Electrolyte Chews

[itself]

Refueling during and after a hot ride here in Arizona can be tough. I tried the GU chews the other day, nice taste, but man, a sugar crash about twenty minutes later. I'm not sure how they claim that all that sugar is going to help you out.

We use the Emergen-C powder, and really like it as there is very little sugar and they have all sorts of flavors. But I was looking to supplement that, let me know what works for you!

Lisa

[OakLeaf]

Refueling during and after a hot ride here in Arizona can be tough. I tried the GU chews the other day, nice taste, but man, a sugar crash about twenty minutes later. I'm not sure how they claim that all that sugar is going to help you out.

We use the Emergen-C powder, and really like it as there is very little sugar and they have all sorts of flavors. But I was looking to supplement that, let me know what works for you!

Lisa

Gels are meant for use during (not after) longer rides when you're burning through much more glucose than they contain. They're a quick-energy supplement for the times when you've run out of glycogen and you're burning calories faster than you can metabolize fat stores. If you're experiencing a sugar crash, it means you're eating the gels when you're not burning more calories than they contain.

Search on electrolyte replacement and you'll find all sorts of recipes. Nuun and Emergen-C are popular - although Emergen-C really doesn't contain enough sodium for the amount of flavoring it has, IMO. Or you can make your own sodium/potassium replacement with whatever powdered or liquid flavoring you like.

[witeowl]

If you're experiencing a sugar crash, it means you're eating the gels when you're not burning more calories than they contain.

I'm inclined to agree. I'm very sensitive to insulin spikes and sugar crashes, and I haven't had that problem with any electrolyte chew. (I'll typically have a serving an hour into an activity, and repeat every hour if necessary. I've never had them post-workout.)

I have tried a bunch. Luna Moons and Sharkies both earn a "meh" rating and I'll get them only if there's no other option. I like SportBeans and Clif Shot Bloks. I really liked the GU Chews, but I'm not sure how I feel about the caffeine. I hardly ever drink caffeine anymore, so it really seemed to give me a good boost. I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing.

Now... If you're looking for a chew for primarily electrolytes rather than replenishing glucose, I'd recommend SportBeans. They seem to focus more on the electrolytes than the other products (but this is from memory only; I'm too lazy to look at the packages right now).

[itself]

The sportbeans seem to be all sugar. Is it a marketing ploy to put jellybeans out as an electrolyte replacement? Seems attractive, but one bag contains as much sugar as a soda...

Lisa :)

[maillotpois]

Sure maltodextrin or a complex chain carb might be better than "sugar", but for endurance riding what's "wrong" with sugar? I've had plenty of sodas, etc., on my long rides with no ill effect. I'm not a huge gel fan, but I take whatever I can stomach at the time to be sure I get my 300 cal or so an hour for however many hours I am out there.

ETA if the focus is electrolyes as opposed to calories, then there are a lot better ways to get those than a gel or food product - i.e., a specific electrolyte drink and/or capsule (thermotabs, Endurolytes), which I will always have in addition to whatever food or caloric beverages I am having.

[malaholic]

I am not sure about "chewable" forms of electrolytes, but if a tablet that you'd swallow is OK, I recently tried Endurolytes on a long, hard ride in 95-degree weather and they worked fabulously.

I've also tried Nuun dissolvable tablets. They seem to work really well for my husband, but I like Endurolytes better. Adding Nuun to my bottle just seems to make me have to pee a lot more than I normally do.

[witeowl]

The sportbeans seem to be all sugar.


Sure maltodextrin or a complex chain carb might be better than "sugar", but for endurance riding what's "wrong" with sugar?

This.

If you're looking just for electrolytes, stick with drinks (or tablets, I guess). Any chew, even with electrolytes, will have the primary goal of providing easily metabolized energy which, for most endurance sports, is a form of sugar. And they'll rarely be complex carbs because the idea is fast replenishment of glucose. If I'm burning a thousand calories per hour on a good ride, I'm certainly not concerned about one hundred calories of sugar. ;)

BTW, I just got off my lazy butt and compared the packages of Sharkies, SportBeans, Clif Shot Bloks, and Luna Moons (no GU Chews on hand). They don't list most things, but judging from the Nutrition Facts and ingredients, SportBeans appear to win across the board, except that Sharkies have a bit more sodium.

The worst part about SportBeans is that they're somewhat more difficult to eat on the bike. :D

[tctrek]

My favorite on the bike is Clif Shot Blocks = Margarita flavor. The packaging is such that you can open just the top and push them out one at a time like a Pez dispenser :). Makes it easy to get at them without having to stop. I don't do gels -- I make a mess and get all sticky.

[ny biker]

My $0.02: I tried Gu Chomps recently. Didn't like them. Stuck to my teeth.

