Electrolytes

Warning - this blog is basically me thinking aloud, and unless you're into issues around endurance sports it's extremely boring. If self-indulgent ramblings are your bag, read on....

We're constantly reminded, us sportsmen (don't laugh) about the need for correct hydration and electrolyte balance for optimum performance and endurance. Whew, what a mouthful. Anyway, with all that in mind, and mindful that taking on endurance sports in a climate such as exists here in Thailand causes added strains on the body's fluid levels, I looked around for an outlet for electrolyte replacement products.

Not a sausage could I find.

In a major city like Bangkok that's outrageous. One store answered my email with a promise that, although they don't stock the product I enquired about, they do stock other products by the same company, and they would get some in the future. That's a start I suppose, but these things are driven by market forces obviously, and the "Sports" market here is mostly blokes wanting to get much, much bigger.

In my book, that's not sport, it's pharmacy.

The basic premise in the minds of today's "yoof" is that the hours/days/weeks/months of hard work in the gym (allied with a healthy, suitably high-protein diet) required to build the desired physique can be avoided by swallowing regular handfuls of borderline illegal, life-shortening, hormone-balance-wrecking crap, and occasionally swanning down to the gym suitably attired in the latest glamorous lycra posing-tops.

The stuff you can get here over the counter is quite dangerous - human growth hormone, steroids, anything you want. This trend is duplicated in the actual company I used to buy my stuff from in the UK, an Australian company called Musashi. They now seem to concentrate on bloat-up protein shakes, amino supplements, whey powder, and in a small corner of their website you'll find the endurance stuff.

So I've jumped ship.

There's a UK-based company called Science in Sport, which has a line of products aimed at runners, cyclists and triathletes. Their stuff is even for sale in Tescos. I also found it on eBay.

The reason for all this girding of loins endurance-wise, is that I have a long offroad ride with the Bangkok Hash House Bikers at the end of this month. If I try to do 45 km in 35 degrees, with just water to keep me going, I'll get the worst case of cramp ever. I've always had problems keeping hydrated during sports. I sweat freely just walking along the road here in Bangkok, and that's not an exaggeration - ask wifey. Speaking of the ginger-headed one, she posted an enquiry on the ThaiVisa forum, which around here is the best way to find out anything about anything, asking about electrolyte replacement products. Answers? Plenty. One bloke suggested chocolate drinks are the future for endurance sportsmen. Another seemed quite taken with coconut water. Bizarre. The point is, there's just no interest over here in Triathlon, Cycling, Running or even Squash, because it's just too damned hot. It's only us stupid farangs that can be bothered.

I've already booked the hotel for the BHHB trip. It's at Khao Yai National Park, about 2 hours north of Bangkok. They usually do a big ride on Saturday, have a few drinks in the evening, then ride again an the Sunday. Then it's off back to Bangkok in time for tea & medals. I'm looking forward to meeting some like-minded people, possibly making some friends, and getting some good exercise at the same time. A full report will appear here. Lyn arrives in Bangkok two days later, so I better not get too badly injured. She'd kill me.

Later taters