When to eat your Jelly babies?

vfast1

So you know you're coming up to a hill so how long beforehand do you start to eat you're fav energy boosting treat?

declan1

I only eat energy-boosting treats either on 60+ mile rides or races. Everything else doesn't really need it.

Pituophis

declan1 wrote:

I only eat energy-boosting treats either on 60+ mile rides or races. Everything else doesn't really need it.

Of course not, you're 17 remember :roll:

declan1

Pituophis wrote:

declan1 wrote:

I only eat energy-boosting treats either on 60+ mile rides or races. Everything else doesn't really need it.

Of course not, you're 17 remember :roll:

I might have the energy, but I certainly don't have the legs :P

JayKosta

You would have to eat easy to digest food at least 30 minutes before expecting it to be of any benefit. For a difficult hill, make sure you've had enough to drink a few minutes before. Eating during a ride is for the next 'several hours', not the next few minutes.
If you know the ride will contain difficult climbs, then make sure you've had enough to eat at least an hour before starting.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

sloppyschleckonds

After the hill to refuel

markhewitt1978

I've heard for the likes of energy gels then at least 15 minutes before the climb. Although would it not be better to eat one jelly baby every mile than 10 jelly babies after every 10 miles?

rusty_nail

I got a cheap box of Clif Shot Bloks and while they taste nice and seem to give me a boost of energy, is there actually any advantage to eating them over Jelly Babies?

chris_bass

I'm beginning to think I'm solar powered! I've done a few longer rides recently and only had squash in my water bottle to keep me going, i'm no racer though that's for sure!

Rodders30

I save the jelly beans for when im royally done in. They arey life saver. I have all the gels and food normally.

wheezee

Went out today with a pocketful of foam shrimp sweets. Much lighter and more aerodynamic than your old-school Jelly Baby. They're also 30% stiffer and more vertically compliant.

ednino

I tend not to eat anything on a 40-50 mile ride. I'd rather just ride

On the big ones I try to make sure I get some food in. Like others have said, get the food in long before you need it

Anonymous

Reese's Pieces are sooooooo much nicer than jelly babies :P
Cut the corner of the bag just right and they are easy to manage too

stueys

ednino wrote:

I tend not to eat anything on a 40-50 mile ride. I'd rather just ride

On the big ones I try to make sure I get some food in. Like others have said, get the food in long before you need it

I'm happy upto 2 hrs without food, can go longer but i find I start to feel it in the legs the next day if I drain my glycogen completely.

Re the time to feeling benefit there is research that suggests the body responds to carb mouthwashes or a gel fairly immediately as it knows its about to get some juice. I find a caffeine gel 5 mins before a big hill on a long ride perks me up a bit. Jelly babies I would think take longer

VTech

I have used them on 2 rides, after the first 1.5hours and then every half hour I eat one.
Seemed to work.

Sprool

wheezee wrote:

Went out today with a pocketful of foam shrimp sweets. Much lighter and more aerodynamic than your old-school Jelly Baby. They're also 30% stiffer and more vertically compliant.

You know thats given me an insatiable craving for sugar shrimps now. I'm gonna have to get me down to the newsagents early before work

Pross

I tend to use sugary crap only in an emergency to get my levels back up if I bonk. Most of the time you want slow releasing energy to avoid sugar spikes (and subsequent crashes).

hatch87

Wait a minute, I never realized there was a time not eat them. Mix them in with the porridge every morning, can't go without a jelly baby

lakesluddite

Never - I'm veggie!

smidsy

LakesLuddite wrote:

Never - I'm veggie!

The green ones are surely made for you

Grill

LakesLuddite wrote:

Never - I'm veggie!

This.

marylogic

They're not actually made from real babies

Grill

Indeed, but as a vegan I can't eat gelatin :P

marylogic

Sorry it was a poor attempt at humour :oops:

Grill

Oh don't you worry, it was well received on my end. I just felt that it was best to explain the actual reason to those not in the know