fluids & nutrition & electrolyte replacment

So I thought I had been doing well with my fluid, calorie and electrolyte replacement.

But this last Saturday I took off on a Century ride with the local cycling club.
Before the ride approx 1 hour before, I had 1 cup of oatmeal and a cup of milk and a banana, and a dose of endurolyte tablets.
I had 3 bottles of Infinit with me(approx 300 calories each), I also packed a couple powerbars(240 calories each), and 2 pretty dense bread/fruit/nut bars, not sure of the calorie content of those. The ride was supported and there were stops at
27, 50, 70, 90 miles, which had more than enough food to feed a small army.
Fruits, drinks, snacks etc. So I figured I would have more than enough food and fluid available to me.

The first 27 miles were good, I finished my first bottle of infinit, By mile 50, I was starting to feel tired and worn down, the hills were getting to me, my pace had slowed down significantly and I was basically riding by myself at that point. So far I had consumed two bottles of Infinit, I had tortilla, a couple handfuls of nuts, and That bagel/energy bar thing. I also had an extra glass of water at the 50 mile rest stop.

By mile 65 or so, I knew I was done when the leg cramp**** Both of my thighs cramped up on me and I had to get off the bike and stretch. I finished my last bottle of infinit, and ate one of the powerbars. I knew I wasn't going to make it the full 100 miles. The last 30 miles had the biggest hill to climb and I was just plodding along on the little rollers. I knew I'd be walking that hill if I tried it. I got back on the bike and made it to the mile 70 rest stop where I waited for a ride back home. While at the mile 70 rest stop I ate a turkey and cheese sandwich, some cookies a couple strawberries, some pretzels and another bottle or electrolyte replacement (I don't remember the name brand).
My wife dropped me off at the post ride bbq so I could pick up my gear that I had left at the rest stop. While at the bbq I ate 2 bbq ribs.

After all of that food and liquid consumption I was expecting to have broken even or maybe even been heavier than when the ride started.
I stepped on the scale at home and I was still down almost 7 pounds, which is a 3.5% weight loss even after all the food and liquid I took in.

So what I'm thinking is I didn't take in nearly enough fluid during my ride.
I think the Garmin estimated that I burned around 5800 calories for the ride. Here is a link to the ride. http://ridewithgps.com/trips/39374

Thanks,

Scott

Any suggestions on the fluid or food intake would be appreciated.

Most of the food intake was post ride.

Pre ride, oatmeal, milk, banana, endurolyte tabs

During the ride 3 bottles of infinit (300 cal each + electrolytes), 1 powerbar, 1 I bread/fruit/nut bar thing, kind of like a dense bagel, a handfull of nuts/trailmix, 1 cup of water at aid station.

Remainder of the food post ride.

Aren't we supposed to have 20-40 oz. of fluid an hour?

Now, that's actually too much for me. I just end up peeing about 2x as much as I should if I do that and it's not hot out or a very hilly ride. But I'm a lot shorter than your average bear and definitely shorter than you!

You only gave the mileage not the times so I can't tell if you had a bottle every hour. I'd consider that a minimum for someone your size and a guy. (Guys sweat more than women IME.)

Oh and I read somewhere that we should get 1000 mg of sodium per hour too. (Though that's a crazy amount for me, particularly given that my body tends to retain sodium.)

Hey bro, so a couple of things I would clarify... what was your hydration level 3-4 days pre ride? If you were under 60% hydration, that is a problem. Also, what was your salt / magnesium levels pre ride and during the ride? Sounds like to me you should have been slamming salt, especially if you were dehydrated going into the ride. Pre-workout hydration for long endurance sports is crucial 3-4 days out and you really need to plan on that. I have been running 50+ miles a week and on my longer runs of 28+, I realize I have to hydrate 3 days prior or I just cramp and bonk about 15-20 into it.

So magnesium levels may have been low, salt for sure and hydration is in question. Try to increase these things and try the ride again and I am sure that you would have been fine. The fact that you consumed so much tells me you were dehydrated and your body was fighting through it. But the day of will do you little good, it's the days leading up that are crucial.

Just a few thoughts.

Jeff