Energy foods/drinks/etc - the good, the bad, the ugly

biondino

Powerbar Ride Shots are wonderful - they taste like the soft cola chews you had when you were little, with not a hint of nastiness. Too easy to eat, in truth.

And ZipVit's protein recovery bar, chocolate orange flavour, is lovely.

High5's berry flavoured 4:1 drink has done me proud over the last year, and tastes pretty good.

Other than that, everything else I'm tried that calls itself an energy product is pretty dodgy. There was a ZipVit choc-covered strawberry bar that wasn't bad, if a bit sickly (and the chocolate totally melted - not great on a hot day). The one gel I tried lived up to all the analogies I've heard (wallpaper paste more accurate than, er, the other one) and I'll only try gels again if they are very obviously the only solution for a specific problem.

Clif Shot bloks are pretty gross, though the orange flavour is much better than (I think) "cran-razz" which is incomprehensibly foul.

ZipVit's chocolate recovery drink tastes like what you would imagine a cold pint of hot chocolate made with water would taste like. That's not a recommendation.

fenboy369

I ordered some stuff from myprotein last night, maltodextrin, electolyte powder and caffiene powder. Just need to measure it out and mix it up when I get it. You can flavour it with any squash you want. Its the same mix as SiS Go, but with out the aspateme sweetener. That makes my breathing go all funny, so I need to cut it out and most of the powders have some in it.
I'll let you know how it goes...

salsajake

fenboy369 wrote:

I ordered some stuff from myprotein last night, maltodextrin, electolyte powder and caffiene powder. Just need to measure it out and mix it up when I get it. You can flavour it with any squash you want. Its the same mix as SiS Go, but with out the aspateme sweetener. That makes my breathing go all funny, so I need to cut it out and most of the powders have some in it.
I'll let you know how it goes...

How much electrolyte do you add? I am just about to switch from PSP22 to maltodextrin, but of course that won't replace lost salts, so I was considering getting some electrolyte too. What's the caffeine for?

fenboy369

I'll post a reply later as the link to the sike is on my home pc, but its got the recipe for PSP and Go on it.

tardington

When did High5 become a proper enrgy drink?

Didn't it used to be a sort of revolting mix of fruit juices? You'd get a carton of it in your packed lunch. Yech!

ADDS - I am thinking of Five Alive! Sorry :oops:

Greg T

Um Bongo as a training aid?

I've heard they drink it in the Jungle.

edhornby

Greg T wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

I really don't do dairy

You don't dig Bo'vine?

Beef tastes Good. Ribs taste good.

Name the stretched film for extra points.

"sewer-rat may taste like pumpkin pie but I would'nt know cos I don't eat the filthy mother£$%£ers"


Pulp Fiction

kercking

lost_in_thought

Greg66 wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

I've never tried a gel. I find the thought of them a little icky.

I'm not a big fan of them myself.

But I've got some imagery phrases that might help you overcome a phobia of them.

Or not...

I've heard the stories... they don't help.

c12345

I'm eyeing up the bidons of ella's kitchen babyfood that my firstborn gets when we're on the road. Nothing but organic fruit and veg.

Tasty carbs in a simple squeeze bag. If only they packed more calories they'd be perfect.

http://www.ellaskitchen.co.uk/

tardington

You could just mix in sugar?

My favourite cycing food was the bag of pic'n'mix the size of my head I got last year. 8)

fenboy369

http://jibbering.com/sports/drinks.html

This is the site I got the PSP recipe from. There is a thread on the mountain bike forum about it too...

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... ght=energy

and...

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... sc&start=0

itboffin

fenboy369 wrote:

http://jibbering.com/sports/drinks.html

This is the site I got the PSP recipe from. There is a thread on the mountain bike forum about it too...

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... ght=energy

and...

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... sc&start=0

What are you...? Delia bleedy Smith :P

Bassjunkieuk

c12345 wrote:

I'm eyeing up the bidons of ella's kitchen babyfood that my firstborn gets when we're on the road. Nothing but organic fruit and veg.

