pop one in the bladder when you need it?

or just one tablet in the bladder per ride.

sorry

Dave

Try it & see how you get on
Maybe 1 per litre will work for you

it would be a bit strong i think, but i generally use 1 for 1ltr when riding, then 1 in 500ml after becasue i like a stronger solution stop me cramping up after the ride.

crush it and snort it! 😯

Tonic water.

I find it best mixed with lager ratio unimportant!!!!
My legs have still not fully recovered did you get out weds?
I have only been commuting but am out tonight

They are an expensive way of buying salts in easy to use premeasured doses.

Table salt would be fine for most. Epsom salts, andrews liver salts and Lo salt if you really want pottassium and magnesium as well.

There are two issues that often get mixed up.
1) You lose salts thru sweat and these need to be replaced. You can do this by ingesting the salts in many ways from using electrolyte products to eating crisps
2) your body absorbs water best from an isotonic solution. For salt replacement isotonic is simply unnecessary. For fluid replacement it is best but not essential it is isotonic.

Be careful and check the ingredients. If you are not carefull you can either end up with too much salt or a huge glucose load depending on the type of product.
Myself I far prefer a more natural approach. 1/3 litre apple juice to 2/3 litre water with a couple of teaspoons of table sugar and a stingy teaspoonful of salt. I prefer a slightly hypotonic solution

I am no elite athelete tho

Arm licking?

I prefer to keep just water in my Camelbak and carry a 500ml water bottle with sports drink in it – you can then top it up and mix drinking it with water until you find what works for you. Stops nasties in the Camelbak and gives you more flexibility.

I put two in a full camelbak bladder, works for me.

your body absorbs water best from an isotonic solution

is this even true, given that your stomach contains a slurry of hydrochloric acid, enzymes and partially digested food? Since little or no liquid leaks out of your arse (unless you have diarrhea), it can only be a rate thing, in which case it might make more sense to start drinking earlier…

crush it and snort it!

For the 3ltr I use 2 nuun and 2 zym tablets, for longer rides I’d add another zym.

6 might be a caffine overload!!

I use Zym catapult(the ones with caffiene) – for longish days, since I got bad cramp at SITS 2 years ago.

I just put one in a 1 1/2 liter bladder, or 2 in a 3 liter one. I’ll never know if I would’ve got cramp if I hadn’t used em – but I know I haven’t using them.

I think Rich just puts one in, but I’ll check.

Table salt would be fine for most. Based on???

Sweat contains more than Sodium Chloride. Potassium imbalances are waaaaay more important/more likely to cause cramping, from what I have read.

But there are lots of other reasons for cramping other than electrolyte imbalances. Glycogen levels or just pushing yourself at a pace your body isn’t used to for instance.

i just have a tub of electrolyte plus tabs from myprotein.co.uk – works for me, and far better value than these poncy effervescent ones.

BillOddie – Soduim is the most important part of this ( based on? – a basic knowledge of physiology and dietetics). Magnesium and Potassium play a part tho – but in smaller quantities. Fruit contains potassioum and magnesium IIRC

My apple juice recipe contains a bit of potassium and magnesium as well. Most folk will have sufficient body reserves of potassium and magnesium to make up what they have lost in sweat from what I have read – unless you are really sweating buckets / have a rubbish diet / are an elite athlete who needs that last 1% of performance.

You pays yer money and takes yer choice- as with most things like this there is no substitute for knowledge. ( and I have reached thee limits of mine in this post) Beware of sponsored research / selective quoting from manufacturers.

I have seen folk totally mess up on rehydration drinks from not understanding what is in them – drinking 3l of a sugar based rehydration mix on an empty stomach and wondering why his stomach went on strike and he puked it all back up again.

Potassium is needed to regulate the Sodium levels in/around the muscle cells, without a readily avaialable source of Potassium, it makes no difference how much sodium you take in.

Hence, the need for Sodium, chloride and Potassium.

Potassium is needed to regulate the Sodium levels

but only if you run out of it…

Bloody hell i only wanted to know how many tablets.

cheers for your replies.

Yip John got out round Kentmere Wed night. It was fantastic, hardly a breath of wind and only saw 4-5 MTBers and a couple of cars all night.

amasing how a simple question can stir up the STW massive

Cramp is a malfunction of the nerves, not of the muscles – hence elecrolytes

Steve not entirely correct – the pain is from the muscle going into spasm. Usually associated with over excitability of the nerves and usually due to low sodium ( and possibly potassium) in body fluids.

I use those caffeinated Zym, I put one in a 500ml bottle, which means drinking up to 5 in a 2hr race. That’ll see you right.

I’d put a couple in a Camelbak and see how you go.

FWIW they’ve totally cured my cramp issues, I’d never cramp in training, always in racing, and they’ve sorted that.