Looking for recommmendations for a gel that's good for people who don't really tolerate them? Usually have normal food but am doing an event next month where a couple of gels is gonna have to do.
Have had bad experiences (stomach cramps) with power bar and sis drinks when I tried them years ago
Never had a problem with Torq gels. Rhubarb & Custard in particular are very tasty.
I managed Torq Gels and Drink for most of a 36 hour ride last weekend. That's got to be pretty good going!
The Torq drink is much less sweet than things like SIS. It's got electrolytes in so it has a slightly salty taste that makes it far more tolerable for longer I find…
+1 on Rhubarb and Custard Gels.
quite like the Clif espresso choc gels. Not a big lover of gels in general but the Clif have a different consistency i find easier to take.
I've had no problems with high5 stuff, similarly I got bad cramps on SIS. But then again I've had more chance to get used to high5. The SIS was a freebie at the 3/4 feed station on a 100 mile sportive.
I still prefer drink to gells though and reserve the gells for later in the ride to stave off a bonk.
Ohhh, and if you can stomach them, coffee beans*, makes the last climb of the day fly by**!
*technicaly excessive caffine is considdered dopeing by WADA/UCI/everyone
**followed by an epic ammount of pain later that day/next morning when yous legs come back to complain about the battering.
Thanks, think I will order a mixed box of torq and try them out over the next few weeks
Torq in all forms is a fairly safe bet for fragile constitutions although personally I find it rather mild and have to consume more of it to get the same effect.
High 5 caffeine gels are great if you want a proper chemical hit and Isostar's apple gels taste curiously like strawberry cheesecake.
I'm sure caffine was removed from the list of banned substances. You needed silly amounts to be banned anyway when it was on the list.
You could also try bikefood gels. I loved bikefood bars in the past, although they've changed them now and annoyingly aren't as good now.
I've a freebie box of high5 gels which I'm working my way through and I'm actually quite enjoying them.
High 5 gels for me, work very well. Although the Torq gels are nice and come in soem great flavours! Don't like Torq drinks though!
If you don't have a sweet tooth then avoid the GU chocolate outrage, like raw chcocolate cake mix, I really recommend zipvit v0 electrolyte energy drink, quite tasty too, refreshing watermelon.
Just eat some nuts, especially almonds...easier on the stomach, easier to carry & cheaper. Gram for gram they have more calories and carbs and 'good' fat than just about everything else....and they're 100% natural. Mix in some saltanas or the odd lump of choc and you're there.
I reckon Torq gels are easiest to stomach. Often use High 5 as they can be had far cheaper, but the Torq ones are nicer!
I used to be fairly tolerant of anything, but more recently I've had a problem even with Torq products in long events (was badly sick 12 hours into a 24 hour event last year after consuming mostly Torq - though to be fair that may have been nothing at all to do with what I was eating/drinking). The best bet is to try some and see how you get on.
Another Torq vote from me. Tried many others which all upset my stomach or tasted rank, then discovered Torq and they're good for everything (including 24 hour solo). If your stomach is on the edge, you might just need to drink more plain water to redress the balance.
Fats in nuts will slow down absprtion of the carbs though if your on a long slow plod your ok but of you want energy for permenent effort you need fast carbs. I gave the sis iso gel ago the other week and had zero effect on my stomach and also went down quite well .
I emailed torq about exactly this and tried there gels with no probs at mayhem this year. Bike radar have a recipe for a granola bar that is quite nice too. I just throw in loads of pumpkin/sunflower seeds and dried fruit.
Torq seems least offensive to me, albeit after 18 hrs of a solo 24 it wasn't staying in so had to go to normal (ish) food. I appreciate TUC biscuits may not be nutritionally appropriate but it was all i could get and keep down at that point. AS the OPs say - try a load and see what you get on with.
For WC2C I used half strength torq drink, gels and bars. 9Bars are flipping ace too btw if you want to get your protein intake up. And then I just ate normal food when I met the crew, more for comfort and to battle actual hunger. Beans and sausages, noodles, sandwiches, nuts grapes, sweets. Whatever I fancied. I didn't bonk in 36 hours and only problem with stomach was near the end when I stupidly downed a chocolate milkshake because I really fancied it. Took hours to get over the heartburn!
I'm still fundraising btw guys 😉
[b] http://justgiving.com/garyrideswc2c [/b]
I'm sure caffine was removed from the list of banned substances. You needed silly amounts to be banned anyway when it was on the list.
Might be different between sports, but when I sailed (not at a level high enough to worry about such things) the limit was quite easy to reach with a couple of cups of strong coffee according to the training book I had.
I use QimmiQ gels on occasions when I need them, all natural ingredients like rasberry, honey, beetroot
Not cheap and probably not as good perfomance wise as others but they also dont take an uncomfortable half an hour for me to digest
QimmiQ no good for me as I am vegan whereas the torq stuff (even the custard and yogurt flavours) are ok so I am gonna try those.
