Any commuters doing long rides and mixing their own drinks?
CRAIGO5000
Posts: 697
I do 72 miles per week commuting and as I plan to do the 60 mile Manchester to Blackpool run I've been doing some training. I do tend to suffer from fatigue but not in the sense that I've had enough cycling, just that I'm hitting the point of no energy. I'm not too shabby in terms of average speed, but I do feel like I get hunger pangs and rapid energy loss after around 25 miles.
I plan for my next 35 mile training run that I'll take out a home brew energy drink. The internet is full of recipes but I'm not keen to start grounding caffine pills etc, I'm looking for simple methods that work.
Would a higher concentrate of squash to water ratio (1:4?) with a pinch of salt and perhaps a table spoon of honey warmed up and cooled off help me out? Failing that, should I be wanging a Snicker down my throat an hour into training?
What do you guys do to manage your energy levels and prevent hunger. I'm looking for tips that have personally worked for you.
Thanks!
Craig
I plan for my next 35 mile training run that I'll take out a home brew energy drink. The internet is full of recipes but I'm not keen to start grounding caffine pills etc, I'm looking for simple methods that work.
Would a higher concentrate of squash to water ratio (1:4?) with a pinch of salt and perhaps a table spoon of honey warmed up and cooled off help me out? Failing that, should I be wanging a Snicker down my throat an hour into training?
What do you guys do to manage your energy levels and prevent hunger. I'm looking for tips that have personally worked for you.
Thanks!
Craig
Ribble Stealth/SRAM Force
2007 Specialized Allez (Double) FCN - 3
2007 Specialized Allez (Double) FCN - 3
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Two hours and over I'll take an energy drink - I use Isostar Long Energy and have done for years - suits my tummy. Take a banana and a flapjack, or similar.
Commuting or any other rides under it's just water.
Home made, get pure maltrodextrin and mix with orange juice to taste. Add a pinch of salt.0 -
For 35 miles I'd take a dilute fruit drink such as blackcurrant and a flap jack or energy bar. For the 60 miler I'd take two bottles with different flavours and more bars. Are you going to be going past shops ? If so you can pick up more supplies if needed.
I'm sure it's been said before but you need to eat before you are hungry and drink before you are thirsty and then you should just be able to keep going.0 -
Box of Ribena diluted to half a litre, 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Strangely pleasant once I got used to it."Consider the grebe..."0
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I use Asda grapejuice (but make sure its not from concentrate) 50/50 with water and a pinch of salt. Grape juice contains natural fructose which provides slow release energy0
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I used to try to follow the recipes often mentioned here by "Jibber Jim", haven't got the website at the moment though. These days I tend to mix my own more approximately, the base is mostly maltodextrin which is a complex sugar (often used in ready meals and stuff as an emulsifier I think). Most commercially available ready made energy powders are 99% maltoedextrin with sometimes some salts andd flavouring added. Maltodextrin is absorbed in greater quantities by the body than simple sugar (the sort you stick in your tea) so is much better than simply sticking a tablespoon of white sugar in some water.
I buy plain maltodextrin from the myprotein website, it's far, far cheaper than buying ready made, commercially branded energy powders. I use maltodextrin with BCAA powder, sometimes a bit of protein powder and if it's particularly hot, electrolyte salts powder. You can crush simple table salt, but it does not offer the same spread of different salts used by your body and only really gives you sodium... Some people add fructose powder which is slower releasing and burning sugar than the maltodextrin, but I tend to to take along bananas or dried fruit for fructose content, also bananas and I think figs, contain high levels of potassium, which I think I read somewhere can help prevent cramps.
BCAA and protein, in theory help prevent your body catabolising its own muscle. On very long rides, your body will burn carbs (sugars), fat but will also break down muscle to get to the essential amino acids which make up BCAA. In theory if you add BCAA to your energy drink, your body will burn that instead of breaking down muscle to access the BCAA stored there. THis is theory though and has not been proved, some nutritionists believe it's hogwash.
After your ride you can also make up your own recovery drinks. I mix a scoop of protein powder with glutamine (glutamine is another amino acid that your body tries to access by breaking down muscle). Also just eat a decent, healthy meal once you get back!
