Alternatives to over priced energy foods

skippa76

Having tried an array of energy bars, gels and drinks I have finally got around to asking the question... what's the point?

Last Sunday I did a 75 mile route with over 7,200 feet of climbing and I did this with little more than a few Aldi cereal bars and two bottles of Blackcurrant juice (and a can of coke from an Ice Cream van towards the end). With this non sports specific nutrition I was able to get around with no ill effects (in fact i felt pretty damn good at the end!).

I firmly believe you can forgo these expensive sports science food products. A hearty pasta meal the evening before a big ride, along with a good breakfast (muesli with yoghurt, or porridge and a banana, etc) an hour or two before the off will set you up just fine for a ride. Then it's a matter of just topping up the fluids and taking on board some tasty snacks (like flapjacks, cereal bars, etc.) as you go.

What are other peoples thoughts/experiences of gels, bars, etc? And does anyone else have some other food/drink tips for a mid ride pick-me-up?

Oh, I have also tried 'recovery' shakes in the past too, but nowadays I just use good old Nesquik! Give it a go if you haven't already... it's pretty yummy!!

dombo6

I also used to believe that, and would attempt sportives laden with dried apricots, fig rolls, peanuts and Jordan's Frusli bars. Frusli bars for example have a comparable carb content per 100g to GO Energy bars but are a 3rd of the price. However all of those real foods are quite hard to digest on the move at typical sportive speeds and i often ended up with a lot of stuff left over. So, following a friend's advice I did Sunday's Dragon Ride fuelled entirely by a dozen Torq gels while on the move, washed down with Torq energy drink - basically one gel every 10 miles with the last two caffeinated ones saved for the final ascents of Rhigos and Bwlch. At each feed stop i had a spud, a banana and a jam tart. Have to say they worked very well and were tasty enough that i actually looked forward to each gel.
The Torq stuff is all natural too so has none of those chemical sweeteners.
I should stress also that i have no connection whatosever with Torq, but just glad to have found a product i like and that works for me. But, each to their own

redjeepǃ

A dozen gels...wow.

Bordersroadie

The hard-to-digest thing varies from person to person.

I tend to eat real food (bananas, cereal/fruit bars, cake, cheese and marmalade sarnies, soreen, sweets) on any length of ride (up to 100 miles) and never have problems with eating or digestion or nutrition (ie avoiding the bonk).

The whole idea of the "emergency gel just in case" assumes, as far as I can work out, that you haven't eaten enough by the point on the ride that you desperately need to consume it.

It seems like the shunning of real food in favour of gels and such like is yet another case of amateurs trying to be like pros. I'd rather eat the food I like to eat, but each to their own, I'm not criticising.

nunowoolmez

it's not really like amatuers trying to be like pro's. If this is the case we could say this about no end of things for a multitude of sports. It really does just come down to personal preference. I use gels & bars because they work for me & i like them too. But mainly they fit well in my jersey pockets & are rider friendly with no faff packaging. I love the idea of taking out peanut butter sandwiches, fig rolls, jaffa cakes & bananas but the reality for me is that i think i'd find them a faff to carry & package in my jersey pockets & would be rather bulky. However this has got me thinking...what did the pro's used to do about nutrition back in the days before gels & bars et al? Would just be interesting to know!!

phreak

I use an energy drink because it's an easy way to consume energy when trying hard. Other than that when riding in Britain I use 'real' food as there's always a bit of flat road where you can eat without too much bother. When riding in Europe though it's gels all the way as you can get them down easily whilst doing a long climb.

JamesB

Take a break from the ride and enjoy:


tarte aux pommes @ Zonza by jamesld8, on Flickr

doesn`t fit too well in back pocket though , but certainly keeps energy levels up

rdt

Bordersroadie wrote:

It seems like the shunning of real food in favour of gels and such like is yet another case of amateurs trying to be like pros. I'd rather eat the food I like to eat, but each to their own, I'm not criticising.

Correct. Your basic punters are suckers for marketeers' "lets pretend" stuff that fuels their cycling fantasies. The same happens with all sports and hobbies. Keeps the economy going, though, so no harm done, each to their own etc, so long as I'm free to mock them for it, flogging's too good for them etc.

For anyone needing to cart a bunch of real food that's too big for pockets, these things hold plenty (line with foil and fill with malt loaf, etc):-
http://www.topeak.com/products/Bags/tri_drybag_2

symo

rdt wrote:

Bordersroadie wrote:

It seems like the shunning of real food in favour of gels and such like is yet another case of amateurs trying to be like pros. I'd rather eat the food I like to eat, but each to their own, I'm not criticising.

Correct. Your basic punters are suckers for marketeers' "lets pretend" stuff that fuels their cycling fantasies. The same happens with all sports and hobbies. Keeps the economy going, though, so no harm done, each to their own etc, so long as I'm free to mock them for it, flogging's too good for them etc.

