Should I Sip or Chug My Drinks?

QUESTION: For years I've heard that it is best to hydrate on rides by sipping every 10-15 minutes, consuming one bottle of fluid each hour. Recently, I read an article that said our bodies absorb liquid more efficiently if it's ingested in larger quantities. It said to drink half a bottle on each half hour instead of sipping more often. What do you think? -- Ron M.

COACH FRED: I've heard this, too, Ron. As I understand it, a large quantity of liquid all at once in your stomach hastens the emptying process. Apparently, the stomach senses that it has just received a hefty load of fluid, so biofeedback helps decrease the time it takes for the stomach to do its thing.

Sounds good in the lab. Whether this works well in practice, however, is another matter.

Some people could get an upset stomach if they chug half a bottle (about 12 ounces) while riding. And just because the stomach empties faster doesn't mean that the fluid goes faster to where it will improve performance. Maybe it just means that you'll need to urinate more!

The bottom line on this (or any other) lab theory is to try it on the bike to see what happens. On some rides, sip every five minutes. On others, take larger swallows every 15 minutes. On still others, drink half a bottle on each half hour. Analyze the results.

I think that too often we automatically assume that lab results are applicable to our performance on the road. Instead, they may be applicable only to test subjects on an ergometer. Do your own experiment to decide.