Answers/
Competitive Cycling
11 answers
scroll to bottom-
I've used Propel which I think is a gatorade product. Not as sweet as gatorade and you can water it down more if you want. Many of the products you can buy in the grocery stores are mainly sugar. Also keep in mind that you don't really need fuel other than water for any rides under an hour.
I've used Accelerade and Endurox R4 years ago. I'll be picking up more in the next week or so now that I'm getting back on my bike. Both are powders you mix with water.
Accelerade goes in your bottles during your longer rides and Endurox R4 is a recovery drink for after rides. Both worked well for me back in the day.answered almost 2 years ago |Report
-
I use the P90X Results and Recovery. The new formulation is really toned down which is great when you have to swig. Last time I ran a half-marathon is really freaking helped, much more than the watered down Powerade at the hydration stations!
answered almost 2 years ago |Report
-
NEVER use gatorade, it IS too sweet for hard riding/racing. You should try to look for something that's not solely sugar based carbohydrates and has far more electrolytes than Gatorade. Gatorade is touted as a sports drink, but in the world of supplements, it's actually quite pathetic. Its core ingredients are sugar, sodium, potassium... That's really the bare minimum, and for the average person, I'm sure that's fine, but if you're any kind of a serious cyclist or triathlete you need a far better fuel. A couple I would recommend: Cytomax, Accelerade, Hammer, Enervitine. All of these are far better. www.infinitnutrition.com also has an excellent range of drink mixes and you can even custom make your own and they will ship it to you!! Definitely the best offer I've seen and the price is right in the ballpark.
answered almost 2 years ago |edited almost 2 years ago |Report
-
I love using NUUN tablets......a nice, lighter taste with very few calories. No carbs though...if you are looking to include those.
answered almost 2 years ago |Report
-
I have the same problem with Gatorade, especially when it's hot out.
There's a product called Morton Lite Salt which can be had at many grocery stores (and Wal-Mart, if all else fails). It can be used to custom-blend your own electrolyte drinks. Plain table salt will also work, but the Lite Salt blend includes potassium, which is helpful. I tend to mix it with a literal pinch of Lite Salt per 24-oz water bottle.
If I want flavor and carbs in the bottle, I usually add one of the blue Kool-aid-type single-serving pouches (the ones made with sugar rather than sugar-free; using one in a 24-ounce bottle dilutes it significantly, since they're designed to be mixed in an 8-ounce glass), a 'serving' or two of lemonade mix, or a bit of lemon or lime juice. Some people use orange juice -- I've seen recipes that call for a 70% water / 30% OJ solution that seem to work well, but I don't like the resulting flavor. I'm thinking about trying a similar solution of cranberry juice.
I've found that I, personally, do better getting my carbs from gels -- if my hydration options are too sweet, I won't drink, and we all know how well that works. When I'm a couple hours into an intense ride, hot, and sweaty, I usually just want plain water.
I make my own gels as well. Here's my basic recipe:
2 tbsp raw agave nectar
This can generally be found in the grocery store in the baking aisle -- I buy the 'agave in the raw' brand because it's organic and also reasonably inexpensive per volume.1 tbsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder
I go with the Dutch-processed variety because it results in a smoother and milder flavor. Any brand (or generic) is fine. I use Frontier's organic version because I get a really good price on it through a buying club, but Hershey's or the store brand will get the job done just fine. Just make sure you're using cocoa powder and not cocoa mix!.5 tsp vanilla extract
Again, any brand will do. I prefer genuine vanilla extract to the artificial variety because I like the flavor better, but I've used the artificial kind when necessary and it gets the job done..25 tsp Morton Lite Salt
This is partly for electrolyte purposes and partly for flavoring purposes. When I make home-made cocoa, I add the same amount.The nice part about this recipe is that it scales up easily (and down reasonably easily). You can also add water or coffee to dilute it as needed if it's too thick, substitute blackstrap molasses for part of the agave as a source of slower-burning carbs, and so forth.
To mix things up, I sometimes add .5 tsp mint or orange extract.
To turn it all into gel, I just mix all the ingredients together. Usually, this means blending the salt and vanilla into the agave nectar, then adding the cocoa powder by half-tablespoons or so.
My super high-tech mixing setup involves a measuring cup with a spout (makes it easier to get the final product into the Hydrapak Soft Flask or whatever I'll be carrying it in) and a chopstick.