For anyone needing to cart a bunch of real food that's too big for pockets, these things hold plenty (line with foil and fill with malt loaf, etc):-
http://www.topeak.com/products/Bags/tri_drybag_2

A f******g Tri Bag!!!!! On my road bike FFS! Do I have to weave all over the road too???
Can't stomach real food when riding, especially if before a climb so I live on high5 gels but only on rides over 4 hours long. Anything less and I am trying to live with the bonk. Could try a half mix of carb drink to keep the cals low though.

P_Tucker

rdt wrote:

Correct. Your basic punters are suckers for marketeers' "lets pretend" stuff that fuels their cycling fantasies. The same happens with all sports and hobbies. Keeps the economy going, though, so no harm done, each to their own etc, so long as I'm free to mock them for it, flogging's too good for them etc.

For anyone needing to cart a bunch of real food that's too big for pockets, these things hold plenty (line with foil and fill with malt loaf, etc):-
http://www.topeak.com/products/Bags/tri_drybag_2

Your first paragraph makes complete sense. Your second is disgusting and I've reported you to the authorities.

DaveMoss

JamesB wrote:

Take a break from the ride and enjoy:


tarte aux pommes @ Zonza by jamesld8, on Flickr

doesn`t fit too well in back pocket though , but certainly keeps energy levels up

But you can easily mix it all up and squash it, then divide it into two or three small plastic food bags. You then have your home made, superior, energy gels ready to be taken at intervals during the ride.

I find bananas easier and quicker to take on the move than gels. Jelly babies pretty much the same content an tastier than expensive gels. Jaffa cakes also good, but get messy on a hot day. Malt loaf great for earlier part of a long ride.

bigpikle

Just use homemade energy drink with maltex and a splash of squash, with a bit of caffeine or electrolyte powder if needed.

I like to bring a mix of bananas, dry fruit, perhaps energy bars if I have some around or homemade flapjack etc if its a long ride 4hrs+ or an event. As long as it gives me enough g of carbs per hhour then I'm fine with it. Even put a sandwich or roll in for long endurance rides. Cant stomach (or pay the outrageous costs of) a pocket full of gels all ride long - would be sick as a dog!

nickwill

How can you ride for 6 to 7 hours plus on a long sportive and take home made energy drink?You would need to be carrying 3 to 3.5 litres of liquid. With energy drinks you can fill your bottles and carry sachets of powder to get you round. One of the main pluses of commercial gels etc is that they are energy dense and you can take all the nutrition you need in your pockets.

Lookyhere

Well that depends on alot of things doesnt it?
years ago no one drank the amount they are advised (mainly by sports drink/water companies) to do so now (and science is now challenging that)
depends on weather, intensity, personal fitness and how you ve trained - at our recent div champs over 82 miles, no one had more than 2 or 3 bottles, personally in the weather we've had recently we can manage a 5hr non stop ride with 1.5 l of fluid.

nickwill

Lookyhere wrote:

Well that depends on alot of things doesnt it?
years ago no one drank the amount they are advised (mainly by sports drink/water companies) to do so now (and science is now challenging that)
depends on weather, intensity, personal fitness and how you ve trained - at our recent div champs over 82 miles, no one had more than 2 or 3 bottles, personally in the weather we've had recently we can manage a 5hr non stop ride with 1.5 l of fluid.

Antone can manage to do 5 hours with 1.5 litres but it isn't the ideal. As is always the case, whatever view is taken on a scientific issue there will always be a dissenting voice. I don't think there is much argument against the idea that 500ml/ hour is about right. The old idea of training the body to not need liquid is generally regarded as dangerous.

Edward H

Most people are correct on this subject, but if you are really pushing on, then it is Nickwill that has it summed up. You can't really argue with science.
I was given a food tip that is perfect for me. That is lashings of best honey one 1 slice of bread, lashings of best peanut butter on another and put them together. Cut into small squares, easy to stuff in your mouth and easy to digest. SIS to drink at regular intervals.
That's me sorted.

mamba80

I'm with Looky on this, he didnt say we should go back to the bad old days of seeing drinking as being a weakness but that fluid replacement is a personal thing, dependant of a range of factors, not least rider size - it is a myth that everyone needs a set amount ie 500ml/hr

i love a piece of white bread with Marmite, especially if using a few gels - doesnt honey sandwiches get a bit messy?

kayakerchris

I tried the drink powders but found the taste off-putting. I now use Robinsons juice and Nuun tablets with 5 dessert spoonfuls of sugar. Much tastier for the first 1.5 litres. After that upto 150+ I add Nuun tablets to whatever juice I can find. I am also looking for really long rides of taking glucose and fructose in a little plastic bag.

For food I started with gels and flapjack and switched recently to mini sausage rolls and cocktail sausages for more savoury flavours.

Fortunately the UK is well stocked with garages, pubs and similar outlets although they are not always open at 3.00am when I usually want a big meal.

