Anyone read the High5 stronger sportive guide?

Kieran_Burns
Kieran_Burns Posts: 9,757
edited April 2014 in Commuting chat
'cos it's a little nuts (IMHO)

Light and high in carbs breakfast (cereals, toast and porridge). Then 30 to 90 mins before the start, caffeine load with a 750ml bottle of their caffeine energy drink AS WELL AS 3 x energy gels

Now during... they say it depends on how much you need to drink (weather conditions) but basically:

800ml energy drink + no gels
750ml + 1 gel
500ml + 2 gels
250ml + 3 gels

PER HOUR.

Oh and so you keep your caffeine level topped up one of the above should be a caffeine gel.

That means you eat / drink nothing else.

Okay, two things:

Has anyone ever seen Beavis and Butthead? The Great Cornholio? I'd turn up to the sportive with my top pulled half over my head looking for TP for my bunghole.

If I only had gels and drink for a 4 hour sportive (and in my case it'd be nearer 7 = up to 21 gels!) I would have an arse like Mount Vesuvius.

I think I'll stick with the sausage butty and jam sarnies thanks all the same.
Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
2011 Trek Madone 4.5
2012 Felt F65X
Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter

Comments

  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    Did the L-B-L medium ride at the weekend on 3 bottles of torq, 2 gels and half an energy bar...
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
    Rides
  • elbowloh
    elbowloh Posts: 7,078
    It's ridiculous yes. Not only would you have dodgy guts, but also be spending £30-£50 on all these gels/drinks per event.
    Where are you supposed to carry all this stuff too?
    Felt F1 2014
    Felt Z6 2012
    Red Arthur Caygill steel frame
    Tall....
    www.seewildlife.co.uk
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    JonGinge wrote:
    Did the L-B-L medium ride at the weekend on 3 bottles of torq, 2 gels and half an energy bar...
    Which half?
    elbowloh wrote:
    Where are you supposed to carry all this stuff too?
    You pick up refills every 5 miles at the feed stations. Duh!

    I actually saw an invite to a High 5 lab testing session once (though I didn't go). Seemed to involve lots of MAMILs doing sportive-length rides on turbos somewhere near Heathrow, in return for free product. Not what I would call scientific...

    I'm very much of the JG school of thought (though I do take caffeine gels before races). Quite why you'd want to take such an extreme approach to nutrition when you're not even racing is totally beyond me...
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • notsoblue
    notsoblue Posts: 5,756
    Whenever I do a sportive I always seem to accumulate gels from the feed stations that I never actually end up using. I don't think I've ever actually bought gels myself. The only time I've struggled to get in enough calories is on multi-day tours like LEJOG. And then the calories are usually just chocolate bars or flapjacks :P
    FCN 4 PX SL Pro SRAM Red
    FCN 8 Scott Sportster '05
  • smokey_bacon
    smokey_bacon Posts: 1,639
    That seems way over the top to me. And to be fair they should offer an money back guarantee if you dont KOM every segment on the route because of the sugar/carb/caffiene rush
  • mtb-idle
    mtb-idle Posts: 2,179
    I gave up caffeine in 2008. That would leave me shaking like a leaf
    FCN = 4
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,722
    One might think that High5 have a vested interest in selling vast amounts of the product and draw their own conclusions accordingly.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    Your body can absorb ~1g carb per kg body weight per hour.

    So a 60kg rider could get through 3 20g gels per hour, and a 100kg rider could use 5. You could do the same with bananas (approx 20g carb each), but that's much bulkier and takes longer to get digested. Doing this means you are using carbs from the gels rather than dipping into your glycogen reserves meaning they can be saved for the climbs and sprints or the next day. Fueling like this for the middle half of a century then switching to a mix of protein and carbs for the last quarter makes sense as it should improve endurance. Caffeine can increase the storage of sugar as glycogen rather than fat so improve post ride recovery which is especially important for multi day events, but don't over do it or you wont sleep.

    I remember the first time I tried riding on High5 products, all free samples from CRC and Wiggle.

    To paraphrase the legendary Jarvis Cocker:
    Oh is this the way that cycling's supposed to feel.
    Or just 20,000 mamils riding down the road.
    And I don't quite understand just what this feeling is.
    But that's okay 'cause we're all sorted out for gels and fizz.

    It's essentially a combination of a sustained sugar rush, caffeine and runners high.
    Quite a nice buzz really and you feel like you've earned it.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • meanredspider
    meanredspider Posts: 12,337
    I did a century yesterday at 30.1kmh

    800ml of Zero tab/water
    1x ZipVit ZV8 banana bar (love these things)
    Coffee & pecan Danish (filling station Stylee)
    Coffee and apple pie (proper Dutch cycling food)

    I have a huge stash of High5 gels at home (from discounted marathon kits) - as with yesterday, I took a couple with me but never used them.
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH

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