[Closed] Energy Gels & drinks

Gels are just a source of glucose basically - some have electrolytes as well. Some have caffine. energy drinks are maltodextrin - sometimes with fructose. All are just a source of sugar

Try actually eating normal food and / use some sweets - jelly babies are almost pure glucose and a fraction of the price of energy gells

I'd also recommend real food.

There's plenty of advice around but very simplistically you can ride for about 2 hours and be fine without eating. After that you will struggle and need to eat something to fuel your riding.

Gels, special drinks and energy bars are expensive and don't do a much extra if you are just riding and not racing. IF you do decide to try them then have a look for some of the various trial and race packs that are available as some of them aren't as nice as others. My personal preference is for bars>drinks>gels but for most riding supermarket cereal bars are a fraction of the cost and just as effective.

Yup, I've really no idea where the obsession with 'energy' products comes from and the belief that all you can eat whilst out on the bike is 'energy' products. For me they are a last resort, if I've run out of food and start to get the first signs of a flagging feeling when there's still a fair few miles left to go then I'll eat one. Other than that I can wait 'till I get home. Eat before you ride, take food with you or both.

this stuff is good...

[img] http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg&size=l&tid=24860106 [/img]

plenty of complex carbs to keep you going plus plenty of sugars from the fruit for an instant fix.

Kev

I take a bag of mixed nuts and seeds, some dates and dried figs and one or two homemade flapjacks with banana. Also dry rosted chick peas are good too. All of these keep well in the heat, are cheap and healthy too. They are light and easy to carry and I use them on long runs, mtbing and day road rides. They are easy to digest, not too sticky and are not messy either.

Gels are just a source of glucose basically

Most gels are maltodextrin as well as the drinks. Torq are for sure.

jelly babies are almost pure glucose and a fraction of the price of energy gells

More expensive than plain maltodextrin though.

Real food is good, but it depends what you are doing. Usually takes more energy to digest real food especially if it's flapjacks, mixed nuts etc etc which means less is available for riding. So if it's a race or a proper hardcore ride then drink, bars and gels are the way to go. They are also convenient to eat and drink too usually and don't get squashed in your camelbak/back pocket. Can't see myself stopping to get out a spoon and eat couscous near the end of a road century, personally 🙂

The products are all much of a muchness tbh, but I like Torq because it's got no aspartame in it.

Another vote for winegums. Cheap as and can get anywhere. Key for me at least, is to constantly snack, if I bunk its to late. Fluids are far more important however.

Id tend to agree that simple sugars are more beneficial for short term needs, while complex carbs are a neccesity id be into those well before heading out.

I use cereal bars for general riding but gels (esp the caffeine ones) give you such a fantastic boost that they can more than anything when required.

An interesting debate. I always used to do 2-3 hour rides however I've started doing more like 4-5 hour rides so need to think about things like this. I only ever carry water but by the end of the ride I am always craving salt. I carry jelly babies to nibble on, not too many per ride maybe 1/2 per hour if that. Fig rolls and normally some sandwiches (which people always laugh at). But I like to eat "proper" food otherwise I get home starving with lots of weird cravings and I eat whatever I can get my hands on. i have been thinking about needing to eat a bit more savvy but I have no idea where to start!!

MC - if you take energy drink and drink recovery afterwards, you should not get cravings, and you should also feel much better post ride.

Another advantage of the energy products route is that you can measure how much carbs you are getting, work out how much you can handle and be consistent about dosage. Start with say 2/3 strength dose Torq Energy and see how that goes. Take some bars too if you are out for 5 hours cos you'll probably want something in your stomach. You can only absorb a certain amount of carbs per hour, so it's pointless to go over that figure. Also many people get nauseous, so drop the concentration if this happens.

The cravings are probably due to low blood sugar, which is caused by riding too hard on not enough carbs 🙂

I take sticky flapjack and sandwiches, is that right?

I just drink quite strong squash. Lemon at the minute (although I don't think it makes any difference). We always try to stop for a while as well, stretch out legs and have a rest. Did 4 hours today, long for us, well windy!!

Yup, I've really no idea where the obsession with 'energy' products comes from

like most obsessions they come from a desire or perceived need.

i find mtb rides only require bars/flapjacks and a nuun tablet in the camelback if hot as they are very stop start and not that knackering.

4-5hr non stop road rides i can't manage without eating energy bars and towards the end of the ride the odd gel.

I take sticky flapjack and sandwiches, is that right?

Yes, if you are just out for a laugh and aren't chasing best performance!

Squash has next to no energy in it mind, but it has a lot of sulphites and artifical sweetners, which are pretty bad for you..! The Robinson's High Fruit kind don't have sweetners though.

emsz - thats the sensible route for a leisure rider as most of us are.

Molgrips - please stop recommending folk fuel themselves on maltodextion only - its simply not good for you at all to have all those empty calories.

