pros and cons of gels/bars vs real food

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Comments

  • quango2k
    quango2k Posts: 42
    Cliff Bloks for me. most gells are grim! bloks are just like sweets..easier on the stomach too.
  • Maglia_Rosa
    Maglia_Rosa Posts: 72
    quango2k wrote:
    Cliff Bloks for me. most gells are grim! bloks are just like sweets..easier on the stomach too.

    96g carbs in them too, impressive!
  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087
    quango2k wrote:
    Cliff Bloks for me. most gells are grim! bloks are just like sweets..easier on the stomach too.
    I like these as well the only down side is when breathing hard at the same time as chewing. They have a tendency to end up in your nasal passage, which doesn’t help your breathing much.
    I found the same thing happened with jelly babies.
  • solosuperia
    solosuperia Posts: 333
    In the late 70's early 80's there was an Australian road man won stages in the TDF etc Allan Pieper.
    I am under the impression that in his musette were bacon sarnies and food of that ilk.
    Personally never found anything wrong with Dundee Cake, look at that sort of thing today and the belt has to go out another notch.
    The other thing couldn't get on with Gatorade and its electrolyte replacing mates...
  • priory
    priory Posts: 743
    Yes. A huge industry depends on sportsmen believing the hype. If you read the ingredients of these things since 1980 they started with pure glucose and have very gradually approached the formula of a jam or cheese sandwich with a milkshake .Water and food are far more efficient and cheaper.

    Magic potions have always been a big seller since ancient times.
    Raleigh Eclipse, , Dahon Jetstream XP, Raleigh Banana, Dawes super galaxy, Raleigh Clubman

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  • webboo
    webboo Posts: 6,087
    SoloSuperia wrote:
    In the late 70's early 80's there was an Australian road man won stages in the TDF etc Allan Pieper.
    I am under the impression that in his musette were bacon sarnies and food of that ilk.
    Personally never found anything wrong with Dundee Cake, look at that sort of thing today and the belt has to go out another notch.
    The other thing couldn't get on with Gatorade and its electrolyte replacing mates...
    I think he only won one TDF stage a team time trial as part of the Panasonic team.
  • apreading
    apreading Posts: 4,535
    priory wrote:
    Yes. A huge industry depends on sportsmen believing the hype. If you read the ingredients of these things since 1980 they started with pure glucose and have very gradually approached the formula of a jam or cheese sandwich with a milkshake .Water and food are far more efficient and cheaper.

    Magic potions have always been a big seller since ancient times.

    I think that's a slight exaggeration. I could agree if you said "Water and food are not much less efficient and cheaper" but to say they are MORE efficient is obviously not true. I think the gains are marginal in terms of performance but they also make it easier to plan and manage your intake - with food etc you need to think more about what you are taking - with gels/bars you can just grab handful of whatever and rely on them having what you need. For example if sweating alot you need to make sure you plan food with electrolytes etc rather than just take any old food.

    Real food can have a psychological boost that gels/bars do not though. A sausage butty or greggs sausage roll for example. And that shouldnt be ignored.
  • shortfall
    shortfall Posts: 3,288
    apreading wrote:
    priory wrote:
    Yes. A huge industry depends on sportsmen believing the hype. If you read the ingredients of these things since 1980 they started with pure glucose and have very gradually approached the formula of a jam or cheese sandwich with a milkshake .Water and food are far more efficient and cheaper.

    Magic potions have always been a big seller since ancient times.

    I think that's a slight exaggeration. I could agree if you said "Water and food are not much less efficient and cheaper" but to say they are MORE efficient is obviously not true. I think the gains are marginal in terms of performance but they also make it easier to plan and manage your intake - with food etc you need to think more about what you are taking - with gels/bars you can just grab handful of whatever and rely on them having what you need. For example if sweating alot you need to make sure you plan food with electrolytes etc rather than just take any old food.

    Real food can have a psychological boost that gels/bars do not though. A sausage butty or greggs sausage roll for example. And that shouldnt be ignored.

    Are there any reliable scientific studies that support manufacturers/industry claims for gels and bars?
  • cld531c
    cld531c Posts: 517
    I suffer from reflux and it turned out energy drinks and bars made it worse. I've never been able to stomach gels. Haven't found any issues with swapping to water and nuts/berries and malt loaf instead.
  • navrig2
    navrig2 Posts: 1,851
    Gels don't agree with my guts so I avoid. I stick to Naked bars. Reasonable energy content and not much in the way of chemical influence from what I can see.

    Well chosen food does the same job. We are paying for convenience and the wrapper - so same as Chinese Takeaway.
  • navrig2
    navrig2 Posts: 1,851
    ZMC888 wrote:
    There are basically four fuel sources.
    1. Glucose. Quick hit sugar for short bursts eg jels tabs. The main and preferred source for hman muscles.
    2. Fructose. Fructose is great, if found in natural fruit, but potentially very unhealthy if not eg HFCS. That's why dates, bananas and dried strawberries (my personal favorite) work so well. It's a simple sugar but burns slower than other sugars and is only metabolised in the liver.
    3. Fats. You can get fat adapted by doing fasted morning rides, then your body can use actual body fat or seeds/nuts for fuel. Personally I love a Snickers or I used to know it, a Marathon.
    4. Caffine and other stimulants. Caffine gels are yuk, but give you a burst, best consumed if made from a roasted coffee bean.

    So gels are just for necking quickly if you are Chris Froome and you are about to go up an HC climb. Something light, eaten quickly, can give you a boost when your heart-rate is very high and you are sucking in so much oxygen nothing other than a gel or fluid can be ingested. There's not much point for amateurs even racing, unless really intense.

