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Competitive Cycling

Brett C.
Brett C. Sendmail

Fuel in your bottles

asked 10 months ago | Report

Do any of you make your own fuel to carry in your bottles on your bike? If so, anyone willing to share your combinations/mixes?

I am finding Gatorade is too sweet for me and looking for other possibilities to possible make my own.

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8 answers

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  • Chris M.
    Chris M. Sendmail

    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 10 months ago |Report

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  • Markus Z.
    Markus Z. Sendmail

    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 10 months ago |Report

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  • Kevin M.
    Kevin M. Sendmail

    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 10 months ago |edited 10 months ago |Report

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  • Tim M.
    Tim M. Sendmail

    I love using NUUN tablets......a nice, lighter taste with very few calories. No carbs though...if you are looking to include those.

    answered 10 months ago |Report

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  • Asher T.
    Asher T. Sendmail

    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 26 days ago |Report

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  • Morey B.
    Morey B. Sendmail

    I mix Gatorade with water. I guess about half and half. but then also carry just water.

    answered 26 days ago |Report

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  • Michael S.
    Michael S. Sendmail

    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 21 days ago |Report

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  • Gozling
    Gozling Sendmail

    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 21 days ago |Report

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