Winter drinks ?

glasgowbhoy

I read that it's best not to use carb powders to your drinks bottles in the winter.
Is this right?
Have been using Torq powders all year with carbs. Was using nuun tabs before that.
Any advice?

joeyhalloran

I think it largely depends on what you are doing. There is also a lot of discussion about it. I think the theory goes that if you are cycling at a low intensity (as some would advise over winter) then you:
a) don't need the caloires in carb drink,
b) would do better to "train" your body to use fat more efficiently.

Scrumple

pack a hip flask, and take some meths. Mince pies for carbs.

smithy1.0

Beer, wine and coffee. Sorted!

softlad

a 750ml bottle of Buckie should do the trick in winter....

cswebbo

Have you tried Winter Training Fuel by Allsports?
This is a great drink, and it tastes good hot or cold.
Varied selection of flavours and well priced too.

etapechamp

pie and chips mixed with hot water, served in a mini stainless steel flask you can buy from millets, its all the fuel you need for them non stop endurance rides.

check out my new blog - train for a specific goal.

glasgowbhoy

Looks like a 2 half bottles of Buckie for tomorrow's ride then.

Percy Vera

Mulled Wine for me this time of year...

bobtbuilder

There's no harm continuing with the NUUN tablets, as they are designed to replace the electrolytes lost through sweating without adding carbs.

If you're just doing base miles, then you shouldn't need a carb drink.

Brewsterwmb

My understanding is that a drink is the quickest way to digest/absorb carbs, then gels, then solid's? So as a result saying that its best not to would be technically wrong if it is winter but you still want to go flat our and hard your still going to want to get the fluid and carbs asap?! I tend not to this time of year so much because my training is specific to the time of year as bobtbuilder says, 'base miles'. Also helps keep the cost down drinking the darn things all year round!

Happy to be educated if anyone knows different?

Rapha

It depends on how long you go out riding and at what intensity. I wouldn't advice doing a 5hour ride without taking on any carbs!

There is no difference between summer and winter regarding fuelling! If you don't top up on carbs then you will hit the wall. Also taking on carbs during a ride will keep the intensity up, which will improve your performance and burn more calories!

There is a case for having a part carbohydrate, part protein drink during training, especially over consecutive days - here is a good summary of it if you want to know more http://highfive.co.uk/reviews/4-1_review.pdf

SBezza

Doesn't need to in the form of a drink though.

If I was doing a longer ride I would eat proper food, and just take water. The only time I use energy drinks is racing, and if I need to do back to back rides, as I want my glycogen as topped up as possible.

Drinks are easy to digest which is good, but food can be digested over a longer period so be of more benefit when cycling at a lower effort.

Rapha

SBezza wrote:

Doesn't need to in the form of a drink though.

If I was doing a longer ride I would eat proper food, and just take water. The only time I use energy drinks is racing, and if I need to do back to back rides, as I want my glycogen as topped up as possible.

Drinks are easy to digest which is good, but food can be digested over a longer period so be of more benefit when cycling at a lower effort.

No of course you don't have to take it in the form of a drink but some people may find more useful.

There is no case for not using an energy drink just because its winter.

I don't see the link between digesting over a longer period when cycling at a lower effort? All you are doing is making your stomach work harder and taking some of the blood flow that should be going to your legs instead.

realALBERTAN

Rapha wrote:

It depends on how long you go out riding and at what intensity. I wouldn't advice doing a 5hour ride without taking on any carbs!

There is no difference between summer and winter regarding fuelling! If you don't top up on carbs then you will hit the wall. Also taking on carbs during a ride will keep the intensity up, which will improve your performance and burn more calories!

There is a case for having a part carbohydrate, part protein drink during training, especially over consecutive days - here is a good summary of it if you want to know more http://highfive.co.uk/reviews/4-1_review.pdf

until your drink freezes...

Rapha

realALBERTAN wrote:

until your drink freezes...

Thats only a real problem if the temperatures are sub zero and you're not drinking regularly. I had the problem a few times the last few weeks but when its frozen outside are you really going to risk riding anyway?

glasgowbhoy

I think its anti freeze I need in my drinks bottles now. Minus 7 at 8am here this morning.
Back to the Turbo this evening!