If you are racing and don't care about the consequences then its your lookout but the OP is a leisure rider. Its not only unnecessary its bad advice.

Molgrips - please stop recommending folk fuel themselves on maltodextion only - its simply not good for you at all to have all those empty calories

I have absolutely no reason to listen to you TJ, since you are in no way an expert of any kind, and trying to have a conversation with you is utterly futile!

Just to make it clear though - I am suggesting it only for those who would benefit from it.

Which is why its irrelevant to this thread - and despite you spouting on about energy stuff every opportunity you have you clearly are no expert either as you say some seriously stupid things 🙄

Seriously - stop with the bad advice.

It's not bad advice, you just think it is. Nor is information about the possible benefits of energy drinks and gels irrelevant on a thread titled 'Energy Gels and Drinks'

But we've all registered your [i]opinion[/i], can we leave it there please?

Thanks to all for the replies,didn't mean to start a war of words between a couple of you. Everybody's right and everybody's wrong = opinions for all. Just to say maybe I'm not eating correctly before I go but I lack energy to finish a long ride. Just needed suggestions on how to get over it. Thanks again to all

Usually takes more energy to digest real food especially if it's flapjacks, mixed nuts etc

I would be curious to see any references to this, especially if you later mention eating energy bars, which are much harder to eat and is a larger amount

I find regular light snacking and sipping energy drink a better way of sustaining consistency, especially on a longer road ride. 7 hours working just on gels and energy bars is not good.

gajones - long acting carbs before hand - oats, rice other complex carbs - oats in particular are good as they appear to have some regulatory effect on your glucose metabolism

Glucose and other sugars (such as energy drinks and gels) are short acting and will help you if you start to drop your blood sugar levels - but the effects are short lived. Sugars also give you insulin spikes and crashes which is unhelpful.

so - decent meal before you go but not so much that you are sluggish. Porridge / muesli are good. Normal regular food during the ride if more than few hours. Some form of sugar to give you a boost and you can take this in many forms but sweets are perfectly OK. I have a gel in my emergency kit exactly for emergencies to get me home. Other wise its jelly babies or similar on the ride and a decent meal before and after the ride.

Digesting food of any kind takes energy as I understand it, some more than others. However I don't have any links to info on this.

If you are talking about bars being physically hard to eat, some are and some aren't. I also usually eat half at a time.

I personally could do 7 hours with bars and drink, but whatever works for you. Drink and gels+water (which amount to the exact same thing) definitely deliver energy better than normal food imo - whether or not you need this energy delivery is another issue 🙂

For me it's energy drink mixed slightly weak; bars if I am out for a long time and want to eat something; a couple of gels if I've underestimated the amount of carbs I need. Or a can of coke from a petrol station 🙂

Sugars also give you insulin spikes and crashes which is unhelpful

An alternative viewpoint (shared by many coaches):

Sugars generate lots of insulin which is a GOOD thing when you are riding, because it gets the energy to your depleted muscles very quickly. If you have a steady intake this irons out any big peaks. And even if there is a big insulin spike it doesn't matter so much because all that does is speed the process along from blood to muscles which need it.

At rest, it's a different story because your muscle stores probably aren't depleted.

All of the above is for when riding hard. If you are just out for a stroll then it doesn't matter 🙂

Interestingly TJ i have recently been told something similar to waht Molgrips told me and that was from someone who rides with me and knows what he is talking about. I think Molgrips is right to a point. I was however told that one of the best recovery drinks was Nesquick chocolate milkshake! mmm any excuse, I don't have the issue with sugar as much as the salt cravings, which is why I thought that I should start putting something into my camelbak. I only ever carry water (normally as I think anything else will completely gunkify my Camelbak bladder). I always have gels, sport beans as emergency fodder not as regular stuff, I always carry sandwiches (to MuCH ribbing from friends). However you say you don't need anything on a 2-3 hour rid,e, people are different there. No matter what I eat for breakfast I will still ALWAYS need to snack on something on a 2-3 hour ride. As already said horses for courses, everyone can voice their opinion and everyone can try the different methods and see which works for them.

i use randoms, haribo, and for really long rides, scotch eggs, jam and banana sarnies and pork pies.

And there speaks the man who knows more about sport and nutrition than the rest of us put together

I don't think I am wrong though. If you are really going for it then I still think the energy drink/gels are good. Plus that same man recommends taking simple carbs on rides in his diet plan. Which is what you said was really bad TJ.

The thing is, I KNOW TJ is wrong, so I'm happy with that 🙂

As already said horses for courses, everyone can voice their opinion and everyone can try the different methods and see which works for them

Just don't whatever you do try what I suggest. I'm dead wrong of course, any fool can see that 🙂

Don't worry Molgrips if I do try it and it's wrong then TJ is right 😉 LOL love it.