You can get all the ingredients from Myprotein, online, it's far cheaper than buying ready made drinks powders.... Add fruit juice or squash for flavouring but in general, mixing the above ingredients tend to produce a fairly bland tasteless drink, it doesn't really taste of anything... I only really tend to mix energy drinks for rides of 40 miles+, otherwise I just take plain water and some fruitDo not write below this line. Office use only.0 -
There was a simple recipe mix on this site a while ago.
For a 750ml bottle it is 5-6 teaspoons of sugar, a large pinch of salt and water with a touch of unsweetened diluting juice to add a touch of flavour but not too much to be sickly.
I use this for 50 miles + but I would imagine that Headhunter's is better.None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.0 -
I do about 150 miles a week on the fixie, commuting. I don't use anything on the commute, but If I am going out over 30 miles or so on a ride or plan a few extra miles after work, I will take a bottle of water.
I have not used energy drinks so far, aside lucozade!!
Rely on banana, flapjack for the homeward boost.0 -
not me but we were discussing mixing your own recovery drinks for post ride just yesterday.
One of my mates liquidises 3 bananas and half a pint of milk for a great recovery drink
It was then suggested that he add a toffee yoghurt to it.
As I said not tried it myself but comes highly recommended.FCN = 40 -
An old rowing coach recommended the salt in a glass of fruit juice.....or a pint of good quality ale after training.....
Sticking with the ale for noe.0 -
Can't be bothered to mix my own, 36 bottles of lucozade sport for £27 delivered form Lucozadeshop.com--
Chris
Genesis Equilibrium - FCN 3/4/50 -
Sketchley wrote:Can't be bothered to mix my own, 36 bottles of lucozade sport for £27 delivered form Lucozadeshop.com
I used Lucozade once. Poured it into my bike bottles but the continous buzz from the road caused it to fizz out through the nozzle and spray all over the bike. In any case, Lucozade is not a "real" sports drinks, it's just fizzy sugar water basically...Do not write below this line. Office use only.0 -
Headhuunter wrote:Sketchley wrote:Can't be bothered to mix my own, 36 bottles of lucozade sport for £27 delivered form Lucozadeshop.com
I used Lucozade once. Poured it into my bike bottles but the continous buzz from the road caused it to fizz out through the nozzle and spray all over the bike. In any case, Lucozade is not a "real" sports drinks, it's just fizzy sugar water basically...
lucozade sport is not fizzy........--
Chris
Genesis Equilibrium - FCN 3/4/50 -
Sketchley wrote:Headhuunter wrote:Sketchley wrote:Can't be bothered to mix my own, 36 bottles of lucozade sport for £27 delivered form Lucozadeshop.com
I used Lucozade once. Poured it into my bike bottles but the continous buzz from the road caused it to fizz out through the nozzle and spray all over the bike. In any case, Lucozade is not a "real" sports drinks, it's just fizzy sugar water basically...
lucozade sport is not fizzy........
Oh right, never tried that. I prefer to make my own drinks anyway...Do not write below this line. Office use only.0 -
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If you're about refuelling on manc/blackpool there are literally loads of stops on the route. I think theres a scheduled on, ie a little hall at about 25 miles but all alongthe route crowds of peeps stop off at pubs etc.
In my experience home made energy drinks are about as good as bought ones but the electrolyte rehydration ones from the shops ( psp/sis etc) work better than home made. 2 bananas and a flapjack should see you round.The dissenter is every human being at those moments of his life when he resigns
momentarily from the herd and thinks for himself.0 -
Cleat Eastwood wrote:If you're about refuelling on manc/blackpool there are literally loads of stops on the route. I think theres a scheduled on, ie a little hall at about 25 miles but all alongthe route crowds of peeps stop off at pubs etc.
In my experience home made energy drinks are about as good as bought ones but the electrolyte rehydration ones from the shops ( psp/sis etc) work better than home made. 2 bananas and a flapjack should see you round.
If you want electrolytes you can buy "home made" electrolyte powder to mix with maltodextrin!Do not write below this line. Office use only.0 -
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Drinking it will make you wonder why you haven't ever crushed a human skull with your bare hands!bunter wrote:I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.0 -
Gin - doesn't make you any faster but after a while you don't care
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