Hydration: USA Cycling Course

Learn how to guide your athletes toward smarter hydration choices, avoid common fluid-related pitfalls, and improve performance in training and racing.

Our online course on Hydration cuts through the myths and confusion to give you practical, science-backed tools you can use immediately, on and off the bike. Designed for coaches who want clear, usable insights (not product pitches), this course reveals what really works when it comes to hydration and performance. You’ll learn how to:

• Understand how hydration actually works, down to the cellular level, so you can explain it to athletes with clarity and confidence.
• Spot the signs of overhydration, dehydration, and gastrointestinal issues before they derail a race plan.
• Use the science of osmotic pressure, sweat rates, and thirst regulation to guide fluid strategies across varying race conditions.
• Discern when to use (or avoid) sports drinks, electrolyte tablets, and sugar-based products, based on real data, not marketing hype.
• Learn from hydration experts like Dr. Robert Kenefick and Dr. Stacy Sims, who have led research for the U.S. Olympic Committee, Osmo Nutrition, and Entrinsic Health.

Whether you’re coaching juniors who rely on Gatorade or pros debating fructose ratios and hypertonic mixes, this course will give you the tools to advise them all, without second guessing. You’ll leave with a science-based hydration playbook and a deeper understanding of how to prepare your athletes for hot races, long training rides, and everything in between.

How to Enroll

All USA Cycling courses are offered exclusively through USA Cycling’s online learning management system at learn.usacycling.org.

Questions? Contact Suzy Sanchez, Director of DEI and Membership Programs, at ssanchez@usacycling.org.