Can someone explain the tabs/powders stuff ?

RandG

OK being new to all this, I'm wondering, zero tablets for putting in water bottles, but you also get the powders that go in the water, and different kinds, specifically the High5 stuff. ??

So we've got zero tabs/2:1 powder/4:1 powder ???


Help me out here please ??

t.m.h.n.e.t

Zero tabs - these are zero calorie electrolyte only drinks designed to replace essential minerals you lose through sweat.

2:1 - 2:1 is a glucose/fructose ratio used in what is an energy drink. Also contains the above electrolytes.

4:1 - is also an energy drink mix but 4-1 ratio carbs/protein. Also contains the electrolyte mix.

RandG

Cheers, so there is obvious differences, but is it just a matter of choice or should I take one over the others ??

t.m.h.n.e.t

You should take what you require,only you can answer that question. If you require electrolytes then take those - if you require an energy product then take that.

dashik

It all depends on what you need.

I just take the zero ones as I just want to avoid a headache from sweating and losing minerals etc and getting dehydrated.

As I'm trying to lose weight I dont need the carbs and I'm riding for an hour and a half ish at a reasonable speed so energy is not a probem for me as yet.


As ever it all depends on what your needs are

RandG

You see that is the issue, I'm no sure what I require. :?

charlie_potatoes

Mid week rides I just use the zero.

Weekend rides I use the zero. I don't like the 2:1 (or any sugary drink) when I'm riding and prefer to eat carbs as I go.
I also take a couple of gels just in case.
I have a 4:1 recovery drink as soon as I get home.

But, as already mentioned, we are all different

Gizmodo

I use supermarket own brand squash diluted with water. Unless someone sends me some free samples and then I will use them.

Some people believe that the gains from these specialist sports products are so minor as to be negligible, unless you are racing and need a 0.5% improvement in performance.

Others believe that they are money well spent.

You take your choice.

Save money and make your own http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/article/homemade-sports-drink-25744/

godders1

I think sports products do provide things that we need (or are helpful) when exercising (mainly replacing carbs for energy and electrolytes for hydration) but there are cheaper and equally effective alternatives.

pardonthewait

The zero ones do seem to help with leg cramps which I otherwise get quite often, I've only used them a few times so far but no cramps... this is not very scientific though and could be placebo but if it's replacing stuff I lose riding then I don't see the harm.

The 4:1 and 2:1 ones, personally I find them quite hard to stomach. I just don't really get on with the consistency.

Quite often I mix lucozade sport 50/50 with water which is quite nice, I don't really drink enough water when I'm riding a lot of the time and sometimes having something a bit tastier helps, strangely.

godders1

pardonthewait wrote:

The zero ones do seem to help with leg cramps which I otherwise get quite often, I've only used them a few times so far but no cramps... this is not very scientific though and could be placebo but if it's replacing stuff I lose riding then I don't see the harm.

Cramp during exercise is usually caused by low sodium so it absolutely makes sense that an isotonic drink will pevent it.

danowat

RandG wrote:

You see that is the issue, I'm no sure what I require. :?

If that is the case, then I'd say don't use any......

drlodge

My 2p:
- I use High5 Isotonic in my drink (2:1), which gives me the elctrolytes and some level of carbs.
- on longer rides (more than 2 hours) I then take some food to supplement the carb intake, like flap jack.

Its simple, and works for me, and fairly cost efficient. A 2kg tub of Isotonic is about £18-£19, the gels, specialist foods and other drinks are really expensive.

charlie_potatoes

Godders1 wrote:

pardonthewait wrote:

The zero ones do seem to help with leg cramps which I otherwise get quite often, I've only used them a few times so far but no cramps... this is not very scientific though and could be placebo but if it's replacing stuff I lose riding then I don't see the harm.

Cramp during exercise is usually caused by low sodium so it absolutely makes sense that an isotonic drink will pevent it.

According to the NHS website the cause of leg cramp is unknown.
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/legcrampsunknowncause/Pages/Introduction.aspx

The Boots Chemist website lists some current theories which include Magnesium and Pottasium deficiency which is where the High5 zero comes in rather than being an "isotonic cure"
http://www.webmd.boots.com/pain-management/guide/muscle-spasms-and-cramps

FWIW I used to suffer a fair bit but haven't had a cramp since I started using High5 zero tablets so I am happy to continue even if it were shown to be a placebo

JamesB5446

Might be worth a read. http://www.minnpost.com/second-opinion/ ... rts-drinks

simon_masterson

It's just another way of ingesting simple sugars. Simple as that.

..At a basic level, anyway. The kind of sports drinks you can buy on supermarket shelves are a rip-off, and they are expensive pop for people that don't need them. If it tastes good, it probably has lots of crap in it you don't need! Better stuff, like Hi5, is basically simple carbs, often with caffeine. Some sports drinks claim to have all sorts of fancy supplements and the rest of it in them, but I'm not convinced. What you need is the carbs.

