Sports Drinks - Loosing Weight

Andrew_J wrote:

Hi All,
Just looking for a little advice on the above topic, I am new to road biking been a MTB rider for a while.
I am trying to loose some weight to make the uphill etc easier therefore what i am wondering is if i drink sports drinks during my rides am I slowing the rate which I will loses weight as I am burning the sports drinks rather than fat?
I understand i need to Hydrate so should i be drinking water rather than say SIS drinks?
I went out on Saturday and covered 31 miles in 2hrs and just took one bottle of SIS Go with me, I felt pretty pleased with that but was wondering should i be drinking water until i hit my target weight?

Question 2 if I should be using sports drinks is looking at the web site I should probably be using PSP22 rather than Go which is more aimed at summer riding? which we don’t seem to have one (summer).

Thanks for any advice.

Thanks for any advice.

From what I have read, it is essential that you keep glucose levels maintained while you ride to give your body a ready source of fuel. If your body has to resort to using stored fuels such as Fats and Proteins, then you will feel sluggish and it will be of no benefit to you.
I only go on short 1-2 hour rides at the moment but I have lost over half a stone in the last 6 weeks through riding alone. I take on extra carbs before the ride...something tasty such as a mars bar and a banana. I drink only water or squash when I am on the bike...and when I get home I make sure that I have a couple of egg rolls and possibly pasta/potatoes to cover my protein and carb needs. It is important to take on carbs after the ride to stock up your supplies. The reason for this is that proteins( read muscles) are an easier source of energy than fat so you will not be helping yourself if you starve after a ride as you will end up with slower muscle regeneration/growth.
I hope I have this right....am just learning myself!

Obviously if you go on longer rides then you will need to take some form of energy source with you but this works for me.

To put it into perspective, 500ml of SIS Go is 144KCals, 2hrs of cycling is approx 1500 KCals.

So, no big deal, but, extra KCals consumed means that you will lose the weight slightly slower.

Andrew_J wrote:

Thanks, what the heck is "the bonk"

from what I understand it is like when you hit the wall in running and find it hard to push on. Your body basically runs out of readily useable fuel and you feel like crap while your body tries to access its stored energy.

+1 for water only for 2 hours or under. If you sweat a lot use hydration tablets that dissolve in water like Nuun or Zym which don't have any carbs.

There's an article in this months C+ that points to research showing endurance benefits gained from doing some training in a low glycogen state.

just from hand-waving experimentation i'd say it is unlikey to be metabolising muscles that are being used. Although I'd like a decent answer.

no it really isn't, open plan office, I'm all for danger-w**ks but that is a step too far!

Sorry

It was based on a few years of doing and observing the effects of endurance training.

here the amount of importance people place on sports drinks is way excessive!

unless you are training to an elite level, you don't need them! Especially if you are just commuting or training!
a pinch of salt and some sugar in water or just ribena will be more than adequate to maintain your sugar levels!

and yes drinking them will stop you burning as much fat!

what I would like to know is, what actually happens in that low glycogen state....does your body start metabolising proteins or am I being over-dramatic with that point?

The article refers to glycogen having an effect in regulating metabolic signalling in the body. Llow glycogen levels apparently encourage the build up of mitocondria which create energy in the muscles. The more mitochondria you have the greater your endurance will become.

You are maybe confusing a LOW glycogen state with NIL glycogen which is when the bonk happens. Before the bonk though your body will burn fat and protein when your carbohydrate stores are finished.

You don't NEED sports drinks but whether you are elite or not if you cycle long/hard enough without replenishing your carb stores you will bonk. So you need to eat and drink on a long ride - what you eat /drink is personal preference. Some prefer "real" food, some sports drinks/gels etc.. and some a mixture of the two. I usually use apple juice, water and High 5 4:1 on a long ride with some dried fruit bars/fig rolls and keep a gel on hand just in case.

Please forgive me if this sounds stupid (remember - it is the beginners section), but considering I am overweight and would like to lose some of the excess - wouldn't it be actually beneficial for me to get through 'the bonk' so I can start using up my fat reserves rather than the carb stores that are always present?

Milton50 wrote:

If you haven't already, I would read this article as it explained a lot of things for me;

http://www.cptips.com/nutrtn.htm

And the 'bonk' is where your body (or more specifically your muscles) has used up all of it's glycogen stores and you suddenly feel massively fatigued.

thanks for that link. i have been reading various parts of that site on and off at work all day....heavy going but interesting stuff.

talltree007 wrote:

Please forgive me if this sounds stupid (remember - it is the beginners section), but considering I am overweight and would like to lose some of the excess - wouldn't it be actually beneficial for me to get through 'the bonk' so I can start using up my fat reserves rather than the carb stores that are always present?

You will use fat reserves just by cycling at lower intensities (say 60-70% of your maximum effort). As you put more effort into your ride your body starts to use less fat and rely more on carbs.

So if your main goal is to lose weight then you should try and ride slightly less hard for slightly longer. You don't need to go through the bonk to lose weight.

I understand all this stuff about exercising at different intensities to use different types of fuels.
for example high intensity uses stored Glycogen and leads quickly to bonking.
Low intensity will use glycogen to start with but can also burn stored fats.

What happens if you have a massive session and stop when you bonk....what fuel will your body use for recovery (presuming evening workout) if you don't eat until the next morning (roughly 8 hours later)...will your muscles suffer or will stored fats still be used?