I am just doing a triathlon event (canoe not swim) so just wanting to tape a couple of gels to the bike top tube. I think a load of almonds and tuc biscuits taped to the bike might not fair well 🙂
High5 seem good to me... Keep getting free ones from CRC so I tried them out, the Summer Fruits is lovely.
I've tried lots but mainly use the GU gels now and never have stomach problems. They do contain ginger which is supposed to help settle the stomach, not sure how much affect that has but they seem to work for me.
The flavours are quite strong and the gel is fairly thick which some people don't seem to like but it's the flavours that i think are one of their best points. Choc Mint which tastes like melted After Eights and Expresso which tastes like coffee ice cream are my favourites.
[url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ROBINSONS-ASSORTED-JAM-SACHETS-20-PKS-X20-GRAMS-/220818235893 ]Who needs gels when you can get jam :)[/url]
Torq for me as well.
After trying SIS & High5 & not having the greatest stomach reaction to either...
Rode the Etape with Torq, 8 gels, 2 750mm bottles of energy drink, 2 bars & no problems.
powerbar ones are nice enough.
Usually Torq allround, but SIS gels are relatively weak and contain a lot of fluid - they seem easier to stomach over a long period and don't taste too strongly so are easier to get down and keep getting down.
Torq Rhubarb and Custard for me. Good up to 10hours of riding, I do tend to ahve a bit of something else though to break it up - bananas, flap jacks etc
SIS gels are relatively weak and contain a lot of fluid - they seem easier to stomach over a long period and don't taste too strongly so are easier to get down and keep getting down.
You do drink water when you're eating gels?
Keep getting free ones from CRC
^^ this
and the hydration tablets and the energy drinks
Haven't bought any for months 🙂
I can't stomach anything SIS or High5.
Torq energy I can drink all day at full strength no problem.
Zipvit gels are great, ~68g carbs in each and not a hint of stomach trouble.
There are some isotonic sis gels that are like watery jelly so no need.You do drink water when you're eating gels?
Just started using the ones from the folks who make For Goodeness Shakes, called Nectar, particularly like the Summer Fruits flavour but the Lemon Lime is a bit tart even for my sweet tooth. Very easy to get down without needing to carry loads of liquids to wash them down with.
You do drink water when you're eating gels?
No need to with the SIS ones, which is why I think they are easier to stomach in larger quantities. Plus you don't get the claggy mouth effect of the thicker mixes.
If you carry 2 bottles on the bike why not try 2 gels in 750ml of water and High5 Zero + Caffeine tablet?
You should drink some water with most gels . This way you avoid the big hit of a gel and get some hydration and easy access carbs directly ( maltose/fructose mix).
Try a longish ride with 1 bottle+ 2x Torq ( Black Cherry for me ) gels. In the other bottle High5 Zero Red Berry. See how you get on .
This has helped me get over the cold, hollow empty stomach feeling . Although I would be shoveling in flapjack/malt loaf/ jelly babies as well.
+1 for ZipVit gels.
The caffeinated blackcurrant are like rocket fuel!
Like many others I find Torq okay most of the time, but even that can cause isues. It's all down to the maltodextrin in the ingredients which ruins your stomach. Mule Bars/gels are well worth trying as they're made of natural stuff.
[b]Straightliner:[/b] It's very unlikely to be the Maltodextrin. Torq gels contain Fructose, however, which does give some people GI issues. Maltodextrin is amazing stuff: Cheap, gives sustained energy, Very low osmolality and dissolves at very high concentrations. It doesn't cause tooth decay either.
Has anyone done a study on the 2:1 (Malto: Fructose) formula at high intensity yet? As far as I know all these "2:1" products (in theory, the benefit is faster absorbtion than pure malto) are based on Jeukandrop's study, which was done at relatively low intensities. At low intensities you can pretty much eat anything...stomachs generally get more particular the harder you go (and the hotter it is)
I find Torq gels are the tastiest but my fussy stomach gets on best with the isotonic orange SIS ones - I use maltodextrin in my drink as well, so it wouldn't work so well with non isotonic gels either.
SIS drink contains Aspartime (gives many people nausea, including me) it's not in the gels though
No need to with the SIS ones, which is why I think they are easier to stomach in larger quantities.
Don't you get a bit dehydrated then? 😯
Assuming you are really taking in some liquid, then I don't think your stomach cares whether the water gets there along with the gel or separately.
Personally I still use flasks and make up my own gels using drink powder - far cheaper and I get to choose the consistency. I also like having far more gel in a single package (a single flask is about an hour of "food") and not having sticky gel wrappers to dispose of. Though I tend to mix fairly thick and take on water separately (which means I get to choose the balance).
not having sticky gel wrappers to dispose of
Up the leg of your bibs works well and less likely to be dropped than a back pocket attempt.
I ran on Torq energy and gels for the bikefest 12 hr solo and at the end my oesophagus was raw - they do work but all of them give me gut issues - only use them for intense stuff TBH - of for a caffeine kick at the end of a long ride.