XC Race fuel - no supplements is it possible?

jimbonorth

Hi, I'm after some advice.

My doctor has warned me off using race/training fuel like High 5 for example. This came about from a blood test which showed a low liver function score (I think he's trying to rule these supplements out as the cause tbh) but this got me wondering...is it possible to race xc without this sort of nutritional setup? I've pretty much followed High 5's 'race faster guide' to the letter so carbo loading with xtreme and racing with Energy Source and gels.

Any ideas what I could use instead of these nutritional supplements? I couldn't even contemplate the thought of eating during an xc race, for a start when would you have time to take your hands off and munch let alone much and swallow the stuff with my heart rate that high.....help!

njee20

What level are you racing at? ie how long are your races?

Surely the active ingredients in most of those things are just sugars, not sure I get the link to liver function...

You could use Jelly Babies or flat Coke, but they're not really all that different to High 5 etc, just in a subtly different format!

Do you really need to do the whole 'carbo loading' thing, personally I've only ever had a bottle of High 5 before a race, then usually 2-3 bottles over the course of a race, tend not to use Extreme.

WindyG

I always have jelly babies loose in my jersey back pocket, seems to work for me. I just use the normal High 5 drinks and Gels not the Plus ones as the caffeine upsets my stomach.

mmacavity

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOuMaOGrnxU

mmacavity

http://www.teamsky.com/article/0,27290, ... 25,00.html

http://www.menshealth.co.uk/fitness/spo ... ey-wiggins

http://cultureodyssey.com/inspirations/ ... b-cyclists

njee20

The OP isn't riding 6-7 hours I'm assuming (if we're talking XC races) and doesn't need to take on 7000 calories a day, so they're not massively helpful, doesn't really address anything the OP said either... :?

SportiveScene

I'd say it's completely possible, XC races tend to be relatively short affairs, you don't really need to carbo load before them and you can usually get by without eating anything during the race. For races up to 2 hours I'll usually carry a couple of gels in my jersey pocket in case I feel I need them but often they'll still be in my pocket at the end. My only carbo loading is making sure I have a decent breakfast beforehand.

Saying that I don't understand why your doctor would be concerned about using energy products, the high 5 stuff is essentially just glucose and fructose so nothing that is likely to cause liver problems. The high levels of caffeine in Xtreme may be a concern for some but plenty of research seems to suggest caffeine is actually pretty good for liver function.

Tigger con carne

I think your doctor is getting confused. There is some work showing an association between liver problems and high protein supplements and diets favoured by the likes of body builders (there's also work saying there's not and I'm sceptical of the relationship but I'm even more sceptical of the benefits of high protein/low carbohydrate intake). High 5 and the like aren't high protein.

Did your doctor mean kidney instead of liver? There is an analytical problem with creatine supplements in that it's converted to creatinine in the body, so high intake of creatine can cause high levels of creatinine which can make test results look like you have worse kidney function than is actually the case.

Also, when you say "low liver function", is that the values are below the "healthy" range? If so, that's not actually a problem