For background, my stomach is very finicky during a ride, especially when it's hot out. Most days, all I can tolerate is orange Gatorade, vanilla Gu and water. (Sometimes grapes are good, but I can't force myself to choke down most other real foods.)

This summer I've tried a few new things, including the Gu Chomps.

I also tried Gu Roctane, because I figured I probably needed to get more sodium during long hot rides. I don't love the flavor (vanilla/orange), but it's okay, and it doesn't upset my stomach. More important, it seems to really help. I've really been feeling much better during my rides, and I'm not retaining so much fluid anymore like I used to. So far I've been using about 1/2 Roctane, half regular Gu during rides.

I also tried Cliff Quench (orange) last week. It's a very low-sugar, low-cal electrolyte drink with a little organic cane juice for a touch of flavor. Unfortunately I hated the taste, and wound up tossing most of it.

So for me, Gu Roctane is the winner.

I'm perfectly happy getting some carbs with my electrolytes, since it's the only "food" I'm able to ingest during the ride.

BTW, Nancy Clark recommends 250-500 mg of sodium per hour during rides lasting more than 4 hours in hot weather.

[KnottedYet]

I think of my Clif Bloks as a sugar source. The electrolytes in the sugar blocks are just a happy extra.

My salt seems more to come from the roasted almonds and cheese I snorfle on longer rides. Oooh, and SPAM, usually before a long ride. I luv SPAM.

[Aggie_Ama]

My blood sugar tends to get wonky on long rides or in our inferno like heat. It aggravates my movement disorder so I love the little sugar packed punches. For me it seems like once I replace the low sugar my body stays happy, I doesn't "crash" like a lot of people I know. I prefer the Sharkies and Sport Beans. I use Cytomax for Electrolytes though so I rely on the sugary chews for something else.

[deeaimond]

I find it hard to chew on anything if its a tough endurance ride, so the drink my strength depends on is a Tang+sea salt mixture that i carry in one bottle. On the full day rides/longer distance rides in Malaysia, I bring a small box of the mix with me. It's the best tasting to me, and better than the fizzy drinks that are available at the stops.

I doon't know about the electrolytes I guess, But the salty sweet taste good, and the orange flavour is nice and artificial.. hahha, and it really works to keep me fueled.

[Miranda]

My favorite on the bike is Clif Shot Blocks = Margarita flavor. The packaging is such that you can open just the top and push them out one at a time like a Pez dispenser :). Makes it easy to get at them without having to stop. I don't do gels -- I make a mess and get all sticky.

+1 on Cliff Shot Blocks :)

I have been experimenting and struggling to find what works for me. I'm in the boat that too much of sugar spike makes me just want to puke.

The flavors that work best for me are the margarita and orange w/ 1/2 shot caffeine. I alternate.

I have tried drinking my electrolytes. All as of yet just makes me want to puke too. Thus, the bottles are holding just H2O and the lytes are in Cliff Blocks.

Oh... I agree on the packaging set up too. The sleeve works great. Some of the other ones end up a mess in the jersey pocket or ground (think square package, vs the Cliff tube package).

Good Luck!

[RolliePollie]

Another Cliff Shot Blok fan here. Love the black cherry flavor.

If you're after yummy taste, try Honey Stingers. I almost wish I hadn't discovered these. They seem to be more of a sugar source than electrolyte replacement, but I'm a finicky eater when I'm riding and these are just delicious. I can't stop at a few...I must eat the whole package.

[Geonz]

I like the idea of sport beans but cannot bring myself to buy all of that plastic packaging. It's like Neil Diamond records used to be ... I'd pick 'em up 'cause I knew I'd like what was inside, but just couldn't bring it to the counter 'cause the wrapper was such a turnoff ;)

[nscrbug]

Another Cliff Shot Blok fan here. Love the black cherry flavor.

If you're after yummy taste, try Honey Stingers. I almost wish I hadn't discovered these. They seem to be more of a sugar source than electrolyte replacement, but I'm a finicky eater when I'm riding and these are just delicious. I can't stop at a few...I must eat the whole package.

X2 on the Honey Stinger chews!!! Definitely the BEST tasting of all the chews on the market...AND...they don't stick to my teeth, which is an added bonus. All 3 flavors that they offer are awesome! I also like that they are 100% organic, and are gluten-free, dairy-free, non-GMO ingredients. They also have 100% RDA of Vit. C and contain small amounts of fiber and protein (1 gram each). I'll always reach for these first, for longer rides...a close second would be the Clif Shot Bloks (I prefer the Mountain Berry, Black Cherry, and Orange flavors). Luna Moons & Sharkies will do in a pinch, too. Sportbeans taste way too sweet for me, so I avoid those. GU Chomps are just "meh"...not crazy about their flavors.