Is it necessary to drink sports drinks when cycling?
When the exercise intensity is high and the ambient temperature is high, the body will sweat a lot and the recovery of electrolytes in the body will not be able to catch up with the rate of loss, resulting in a decrease in the concentration of electrolytes in the body. The main functions of electrolytes in the body are: “water control”, “maintenance of osmotic pressure”, “nerve conduction” and “muscle contraction”, each of which has a direct impact on athletic performance and to which every rider must pay attention.
First of all, let’s look at the ingredients of sports drinks. Sports drinks mainly add electrolytes such as potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium, which are very similar to human body fluids and can quickly replenish the trace elements consumed by the body due to exercise and regulate the acid-base balance in the body.
Do not drink too many sports drinks at once, because sports drinks are rich in many electrolytes, and drinking too much at once will increase the burden on the kidneys.