Everyone has their own regime. My primary source of energy is my water; I use dextrose and/or maltodextrin powder. They work very well, and being bulk powders from MP, are MUCH cheaper than Lucozade and the rest of it. I use them for my recovery drinks as well.

But the issue as a whole is not all that subjective and it's not a matter of marginal gains in a race, or anything like that. Pro level racing cyclists riding at ridiculously high intensity on challenging terrain may be burning 1000 calories an hour; a little piece of flapjack and sugar-free squash every hour isn't going to cut it!

JamesB5446

And most of us are kidding ourselves if we think we need any where near the same calorie intake as a pro athlete.

Unless you're going very hard for over a few hours, you don't really need any extra calories over your normal food.

simon_masterson

I concur, though I don't think that anybody around here is likely to be approaching the amounts that professionals get through! I tend to allocate my sugar intake according to what I know I will need, personally. Nothing for a ride under an hour, though.

JamesB5446

Speak for yourself. While watching the Tour and Olympics this summer I was trying to get at least 9000 calories in a day.

t.m.h.n.e.t

JamesB5446 wrote:

Might be worth a read. http://www.minnpost.com/second-opinion/ ... rts-drinks

Not really. Panorama was mentioned :roll:

charlie_potatoes

Simon Masterson wrote:

It's just another way of ingesting simple sugars. Simple as that.

High5 zero tablets do not contain sugar and are zero calorie. They are designed to replace certain minerals that are lost through sweating or perspiring (depending on gender)

simon_masterson

Charlie Potatoes wrote:

Simon Masterson wrote:

It's just another way of ingesting simple sugars. Simple as that.

High5 zero tablets do not contain sugar and are zero calorie. They are designed to replace certain minerals that are lost through sweating or perspiring (depending on gender)

Indeed; I'd forgotten that we are also discussing those.

jimbo0023

Google "panorama the truth about sports drinks" then buy cheap squash and make a peanut butter sarnie

I was a sports drink fan until I seen the light. It's just marketing using very weak 30 year old evidence to convince us all we need sugary isotonic drinks

JamesB5446

T.M.H.N.E.T wrote:

JamesB5446 wrote:

Might be worth a read. http://www.minnpost.com/second-opinion/ ... rts-drinks

Not really. Panorama was mentioned :roll:

And?

simon_masterson

jimbo0023 wrote:

Google "panorama the truth about sports drinks" then buy cheap squash and make a peanut butter sarnie

I was a sports drink fan until I seen the light. It's just marketing using very weak 30 year old evidence to convince us all we need sugary isotonic drinks

Sorry, but that documentary is sensationalist nonsense; as if it was going to be anything else with a title like that. There are some good points in it, but they are mainly for people that don't do enough exercise to warrant using 'sports drinks'. Fair point; enough people appear to be very gullible in that respect.

As I said, it's simply a matter of ingesting simple sugars. You can't perform intense exercise for extended periods without fuel, and 'sports drinks' are just another way of providing the body with what it needs. Kendal mint cake is just a big lump of sugar as well, and no-one seems to be making any documentaries about that.

It's entirely true that most amateurs aren't performing at the same intensity as the professionals, but nevertheless you don't have to be riding at a steady speed of 40mph for 5 hours in order to benefit from ingesting carbs in this manner. It's a very effective way of keeping your blood sugar levels constant. I don't particularly like eating whilst cycling, personally. For some people a nibble of flapjack every little while or so whilst cycling is enough; I don't think Brad Wiggins would agree to it for his cycling.

JamesB5446

Show me the Kendal mint cake advert with pseudo science about performance.

MattC59

Tabs go in your mouth, powder up your nose...... Or have I got the wrong end of the stick ?

simon_masterson

JamesB5446 wrote:

Show me the Kendal mint cake advert with pseudo science about performance.

Pertinent, but a side issue.

JamesB5446

MattC59 wrote:

Tabs go in your mouth, powder up your nose...... Or have I got the wrong end of the stick ?

You'll burn your lips if you have.

notnot

Simon Masterson wrote:

Some sports drinks claim to have all sorts of fancy supplements and the rest of it in them, but I'm not convinced. What you need is the carbs.

You may also need some salt, if you're drinking loads/sweating loads over a long-ish period - this can cause hyponatremia. This can generally be avoided either by adding a little bit of salt into whatever drink you're mixing (you'll find recipes online) or buying a product that contains this.

For shorter rides, I just drink water and eat afterwards - so long as I've been eating in the day. Today's ride will be fuelled by a late breakfast of porridge, and maybe a sandwich some time before leaving I take something sugary in case I need it, but almost never do.

pinarellokid

just got back from my ride today and as a person who needs to loose weight i dont eat on the go.!!!

beans on toast before,
zero drink during 750ml
and a banana milk blend afterwards..

works for me and got me round my 41 mile ride with no issues.