Chris

TheYorkshireMan

JamesB wrote:

Take a break from the ride and enjoy:


doesn`t fit too well in back pocket though , but certainly keeps energy levels up

I take a sort of halfway house when on a long ride or in a sportive - I take a carton of Ambrosia Devon custard. Rip the corner off and down it goes as easy as anything, and plenty of easily assimilated calories too. I also mix up some Decathlon Aptonia Iso orange drink in my bottles, Its only £15 for 2 kg which will make up about 50 bottles, or about 30p per bottle. For emergency sugar if I blow up I take fruity jelly sweets.

In the old days many people used to take a bottle of thinned down rice pudding. I always found this hard to get down.

I recall that a long time ago Robert Miller claimed that his favourite race food were those little French tarts filled with custard and with fruit on top.

rodgers73

On previous rides I've used gels and energy drinks/bars etc. This weekend on the White Rose Classic I used cordial and ate normal foods at the stops (bananas, brioche, cheese sarnie etc). I was fine up until about 80 miles when I got the bonk coming on but staved it off with a couple of flapjack slices I had on me.

I was flagging by the end but generally much better than I had been on the Fred Whitton and the Tour of the Peak.

Draw from that what you will!

bigpikle

Nickwill wrote:

How can you ride for 6 to 7 hours plus on a long sportive and take home made energy drink?You would need to be carrying 3 to 3.5 litres of liquid. With energy drinks you can fill your bottles and carry sachets of powder to get you round. One of the main pluses of commercial gels etc is that they are energy dense and you can take all the nutrition you need in your pockets.

easy - spoon 30g of powder into a ziplock bag and put in your pocket or saddlebag. Repeat... I havent done an event yet where there wasnt water on offer and if theres an energy drink available I'll just fill up on that if it tastes OK. Its usually soooooooooo diluted though that I suspect theres little calorie content most of the time - does depend on the event though as some are better than others. Plain maltex tastes of nothing so doesnt need anything to flavour it really, but if you want you can add a little flavouring - choc powder or a commercial flavouring powder.

redjeepǃ

Bigpikle wrote:

Nickwill wrote:

How can you ride for 6 to 7 hours plus on a long sportive and take home made energy drink?You would need to be carrying 3 to 3.5 litres of liquid. With energy drinks you can fill your bottles and carry sachets of powder to get you round. One of the main pluses of commercial gels etc is that they are energy dense and you can take all the nutrition you need in your pockets.

easy - spoon 30g of powder into a ziplock bag and put in your pocket or saddlebag. Repeat... I havent done an event yet where there wasnt water on offer and if theres an energy drink available I'll just fill up on that if it tastes OK. Its usually soooooooooo diluted though that I suspect theres little calorie content most of the time - does depend on the event though as some are better than others. Plain maltex tastes of nothing so doesnt need anything to flavour it really, but if you want you can add a little flavouring - choc powder or a commercial flavouring powder.

This is exactly what I do. 30grams of a 4:1 mix of Maltodextrin and Fructose in zippy bags. I sometimes put a tiny amount of pure caffeine (less than a pinch) in with it as well (put too much in and you'll be wired and feel like you're never going to go to sleep again. Ever) You can buy it all from MyProtein.

It's not too difficult to copy the recipes of the commercial versions, but as I'm sure that's probably infringing some sort of intellectual property law, I'd like to make it clear that I wouldn't condone such action and have never ever looked up the contents on their webpages.

daveyroids

I vary what I take out on rides. Did a hilly 107 miler I took peanuts, small bag of mixed fruit, Half orange juice half water in my bottles, Chocolate peanuts in my seat pack. Stopped to refill bottles and bought skimmed milk and a sandwich. I have never bought an energy bar / gel. I have bought a few different drinks and I settled on All Sports winter training fuel and summer training fuel. Especially the winter training fuel seems to keep me feeling full all day and I don't need anything more than this. I took winter training fuel on a one day coast to coast ride (Whitehaven - Sunderland) and apart from breakfast, that was all I had all day.

I take just take out what I fancy eating on the day and my performance is the same others that I'm riding with. Take a lesson from Joss Naylor the fell runner, he used to take his wife's home made scones up onto the fells, no fancy foods there. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joss_Naylor

daveyroids

Here is a few articles that I have read on BR, tried the recommendations and I would say they work.

http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/articl ... ink-25698/

http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/articl ... ink-25698/

http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/articl ... ink-25744/

Rodrego Hernandez

Everyone is different, I know someone who rode the Marmotte on no breakfast, 4 bottles and a ham and cheese roll at halfway with no ill effects. That doesn't mean that everyone can do it though.

There is a tendency towards over-eating in these events, mainly by people using it as a substitute to proper training.

Try different things and use what works

BalhamBadger

Rodrego Hernandez wrote:

There is a tendency towards over-eating in these events, mainly by people using it as a substitute to proper training.

Quite right, stuffing calories down your neck is no substitute for fitness.

rdt

My "alternative to over priced energy foods" today was a lovely sausage bap with mustard & ketchup at Monyash's Smithy Cafe, and my "recovery drink" on arriving home was a pint of milkshake made with strawberry Nesquik.

daveyroids

That sounds like a perfect alternative.