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.