Do you need the sweet sports drinks for energy?

[teawoman]

Like RunningMommy, I've been trying to go back to low sugar all week. I have a long ride on Sat (about 5 hours). I've been using gatorade for the longer rides (plus pb & honey sandwiches) for energy, and I would rather skip the sugar. I don't want to screw up my week!

Can I just use something like electrolyte tabs in my water, or do I need something sweet too?

[OakLeaf]

Sugar helps with absorption too, so make sure you stay on top of hydration and don't get behind.

You do need to eat on longer rides, but there's no reason it has to be sugar as long as it's something that your body can process while you're riding. It depends a lot on how hard you're riding and your own body.

There've been a couple of threads lately on this topic:

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...ighlight=elete

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...ighlight=elete

I've never tried eLete, but I use EmergenC pretty often - it's easy to get anyhow.

[lauraelmore1033]

I've found gatoraide to be a godsend on longer distance or strenuous, hilly rides. After 45 miles or so(or even sooner if the route is hilly), I completely lose my appetite--in fact the thought of eating becomes downright repulsive. That is the point when it becomes most important to eat. I can force myself to suck down some gatoraide more easily than I can force myself to eat solid food.

[bluebug32]

I've been making my own iced tea and adding freshly squeezed lemon as well as honey and a little salt. I get really sweetened out on some of the sports drinks so this is a welcomed break.

[aicabsolut]

I also can't really choke down real food during the hot months. I hate Gatorade, but I can tolerate the Clif drink and some non-food food (bloks, sport beans, etc.) When I'm eating on the bike, I need fast energy. Some sugars are a bit better than others I guess. I don't think that having some simple sugars on the bike affects your body (and your diet) negatively like eating too much sugar off the bike. (provided you're not diabetic or something)

[GLC1968]

Another thing to consider - when you are glycogen depleated (or starting to be), you don't get the same reaction from ingesting pure sugar that you do when you are just hungry. Even those who low carb (by choice, not because they have too) can eat simpler sugars when riding hard without adversely affecting blood sugar. Basically, your body uses it so quickly that your insulin does not have to 'rise' to accomodate it.

If you want to read more about this, The Paleo Diet for Athletes explains it much better than I can!

[blondiebiker]

Like RunningMommy, I've been trying to go back to low sugar all week. I have a long ride on Sat (about 5 hours). I've been using gatorade for the longer rides (plus pb & honey sandwiches) for energy, and I would rather skip the sugar. I don't want to screw up my week!

Can I just use something like electrolyte tabs in my water, or do I need something sweet too?

You probably know most of this, but this is a summary of what I have learned - it may help!

Using electrolyte tabs and eating sugar are two different issues. Electrolyte tabs help to replace the ions lost through sweat when you exercise. They are crucial because your body has to have the correct balance of these for neurons to be able to send signals to each other and to muscles. You can replace the ones that are lost through a sports drink, through e. tabs, or by eating foods that contain electrolytes, but make sure that you are replacing them somehow!

Carbohydrates, on the other hand, replace energy stores that are depleted during exercise. There are two types of carbohydrates (simple sugars and complex carbohydrates) and the main difference between the two, in simple terms, is how long the body takes to break them down into usable energy (http://www.visionlearning.com/librar...wer.php?mid=61). Simple sugars are broken down much more quickly, so if you are going to need easily accessible energy fast, that's what you need to have. Complex carbohydrates are a slower, steadier energy supply. On a five hour ride I would tend to use more complex carbs, and with that long of a ride I would add some protein in as well, to promote muscle recovery. Btw, the pb & honey is a great mix of simple sugar (honey), complex carboydrates (bread) and protein (peanut butter).

My personal all time favorite is Hammer Nutrition. They sell several different types of drinks and gels, tailored for individuals who are sensitive to sugar. Their sports gels are approved for use by people with diabetes as well. Here is their website: http://www.hammernutrition.com/za/HN...RTICLE.ID=1252

I don't profess being a professional in this area by any means, but I've spent a lot of time learning about it, and it's fun to talk about!

[Triskeliongirl]

I am a type 1.5 diabetic so I eat a very low carb high protein diet to normalize my blood sugars, rather than taking insulin.

It is correct that you need to consume energy on the bike, but it is not correct that carbs are the only fuel source you can use.

I have trained my body to work on protein and fat (i.e. it takes some time to adapt). On the bike, I drink shakes made from Jay Robb's Whey Protein Powder that I buy at our HEB Central Market. The container gives this link JayRobb.com. It is flavored with cocoa and stevia, and contains electrolytes. I make two large bottles with 1.5 scoops per bottle for a 3-4 hour ride. At the rest stop I fill what is gone with ice and continue drinking. I'll also munch some almonds at the rest stop, and as needed on the bike. On a longer ride (like a century) I might add a couple hard boiled eggs, and carry more powder to make more shakes as needed.

[teawoman]

Just an update. Thanks again! You're right that I was confusing the issues a bit. It's just that I was so successful with weight loss on a lower sugar diet that I was skeered I'd screw it up. And I feel much calmer and less anxious. (And friends say I'm not so moody ).

I just finished my first century last week (Sunday), and I went with things they had at the rest stops in small amounts, like trail mix (with m&ms ), pbj sandwiches, some chips, and bananas as well as my own clif shot bloks, luna bars, and gatorade in between. I was out there 7 hours and I felt GREAT. I *really* like the clif shot bloks. I actually ended up not drinking all that much gatorade--about a big bottle and half. I didn't want to try a new sports drink on a long ride when the gatorade's always been fine for me. I've got a couple of Heed samples to try in the near future.

AND 5 pounds lost in the last 2-3 weeks! But prolly nothing this week...I've been ravenously hungry and eating like a pig since Sunday.