    Caffeine is NOT a fuel source. An espresso contains 9 calories. It's stimulant effect is to create a feeling of "energy" but on its own would do more harm than good causing you to "bonk" much sooner.
  • OnTheRopes
    OnTheRopes Posts: 460
    SoloSuperia wrote:
    In the late 70's early 80's there was an Australian road man won stages in the TDF etc Allan Pieper.
    I am under the impression that in his musette were bacon sarnies and food of that ilk.
    Personally never found anything wrong with Dundee Cake, look at that sort of thing today and the belt has to go out another notch.
    The other thing couldn't get on with Gatorade and its electrolyte replacing mates...

    It was quite common amongst pro's to have ham sandwich etc but that was because during stage races it was/is important to be consuming protein during the race as preparation for tomorrow and the day after. I don't think it is required for one day events until after the finish line.

    I used to race on fig roll biscuits, cheap and full of carbs and natural fructose
  • flanners1
    flanners1 Posts: 916
    Real food for me. Gels and bars make me hugely flatulent and then the tom tits....and the caffeine one's make me bonkers. Last time I used them was the Hell of the Ashdown 2011 and used the gels and powder race pack, it worked a treat but the after effects were not good. A banana, flapjack and water for me.
    Colnago C60 SRAM eTap, Colnago C40, Milani 107E, BMC Pro Machine, Trek Madone, Viner Gladius,
    Bizango 29er
  • apreading
    apreading Posts: 4,535
    One of the big causes of flatulence is excess, unburnt carbs that then ferment. So if you get that, it means the gels/bars have done their job and delivered all the energy you could possibly want. You have just had too many of them.

    If you dont get that from your other regime, that possibly means that you arent getting as many carbs from your banana, flapjack and water.

    You just have the dosing right on one combination but not the other.
  • flanners1
    flanners1 Posts: 916
    Interesting.....so what causes the stomach cramps and discomfort, from a Clif bars, energy bars and alike?
    Colnago C60 SRAM eTap, Colnago C40, Milani 107E, BMC Pro Machine, Trek Madone, Viner Gladius,
    Bizango 29er
  • apreading
    apreading Posts: 4,535
    Flanners1 wrote:
    Interesting.....so what causes the stomach cramps and discomfort, from a Clif bars, energy bars and alike?

    I dont know - what do you think they put in a clif bar? Arent they just fancy flapjacks?

    If you were JUST having gels and your stomach had no solid food in it and you were exerting yourself, then I would say cramps could be due to emptiness and nothing solid. Or again, it could be excess carbs fermenting and producing gas.

    Its not like the sports nutrition companies sit around like Bond villains scheming how to hide Novichok in their products.

    Or maybe your body has an intolerance to something but then that could come into effect with normal food too, unless you know what it is.
  • cld531c
    cld531c Posts: 517
    Flanners1 wrote:
    Interesting.....so what causes the stomach cramps and discomfort, from a Clif bars, energy bars and alike?

    I think it's the citric acid that does it for me, not tried Clif bars but is in most other energy bars/drinks.
  • apreading
    apreading Posts: 4,535
    cld531c wrote:
    Flanners1 wrote:
    Interesting.....so what causes the stomach cramps and discomfort, from a Clif bars, energy bars and alike?

    I think it's the citric acid that does it for me, not tried Clif bars but is in most other energy bars/drinks.

    I am genuinely interested - do you struggle with fruit, fruit juice and squash etc too? If not then why do you think the citric acid in energy bars/drinks upsets your stomach and those dont?
  • charlie_potatoes
    charlie_potatoes Posts: 1,921
    Seems like there are a lot of week stomachs on here?
    "You really think you can burn off sugar with exercise?" downhill paul
  • flanners1
    flanners1 Posts: 916
    For my intolerance I am thinking along the lines of the huge amount of highly processed sugars and fats etc in a Clif Bar (basically just an extreme 'candy' bar) and other such products; together with the added whey/soy proteins. Causes absolute havoc to my guts.
    Colnago C60 SRAM eTap, Colnago C40, Milani 107E, BMC Pro Machine, Trek Madone, Viner Gladius,
    Bizango 29er
  • cld531c
    cld531c Posts: 517
    apreading wrote:
    cld531c wrote:
    Flanners1 wrote:
    Interesting.....so what causes the stomach cramps and discomfort, from a Clif bars, energy bars and alike?

    I think it's the citric acid that does it for me, not tried Clif bars but is in most other energy bars/drinks.

    I am genuinely interested - do you struggle with fruit, fruit juice and squash etc too? If not then why do you think the citric acid in energy bars/drinks upsets your stomach and those dont?

    Yep - citrus fruits, tomatoes, fruit juice, garlic, onions, spices. Food has become very dull but its better than the alternative!!
  • trekvet
    trekvet Posts: 223
    Other day I ran 20 miles on gels and Turkish Delight bars, at the rate of 1 gel every 25mins. (I use a Gymboss)with no problems with runnng or with stomach. I wonder if chaps have problems because of technique rather than the ingredients.
    The Wife complained for months about the empty pot of bike oil on the hall stand; so I replaced it with a full one.
  • cld531c
    cld531c Posts: 517
    Silent Reflux, not technique!
  • joey54321
    joey54321 Posts: 1,297
    I think many people have problems for many different reasons. Some just won't be able to stomach them, other people have problems because they have too much at once or at the wrong time during some high-intensity work. Basically, just need to find what works for you.

    I use energy bars and gels during racing and towards the end of longer event rides, for endurance/club runs I normally use banana and homemade sweet potato or pumpkin flapjack.
  • cld531c
    cld531c Posts: 517
    Sweet potato flapjack sounds fab - do you have a preferred recipe?

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