Rapha

Glasgowbhoy wrote:

I think its anti freeze I need in my drinks bottles now. Minus 7 at 8am here this morning.
Back to the Turbo this evening!

I'm glad I'm not riding in those temperature. How about some water/electrolyte drink before you leave and then a recovery drink afterwards (leave a tub and bottle at work). Obviously depends on how far you have to go.

Also if you're looking to lose weight/fat then don't have breakfast before your ride to work but instead just have some Zero (http://www.highfive.co.uk/zero.php) for increased fat metabolism and then refuel when you get to work with said recovery drink and maybe a bar?

SteveR_100Milers

Scrumple wrote:

pack a hip flask, and take some meths. Mince pies for carbs.

Close to being the most sensible advice here. and no, no irony in that reply! I should imagine that sport drinks manufacturers are reading these threads with festive glee!
I recently changed to full phat coke, not pepsi mind you as for some reason doesnt have the same kick., but then all my riding is at the track at the moment, and little in the way of steady sub tempo stuff, otherwise it would be tescos apple and blackcurrant squash and a block of soreen's finest!

Loretta Damage

I took a "Flug" out yesterday with 500ml of hot chocolate (made with full fat milk) in it. Only did 40 miles but the last mouthful was still red hot after 2 hours. Was lovely with a couple of slices of malt loaf!

bigpikle

Loretta Damage wrote:

I took a "Flug" out yesterday with 500ml of hot chocolate (made with full fat milk) in it. Only did 40 miles but the last mouthful was still red hot after 2 hours. Was lovely with a couple of slices of malt loaf!

google hasnt helped me here....

I was thinking about this the other day - any chance you could say more about the bottle you used? Is it a specific cycling design as none of my insulated mug things would be any good at all and I cant find one anywhere?

glasgowbhoy

Rapha wrote:

Glasgowbhoy wrote:

I think its anti freeze I need in my drinks bottles now. Minus 7 at 8am here this morning.
Back to the Turbo this evening!

I'm glad I'm not riding in those temperature. How about some water/electrolyte drink before you leave and then a recovery drink afterwards (leave a tub and bottle at work). Obviously depends on how far you have to go.

Also if you're looking to lose weight/fat then don't have breakfast before your ride to work but instead just have some Zero (http://www.highfive.co.uk/zero.php) for increased fat metabolism and then refuel when you get to work with said recovery drink and maybe a bar?

Cheers, no weight is certainly not a problem, infact for a few years I was sure I was hosting a tapeworm in my stomach! Haven't been commuting or training outdoors for 2 weeks now. Far to much snow, now black ice on our roads. It's been so cold that even turbo training in the garage on some nights has been in full winter outdoor gear and the water bottle close to freezing up!

Rapha

Glasgowbhoy wrote:

Rapha wrote:

Cheers, no weight is certainly not a problem, infact for a few years I was sure I was hosting a tapeworm in my stomach! Haven't been commuting or training outdoors for 2 weeks now. Far to much snow, now black ice on our roads. It's been so cold that even turbo training in the garage on some nights has been in full winter outdoor gear and the water bottle close to freezing up!

Got to be a cup of tea next to the turbo to warm yourself up

I've decided to make good use of the cold weather and join the gym instead

Loretta Damage

Bigpikle wrote:

Loretta Damage wrote:

I took a "Flug" out yesterday with 500ml of hot chocolate (made with full fat milk) in it. Only did 40 miles but the last mouthful was still red hot after 2 hours. Was lovely with a couple of slices of malt loaf!

google hasnt helped me here....

I was thinking about this the other day - any chance you could say more about the bottle you used? Is it a specific cycling design as none of my insulated mug things would be any good at all and I cant find one anywhere?

A Flug is a combination of a flask & a mug, hence the term. You can get then for less than a tenner in Millets, Blacks etc... They are smaller than a flask, you generally get about a large mug's worth of liquid in it. A good one will keep your drink warm foir up to 6 hours.