Tasty carbs in a simple squeeze bag. If only they packed more calories they'd be perfect.

http://www.ellaskitchen.co.uk/

The new issue of C+ recommends these too :-)

From my latest long ride I can highly recommend Clif Bars (the blue one, can't remember the flavour) and their Shot Blox, both helped me along nicely whilst en-route to the coast :-)

I also managed to squeeze the contents of a Zipvit energy gel down my throat just before the last climb and practically went over it without noticing and then lit the afterburners on the way into Hove, to say I felt the energy from that thing was an understatement!! Although I am putting down some of my tail end speed down to adrenaline and having 2 other quick riders to spar with :-D

On the drinks front I use a drink I learnt from ITB of mixing up Lucozade Sport drink with a bit of water in one drinks bottle and then have water with a dash of orange squash in the other to make it a bit more tasty - I find it easier to drink then. I have tried the Zipvit drinks powders but didn't find them that appealing, the lemon drink didn't really taste of much and as BD said the choccie recovery drink was just a bit blergh......

NGale

I make my own drinks, cheap orange squash with a dash of salt, dosen't taste that good, but does the job.

coco pops for breakfast is also good before a ride

biondino

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

I also managed to squeeze the contents of a Zipvit energy gel down my throat just before the last climb and practically went over it without noticing and then lit the afterburners on the way into Hove, to say I felt the energy from that thing was an understatement!!

Beej, can you tell me how quickly the gel took effect? The one time i tried a gel, it didn't seem to make any short term difference, although a good half hour later I did seem to have a lot of energy. Is that how it works? I was expecting it to be say 10 mins max.

cjcp

I used to take gels 30 mins ahead of when I wanted them to work.

Bassjunkieuk

biondino wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

I also managed to squeeze the contents of a Zipvit energy gel down my throat just before the last climb and practically went over it without noticing and then lit the afterburners on the way into Hove, to say I felt the energy from that thing was an understatement!!

Beej, can you tell me how quickly the gel took effect? The one time i tried a gel, it didn't seem to make any short term difference, although a good half hour later I did seem to have a lot of energy. Is that how it works? I was expecting it to be say 10 mins max.

For me I knew the hill was approaching and that it would come around the 53/54 mile mark so my original plan was to stuff it down my throat around the 50 mile mark but that was a bit to early as we couldn't even see Devils Dyke yet. Once we hit the road along the bottom I started on it and we hit the hill about 2 miles later so I'd say it was about 10-15 minutes for it to kick in. Or course this all could just be perceived as I did get a couple minutes "rest" as I freed my jammed chain and suspect I'm a bit fitter then last year! I was just a bit surprised to be tackling this hill that really took it out of me last year with such gusto this time round!

jonginge

biondino wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

I also managed to squeeze the contents of a Zipvit energy gel down my throat just before the last climb and practically went over it without noticing and then lit the afterburners on the way into Hove, to say I felt the energy from that thing was an understatement!!

Beej, can you tell me how quickly the gel took effect? The one time i tried a gel, it didn't seem to make any short term difference, although a good half hour later I did seem to have a lot of energy. Is that how it works? I was expecting it to be say 10 mins max.

10mins? No way. 20 mins earliest and 30 seems about right for the digestive process: some carbs are easier than others for the body to process. The time lag is why little and often is the mantra and also why the dreaded bonk is so bad in a race situation.

Bassjunkieuk

JonGinge wrote:

biondino wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

I also managed to squeeze the contents of a Zipvit energy gel down my throat just before the last climb and practically went over it without noticing and then lit the afterburners on the way into Hove, to say I felt the energy from that thing was an understatement!!

Beej, can you tell me how quickly the gel took effect? The one time i tried a gel, it didn't seem to make any short term difference, although a good half hour later I did seem to have a lot of energy. Is that how it works? I was expecting it to be say 10 mins max.

10mins? No way. 20 mins earliest and 30 seems about right for the digestive process: some carbs are easier than others for the body to process. The time lag is why little and often is the mantra and also why the dreaded bonk is so bad in a race situation.

Maybe it was just the fact that I was fitter this year then :-D I guess 20 minutes might have put me at around the summit of the hill, at which point I found a chap on a Trek with TT bars who latched on my wheel.........nothing like someone riding on your ar$e to make you dig that little deeper and it all just went a little SCR from there to the end ;-)

thelawnet

So which kind of Lucozade is better for cycling?

tardington

None of them 8) That's why the big sports bottles they use at football and the like are opaque blue. Lucozade might sponsor them, but no professional sporty types drink it.

roger_merriman

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

biondino wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

I also managed to squeeze the contents of a Zipvit energy gel down my throat just before the last climb and practically went over it without noticing and then lit the afterburners on the way into Hove, to say I felt the energy from that thing was an understatement!!

