Carbohydrate Drinks

I use sis energy .... you stick 50g in to 500ml of water.

Allegedly your body can process 1g of carb a minute .... so don't think you can start to bonk and then down half a litre of water and recover.

Just mix your drink appropriately and sip from it regularly to keep hydrated and replenish glycogen

I use it on morning club rides as I barely eat at that time of the morning and fear crashing out .. doesn't taste too bad either .. oh and its dilutes pretty much clear - opaque so doesn't scare anyone with that fake illunous colour that changes the colour of your piss

does it work ??? .... yeah I believe so, and why wouldn't it, its food ... just very easy to digest food that hydrates at the same time

ali69er wrote:

After totally bonking last weekend in a sportive i am looking at carbohydrate drinks.

Are you absolutely certain that the reason you 'bonked' is because you didn't have a carbohydrate drink?

MrB123 wrote:

Half apple juice. Half water. Pinch of salt. Done.

This, but also orange, mango or whatever you like.

I have never tasted a shop-bought energy drink that tastes as nice as one slopped together under a kitchen tap with a juice carton. It takes seconds and actually tastes quite nice.

The only processed drink I've ever used and enjoyed for longer rides is flat coke. But that is another answer to another question.

mellex wrote:

Some of the carbohydrate products really don't agree with peoples stomachs and that could spell disaster.

yes, I have heard this .. think I would rather bonk than have an exploding arse on a ride

Fenix wrote:

If it's really energy you need then you'd probably be better off eating as you go. You're not going to get a huge amount of calories from your drinks.

So for the SIS GO stuff - 2 bottles of 500ml will give you around 380 calories. What's that - a mars bar and a bit ?

You don't need a huge amount of calories - what you need is enough calories that your body can continue to burn fat effectively.

Your average sportive should be mostly fuelled from the average body's ample fat reserves. The body needs a certain proportion of carbohydrate available in order to burn fat - the proportion increases the harder the effort you are making.

When you bonk, it isn't because you've run out of fat to burn - it's because you've run out of carbs.

So yes, a couple of bottles energy drink might well be enough. Especially as people tend to drink on rides long before they get hungry (by which point it is often too late).

One problem with relying on drinks for carb is that they are pretty bad for your teeth, particularly on long rides. Hence, a carb drink should only be used for those rides that merit it and then as part of a balanced diet on the bike (so, some decent solid foods like banana, rice cakes, etc. and the odd drink/gel).

homers double wrote:

fat daddy wrote:

mellex wrote:

Some of the carbohydrate products really don't agree with peoples stomachs and that could spell disaster.

yes, I have heard this .. think I would rather bonk than have an exploding ars* on a ride

Agree on this, I tried SIS products on a 24hr mountain bike enduro event, half way through I just felt rubbish and was on the verge of being sick. Swapped the stuff for water and got better pretty quickly.

Also dropped my first gel at a 12hr solo event and that was even worse. It felt like a mad sugar rush and all my hair felt on end for 6 hours. The ony thing to clear it was a proper meal at home that night.

Now I'm strictly a water/cake/beer rider depending on how far and where etc.

More or less my experience too.

Haven't had any gels or carb drinks for many years.

I'll eat energy bars from time to time. Prefer Naked Bars.

For carbs you need to eat.

The best way to fuel is after an hour eat a jelly baby or 2(Same amount of glucose as a gel) every 15-20 mins and for every hour after the first eat 60grams of carbs and Soreen mini malt loaves have 64grams in them, so make an ideal source of carbs and both of these taste much better than any chemical crap you can buy. Unless you name Thomas or Froome is all you need and don't give you the shits either!

For drinking I use High5 Zero Extreme http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/high5-zero-xtreme-electrolyte-drink-tablets/rp-prod55056 they are quite tasty and have 0 calories.

joe2008 wrote:

I wouldn't touch SIS stuff, it has Aspartame in it!

By far the best I've found is First Endurance EFS.

Just out of curiosity, what do you have against aspartame?

TimothyW wrote:

Fenix wrote:

If it's really energy you need then you'd probably be better off eating as you go. You're not going to get a huge amount of calories from your drinks.

So for the SIS GO stuff - 2 bottles of 500ml will give you around 380 calories. What's that - a mars bar and a bit ?

You don't need a huge amount of calories - what you need is enough calories that your body can continue to burn fat effectively.

Your average sportive should be mostly fuelled from the average body's ample fat reserves. The body needs a certain proportion of carbohydrate available in order to burn fat - the proportion increases the harder the effort you are making.

When you bonk, it isn't because you've run out of fat to burn - it's because you've run out of carbs.

So yes, a couple of bottles energy drink might well be enough. Especially as people tend to drink on rides long before they get hungry (by which point it is often too late).

Basically this, unless you are out of shape or ill, if you bonk, you probably got your carbohydrate intake wrong (not enough/too late/both). How you take it in is up to you, but for low-medium intensity steady riding, real food and water are perfectly sufficient.

joe2008 wrote:

keef66 wrote:

joe2008 wrote:

I wouldn't touch SIS stuff, it has Aspartame in it!

By far the best I've found is First Endurance EFS.

Just out of curiosity, what do you have against aspartame?

Not keen on cancer.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8939194
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16507461
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17805418

Are you a lab rat?

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pag ... rtame.aspx
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-ca ... rtame.html
https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/are-ar ... ners-safe/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartame_controversy

joe2008 wrote:

jollygiant wrote:

For carbs you need to eat.

The best way to fuel is after an hour eat a jelly baby or 2(Same amount of glucose as a gel) every 15-20 mins and for every hour after the first eat 60grams of carbs and Soreen mini malt loaves have 64grams in them, so make an ideal source of carbs and both of these taste much better than any chemical crap you can buy. Unless you name Thomas or Froome is all you need and don't give you the shits either!

For drinking I use High5 Zero Extreme http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/high5-zero-xtreme-electrolyte-drink-tablets/rp-prod55056 they are quite tasty and have 0 calories.

It's OK to drink 'chemical crap' then

everything is chemicals

micrographia wrote:

Oh FFS, aspartame does not increase your risk of cancer.

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-ca ... rtame.html

Also, the earth ain't flat, the moon landings happened and homeopathy doesn't work. HTH.

No, you're right it's a good wholesome nutrient.

I doubt the moon landings happened.