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Practical Hydration and Sports Nutrition Advice for Summer

By Chris Carmichael, CTS, 05/21/18, 12:00PM PDT

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Getting athletes to consume adequate fluid – water or sports drink – has always been an issue, and it becomes even more of an issue as temperatures and workout/event durations increase.

If ever there was an event where sports nutrition could make or break a group of athletes, it was the 2014 ATOC Race Experience. Including the coaches we had more than 20 amateur cyclists on the road, with an average age of 50 years old. We rode more than 730 miles in eight days in temperatures that at times topped 110 degrees.

Most days took between 4-6 hours, and on the stage that finished on top of Mount Diablo, several athletes were out on the road for seven-and-a-half hours. In total, I spent a little more than 40 hours on the bike during those eight days.