Beej, can you tell me how quickly the gel took effect? The one time i tried a gel, it didn't seem to make any short term difference, although a good half hour later I did seem to have a lot of energy. Is that how it works? I was expecting it to be say 10 mins max.

10mins? No way. 20 mins earliest and 30 seems about right for the digestive process: some carbs are easier than others for the body to process. The time lag is why little and often is the mantra and also why the dreaded bonk is so bad in a race situation.

Maybe it was just the fact that I was fitter this year then :-D I guess 20 minutes might have put me at around the summit of the hill, at which point I found a chap on a Trek with TT bars who latched on my wheel.........nothing like someone riding on your ar$e to make you dig that little deeper and it all just went a little SCR from there to the end ;-)

probably just your fitter? I think i'll try to get some drinks and see how it goes, i seem to loose a fair bit of salt etc not helped by the fact i overheat at the best of times.

a banana at most of the feed stops seemed to do the trick for fuel, as per norm i left the house with out breakfast.

thelawnet

tardington wrote:

None of them 8) That's why the big sports bottles they use at football and the like are opaque blue. Lucozade might sponsor them, but no professional sporty types drink it.

yebbut if you've just stopped at the newsagent and there's a choice between lucozade sport, lucozade energy, powerade, juice or dr. peper, you've got to choose *something*.

fenboy369

thelawnet wrote:

tardington wrote:

None of them 8) ... lucozade sport, lucozade energy, powerade, juice or dr. peper, you've got to choose *something*.

A few ice cubes some Dr Pepper and a good double (ahem) Vodka.

lost_in_thought

So, if a gel (which I thought was the 'quick, emergency energy required!' solution) takes 20-30 minutes to work, what IS the solution to that 'oh blast I'm starting to feel hungry and a little low on fuel' feeling?

And if you say 'proper nutrition throughout the ride' or similar, I'll come back to the UK and kick you in the shins.

greg66_tri_v2.0

lost_in_thought wrote:

So, if a gel (which I thought was the 'quick, emergency energy required!' solution) takes 20-30 minutes to work, what IS the solution to that 'oh blast I'm starting to feel hungry and a little low on fuel' feeling?

Proper nutrition throughout the ride.

Or something similar.

lost_in_thought

Greg66 wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

So, if a gel (which I thought was the 'quick, emergency energy required!' solution) takes 20-30 minutes to work, what IS the solution to that 'oh blast I'm starting to feel hungry and a little low on fuel' feeling?

Proper nutrition throughout the ride.

Or something similar.

RIGHT, THAT'S IT

Taxi to Gare du Nord please, as soon as possible.

*puts on kickin' shoes*

Rich158

lost_in_thought wrote:

So, if a gel (which I thought was the 'quick, emergency energy required!' solution) takes 20-30 minutes to work, what IS the solution to that 'oh blast I'm starting to feel hungry and a little low on fuel' feeling?

And if you say 'proper nutrition throughout the ride' or similar, I'll come back to the UK and kick you in the shins.

A Gel's probably the best option in that case. Anything you try is going to take a certain amount of time to get into your system and in my experience gels seem to work the quickest.

And at the risk of a kick in the shins, regular sips of energy drink should stop you ever reaching that point. Given that I bonked terribly half way through the race at CP last night I should practice what I preach :roll:

stuaff

(Puts shin pads on).
No matter what kind of riding you're doing, hydration and refuelling should be little and often. G66 and Rich158 are absolutely right on this. I tried being really dehydrated once, wasn't much fun to put it mildly.
Back to the main topic...my regular ride fuel is a 50/50 orange juice/water mix with a pinch of salt (28p a litre, so also economical!). Does the trick and tastes good too. I've tried the SiS Go lemon and lime and liked it, so might get some of that some time. My Zipvit box is on its way as well....For long rides, like the night rides to the coast (next one this Friday), malt loaf and a banana or two. Oh, and on aforementioned night ride, a big fry-up by way of 'recovery' for breakfast. Not recommended by nutritionists......

lost_in_thought

Damn it all... I demand a quick fix for my inability to adequately fuel myself on longer rides...

Although, I have to say, the 15 minute timer on my Edge is helping!