What are your favourite cycling nutrition products?
oblongomaculatus
Posts: 616
After much research, here are mine:
Gel: Torq. Flavours that taste of exactly what they claim to. Much less sweet than others (except for banoffee). Wiggle's range of 9 flavours are also pretty good (and a lot cheaper).
Energy bar: Science in Sport. Not too chewy, nor too dry. Apple and blackcurrant and toffee fudge particularly good.
Hydration tablets: Powerbar. Raspberry and pomegranate stands out, pink grapefruit also good.
Energy drink: Until recently, none I'd tried were very good. Just discovered Skratch Labs, which have real fruit in them, and taste much better than anything else as a result, though if diluted as directed, they come out a little weak for me, so I add about a third of a scoop extra per 500ml. You're meant to drink apple and cinnamon hot; I'm not sure how that would work on a ride...
Recovery Bar: Science In Sport; either mint chocolate or chocolate peanut, both are tasty. A Mars or a Snickers goes down well after a ride too.
Recovery Drink: For Goodness Shakes. Easily the best tasting shake. Best flavour for me - vanilla. Torq's mint chocolate is also good (although all the other flavours are vile).
Gel: Torq. Flavours that taste of exactly what they claim to. Much less sweet than others (except for banoffee). Wiggle's range of 9 flavours are also pretty good (and a lot cheaper).
Energy bar: Science in Sport. Not too chewy, nor too dry. Apple and blackcurrant and toffee fudge particularly good.
Hydration tablets: Powerbar. Raspberry and pomegranate stands out, pink grapefruit also good.
Energy drink: Until recently, none I'd tried were very good. Just discovered Skratch Labs, which have real fruit in them, and taste much better than anything else as a result, though if diluted as directed, they come out a little weak for me, so I add about a third of a scoop extra per 500ml. You're meant to drink apple and cinnamon hot; I'm not sure how that would work on a ride...
Recovery Bar: Science In Sport; either mint chocolate or chocolate peanut, both are tasty. A Mars or a Snickers goes down well after a ride too.
Recovery Drink: For Goodness Shakes. Easily the best tasting shake. Best flavour for me - vanilla. Torq's mint chocolate is also good (although all the other flavours are vile).
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Comments
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After much research, I tend not to use them. Normal food is so much nicer - and cheaper..
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Co Op or Sainsburys granola squares.0
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Gel: Banana
Energy Bar: Banana
Hydration: Banana + Water
Energy Drink: Banana
Recovery???? I eat food...0 -
Gel: Cadburys Éclair
Energy bar: Sainsburys Flapjack or Shortbread
Hydration: Cherry Vimto (no added sugar)
Energy Drink: Cherry Vimto & shortbread
Recovery: Pork pie0 -
Has anyone suggested a balanced diet?I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles0
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[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19764646#p19764646]SloppySchleckonds[/url] wrote:Has anyone suggested a balanced diet?
Same for me, but if I have to
skratch labs really just to add some flavour to the water
Clif shot bloks easy to eat and not sticky
Recovery If I cant get real food Clif builder bars0 -
Proper food.
The only nutrition product I tend to use is NUUN tablets - even that is probably just to help me drink more because they taste okay. Though I have ceased suffering from stomach cramping on longer rides since I started using them.