I tested this setup (used in conjunction with the usual water-plus-a-pinch-of-lite-salt) on my first gravel race of the season back in March. It worked quite nicely, though I didn't dilute the gel and thus had to unscrew the top of the Soft Flask to use it (not so handy for on-bike feeds!). The next time out I diluted it with coffee, which was delicious and made it much easier to use.
answered about 1 year ago |Report
-
I mix Gatorade with water. I guess about half and half. but then also carry just water.
answered about 1 year ago |Report
-
I had the same problem with Gatorade. I started using Gu Brew Electrolyte Tablets about a month ago and I really love them. They give the water just a hit of flavor but adds carbonation and I believe it quenches my thirst more which leads to me wanting to drink more. Great product imo.
answered about 1 year ago |Report
-
I used to use the cytomax but I had to cut it as it upset my stomach on the recommended dosage... I use the hammer products now and have no problems at all. I love hammernutrition!
answered about 1 year ago |Report
-
I'm an endurance cyclist and a vegan to boot so I normally have to carry all of my nutrition with me. My last long ride this year, the One Day Ride Across Michigan (147 miles) required a calculated 8800 calories; 4400 from glycogen and 4400 from fat at my average pace of 15.25 mph. Since I only have to worry about replacing the glycogen calories and my body has about 1500 calories available at the start of the ride, I need to take in at least 3000 calories during the ride to keep from bonking (not fun!). I carry two 25 oz. water bottles; one with Hammer Perpeteum mixed 7 scoops to fill a 25 oz water bottle and the other wiith 25 oz of water. I begin drinking from both at the beginning of the ride and take in about 250 calories per hour. As I replenish my water, I simply add more water to the Perpeteum bottle. In addition, I carried a packet of an additional 7 scoops of Perpeteum in a baggie to mix a fresh feeding bottle about half way. I also carry 4 or 5 Cliff bars eating 1/2 a Clif bar every hour to get some chewing exercise. On top of that I carry a 5 oz. flask of Hammer Gel (500 calories) for "quick" energy or very late in the ride. Other than the Clif bars, my diet is all liquid. I have settled on the Perpeteum as it does not trouble my stomach in the least. One thing I have found is that on the two days before a long ride, I eat only slightly less than my body needs and keep away from all heavy foods. Absolutely no carbo loading the night before. In the morning, I like a about 250 calories of sushi rice and Bragg's Liquid Amnios to top off my glycogen, I find that I ride best if I start the ride, just slightly hungry. The body can only process 250-300 calories per hour so it is important to begin eating early and then steadily in a long ride.
As to Gatorade and other sweet drinks, study up on "osmolality". Simple carbs such as sugars and fructose require a lot of water to be absorbed. This puts lots of water in the stomach or allows the sugars to pass into the gut where it can cause discomfort. Complex carbs such as maltodextrin require far less water and therefore do not draw water from your system to process, something you do not want to happen on long rides.
My other rule is to stay away form all fats during a ride. They just make me sluggish.
My feeding/hydration is something that I have worked out of the past several years. One thing that I've learned is that eating and drinking on a bike are really very individualistic and what works for one may not work for another. I would just suggest that you read as much as you can and try different things yourself on your own training rides. Never try something new on an important organized ride or race. Figure out in advance what works for you and stay with it.
answered 6 months ago |Report
-
Here's another vote for Hammer Perpertuem for the long (3+) hour rides. I used that mixed up thick in one bottle and water in the other. Got me through two centuries and a 50 mile mountain bike race. It's the real deal.
I would get the small packs to start until you find a flavor you like. I'm a cafe latte man
Shorter stuff (up to 3 hours), I'll generally use anything with salt. Half concentration gatoraid, endurox, Gu brew- none of it seem as important as the gels and/or chews for me. So my advice would be to find something you can stomach that has lytes (maybe Hammer Heed?) and go from there.
answered 6 months ago |Report
-
My husband is a BASE performance AG ambassador athlete, so he uses BASE amino and electrolyte salt (and I do, too on my long runs, especially if it's humid.) We both love it!
answered 6 months ago |Report
Similar Questions in Cycling - Competitive Cycling
sale cheap wholesale jordan i...0 answers/last answer 7 days ago
factory price discount cheap ...0 answers/last answer 10 days ago
- ( Visa credit card ) cheapest...
0 answers/last answer 10 days ago
- Wholesale cheap air max shoes...
0 answers/last answer 10 days ago
Training Partner0 answers/last answer 12 months ago
Tendonitis in elbows/triceps ...4 answers/last answer about 1 year ago
Is it gud to drive non gear r...1 answer/last answer almost 2 years ago
Free shipping discount Nike A...0 answers/last answer almost 2 years ago
- new to cycling see here first!!!
0 answers/last answer almost 2 years ago
- should i go to cycling this w...
0 answers/last answer almost 2 years ago
Categories
General
Running
Triathlon
Cycling
Health & Fitness
Race Management
Dailymile Feedback