On the road, I find Naked bars very digestible and tasty. I eat quite a bit of protein on the road, cheese, sausages etc.0 -
Yes, real food is good, obviously. Peanut butter and jam sandwiches, or a banana before a ride, or porridge. I don't use all those products all the time, but I frequently ride long distances, and gels, bars and energy drinks are a lot easier to carry and eat than anything else. As I nearly always ride alone I can't stop at a shop or cafe (a decent lock would be too heavy/bulky) so everything I need for several hours of riding has to go in pockets. But I don't think any of it is better for you than real food; just more convenient, although I think hydration tablets are probably an improvement on plain water because they contain salts, and I'm prone to post ride cramp. I'm not sure about recovery drinks; they're recommended for immediately after, followed later by a balanced meal. I've been trying this, and I do seem to have more energy the next day. Sometimes, though, especially in summer, the best recovery drink is a cold beer!0
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I tend to go for jam sandwiches for training rides but they take up so much room on a long ride. Hate having pockets that look im wearing a rubber ring from behind! Racing - any gels that were on offer so tend to be high 5 as those race packs are an absolute steal!!0
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Gel: no favourite, have a box of freebies that I dip into for races
Energy bar: Banana
Hydration tablets: Water or if racing something from the freebie box
Energy drink: Water
Recovery Bar: Peanut butter and golden syrup on toast
Recovery Drink: water/beer/coffee
For longer rides I'll take anything in the cupboard, mars bars/flapjacks/cold pizza and an emergency bonk gel.0 -
Gel: Torq, they seem to get to my legs quicker than others. I have a lot of freebies, but Torq is something I would pay for if nothing was left.
Recovery bars: ZipVit Choc Orange or Clif Mint Choc. They just taste nice.
Recovery drink: Milk (semi skimmed)
I use "zero" electrolyte tabs of various brands just to get a variety of flavours.0 -
Unless it's a day ride I don't bother anymore as I'm more informed towards my diet.
For Day rides the only supplement I use is SIS energy powder mixed with water and a caffeine gel if I need a boost for the last hour or so.“Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to cycle and he will realize fishing is stupid and boring”
Desmond Tutu0 -
Slowmart what does "I'm more informed towards my diet". mean?0
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On the subject of freebies, has anyone ever paid for a High 5 gel?0
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Slowmart what does "I'm more informed towards my diet". mean?
Start of the year I decided to get a grip and tightened the nut on my intake using myfitnesspal. I input metrics and a target set and got back a calorie intake of 1200 kcal's! I followed this and the weight came off and then I plateaued in terms of weight loss as I was snacking on the wrong foods.
Fast forward to September and I went to see a sports physiologists and we went through a much more thorough and bespoke plan set around my goals.
The upshot is more targeted training, a daily calorie intake of 2600kcals and I'm still dropping weight with a 10% body fat as my target. The calories are split between carbs, fat and protein.
The upshot is I don't feel I need any supplements on my current training plan.“Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to cycle and he will realize fishing is stupid and boring”
Desmond Tutu0 -
I'm not sure many people would be that methodical, or have the focus to stick with it for long enough, but it sounds like it's working for you. About 15 years ago I achieved much the same thing, but entirely by accident. I started to increase the length and frequency of my riding, with the aim of gradually improving my endurance until I was capable of riding 100 miles. I wasn't expecting to lose any weight; In as much as I considered it at all, I figured extra exercise would make me extra hungry and I'd eat more to compensate. But it didn't work out like that. In the end I lost between 20 and 25 kg (not sure exactly how much as I didn't start keeping score until I noticed my clothes getting looser) over about 6 months. It's a simple equation I suppose; if you burn more fuel than you consume in food, you will lose weight.0
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It's about nutrition and ensuring you fuel your body correctly and inline with the stresses your placing on it.
A more informed approach to your diet negates "supplements" to a large degree. the majority on here are middle aged donkeys, some may be fast donkeys but donkeys all the same and giving a fast donkey an "energy bar" would have a questionable net effect.“Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to cycle and he will realize fishing is stupid and boring”
Desmond Tutu0 -
Fig rolls and peanut butter sandwiches for on the road. Dilute powdered sports drink or normal juice (e.g. barley water).
Porridge before the ride.
Banana after.
This has been fine for me on rides up to and over 80 miles at easy to steady pace, although not racing.0 -
Always good to see the righteous on here scoffing (excuse the pun) at those that like to use energy supplements. Pat yourselves on the back boys at being so unbelievably awesome and treat yourself to another bidon of pure, unadulterated water and a homemade flapjack. Keep it rollin’ in 2016.0
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Always good to see the righteous on here scoffing (excuse the pun) at those that like to use energy supplements. Pat yourselves on the back boys at being so unbelievably awesome and treat yourself to another bidon of pure, unadulterated water and a homemade flapjack. Keep it rollin’ in 2016.
While some take their diet seriously (for good reasons) and most cycing nutrition products, frankly, have no place in a healthy balannced diet, I am very happy to have a stack of gels, bars etc with long use by dates with my cycling kit in the garage as it is less to think about when I set off on a days riding.0 -
Always good to see the righteous on here scoffing (excuse the pun) at those that like to use energy supplements. Pat yourselves on the back boys at being so unbelievably awesome and treat yourself to another bidon of pure, unadulterated water and a homemade flapjack. Keep it rollin’ in 2016.
I'm always amused by the people who advocate consuming "real" food when cycling. Maybe they ought to take a look at the label on their packet of daily bread for instance to see how real it actually is. Eat whatever floats your boat, just don't get evangelical about it.0 -
oblongomaculatus, that's a serious large weight loss. Congratulations.
I have now consumed the 1st six months supply of chocolate over the last 48 hours.0 -
Thanks; it seems a long time ago now. The best part is I still haven't put any back on.0
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fig rolls0
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"Real" food is nice but not always practical - especially on a long ride in the middle of nowhere - unless you're using panniers etc. Bananas are great but, for their calorific value, they're huge and tend to get manky 3 or 4 hours in on a warm day. I've made my own rice cakes and date bars for the Rapha Prestige but they were only partially successful because they fall apart or melt so are messy to eat.
There's no doubt you can use regular food but it's nowhere near as convenient. Talk of a "balanced diet" is a red herring - you can get a perfectly balanced (protein, carbs, fat, vitamins etc) diet from energy bars and gels.
My favourite, to answer the OP's question, is variety. Some days water is fine and on others I'll dilute Monster mid-ride. I love bananas but rarely carry more than one. Gels have their place (especially as an emergency hit - I only used one on my 6 ascents of the Alpe and I could pretty much see the top of my last climb). My magic hit is a ring donut and a cup of coffee.ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH0 -
I did go through a phase of eating loads of gels and bars etc. after I started doing sportives and amassed armfuls of freebies... But I stopped, mainly because I end up having way too much caffeine.
Gels: High5
Energy bar: Flapjack. The Sainsbury's taste the difference granola flapjack things are my favourite, need to cut them in half though.
Hydration tablets: I sometimes put a High5 zero tablet into one of my water bottles for long rides but that's mostly just for a bit of variety compared to just drinking water all day.
Energy drink: Sometimes stop for a coffee
Recovery bar: Whatever's in the house.
Recovery drink: Nesquick with a banana and a dash of vanilla blended into it, which is incredible. But only if it's actually been a hard ride.
The only time I've really had noticeable effects from recovery stuff is when trying to run a substantial calorie deficit and exercising a lot at the same time - I found if I'm not careful to eat something right after exercise then I can end up feeling terrible the next day. But when I'm eating normally (so the last 10+ months) I'm only having the Nesquick because it's delicious, if I'm honest...On the subject of freebies, has anyone ever paid for a High 5 gel?
Yeah - I've found they're the only ones I actually like!
I got a box of 20 off Wiggle because it was loads cheaper than buying from LBS, and I still have most of them. I usually stick one in the back pocket for longer rides, most of the time it comes back unused but it's nice to know it's there.0 -
I'll use energy products on a sportive or a race but I tend only to do a couple of sportives and 6-7 road races a year and even then I am ot a triathlete type with a dozen gels taped to the top tube so I'm not necking loads of the stuff. On those days I'll use whatever, I've never found one gel or sports drink so unpalatable I can't stand it.
Normal rides even long ones 100 miles plus and hard multi hour training rides I stick to water, bananas, maybe a muesli bar and cafe stops.[Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]0
