Power bar gel Blasts

[Veronica]

Something wrong with real food? (just my humble opinion)

Yep! It makes me want to puke on a long, hard ride!

V.

[SadieKate]

Ditto the yup. During hot weather, Bubba would be collapsed on the side of the road without electrolyte replacement. I've bonked because my body can't digest "real" food on long or hot climbs, and can't say I like sulfur-induced asthma from dried fruit.

Not sure why the wrapping on an energy bar is any more wasteful than the gooey bag leftover from a PBJ or whatever "real food" snack.

[aicabsolut]

So the powerbar things have a little bit of sodium but no other electrolytes? And they have sorbitol? Sugar alcohols destroy my digestion. I tried one of these the other day that my friend had on the ride. Ok. Kind of like gummy bears. After reading the ingredients, I'm not having these again.

[maillotpois]

So the powerbar things have a little bit of sodium but no other electrolytes? And they have sorbitol? Sugar alcohols destroy my digestion. I tried one of these the other day that my friend had on the ride. Ok. Kind of like gummy bears. After reading the ingredients, I'm not having these again.

I didn't notice the sorbitol before. So maybe they're not for everyone. However, they did work on a tough ride, so I'm not unhappy with them.

I don't think they're designed to be electrolyte replacement. I use PB Endurance and Hammer E- caps for that.

[Andrea]

So the powerbar things have a little bit of sodium but no other electrolytes? And they have sorbitol? Sugar alcohols destroy my digestion. I tried one of these the other day that my friend had on the ride. Ok. Kind of like gummy bears. After reading the ingredients, I'm not having these again.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one!!! My LBS owner offered a pack to me to try out & I had to turn her down. I can't even chew sugarfree gum because it will cause "noxious emissions" within about 36 hours.

Does Aceulfame Potassium mess with you, too?

[aicabsolut]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one!!! My LBS owner offered a pack to me to try out & I had to turn her down. I can't even chew sugarfree gum because it will cause "noxious emissions" within about 36 hours.

Does Aceulfame Potassium mess with you, too?

I don't think I've ever tried that. I avoid artificial sweeteners as much as possible. It would be a safe bet to say that it wouldn't agree with me.

I didn't notice the sorbitol before. So maybe they're not for everyone. However, they did work on a tough ride, so I'm not unhappy with them.

I don't think they're designed to be electrolyte replacement. I use PB Endurance and Hammer E- caps for that.

Well, they say they're a "gel" replacement, and I think a lot of gels have electrolytes, so it's kind of deceptive.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Well, i see some people have trouble nibbling real food on long hot rides. I've done 50-70 mile pretty hilly rides with no such problems, but I don't know about centuries yet, or climbing the Alps. I just don't like the ingredients, the price, or the packaging of these gel goo things.

I've bonked because my body can't digest "real" food on long or hot climbs, and can't say I like sulfur-induced asthma from dried fruit.

Not sure why the wrapping on an energy bar is any more wasteful than the gooey bag leftover from a PBJ or whatever "real food" snack.

Yes, a piece of waxed paper is much less environmentally wasteful than those gel foil packages which are NOT biodegradable. I'm not thrilled with individual granola bar plastic/foil wrappers either. You can also buy small waxed paper bags for holding pretzels, sandwich pieces, and such.

You can buy sulphur-free dried fruit at any health food store. They have papaya, apricots, dried apples and pears, mango.... all natural, good for you, and sulphur free.

I like to mix about 1/3 real organic fruit juice to my water on long or hot rides. I think it gives me extra energy and nutrients.

Just a few alternate things to consider.

[jobob]

I don't think people necessarily have trouble nibbling the real food, I think it's more a matter of what happens to it once it hits their stomachs!

[rij73]

FYI for anyone interested... I stick to Clif products because they don't contain gelatin or any other animal by-products. You don't have to necessarily be vegan like me to be grossed out by gelatin. Watermelon Luna Moons rock my world.

From Wikipedia:
"On a commercial scale, gelatin is made from by-products of the meat and leather industry, mainly pork skins, pork and cattle bones, or split cattle hides. ... The raw materials are prepared by different curing, acid, and alkali processes which are employed to extract the dried collagen hydrolysate. These processes may take up to several weeks..." Ewwwwww.

[maillotpois]

Well, they say they're a "gel" replacement, and I think a lot of gels have electrolytes, so it's kind of deceptive.

Ah. I use Hammer gels when I use gels and they don't have electrolyes. I guess Power bar ones may.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Ah. I use Hammer gels when I use gels and they don't have electrolyes. I guess Power bar ones may.

Looking at the ingredients of PowerBars,
PowerBar
and all I see is various kinds of sugar (which they call "C2 Max Carbohydrate Blend"...sugar contains carbs), gelatin, a pinch of lemon concentrate, ascorbic acid/vit C (used as a preservative but not enough to put in the 'percent of daily requirements' table), natural acids for tartness, texturizers, color, and flavors. Hmm...why not just drink sugar water or fruit juice mixed with water?


Oakleaf- I would opt for using a waxed paper sandwich bag for one-time use for sticky foods like P&J sandwich quarters. Like you I rinse out plastic bags too, and reuse them several times.

[aicabsolut]

Ah. I use Hammer gels when I use gels and they don't have electrolyes. I guess Power bar ones may.

Hammer gels most certainly contain some electrolytes (no calcium or magnesium).

Example (Apple Cinnamon Hammer gel):

Long-chain Maltodextrin, Filtered Water, Apple Concentrate, Energy Smart® (Fruit Juice, Natural Grain Dextrins), Malic Acid, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Amino Acids (L-Leucine, L-Alanine, L-Valine, L-Isoleucine), Sodium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate (as a preservative), Potassium Chloride

[maillotpois]

Ah, well, you learn something new. I always assumed since their endurance drink didn;t have any and they heavily market the E caps that their gels did not. Guess I got a bonus...

[maillotpois]

That's the thing. For a bakery ride - 50 miles or less, real food may be fine. But if it is longer, harder, hotter, etc., then there is a real purpose behind those foods designed specifically for athletic performance.

I struggled for years with fuelling on long rides. I still have trouble sometimes - and everyone has off days. But generally, these performance products (Sustained Energy, Hammer gel, these power bar things, electrolyte drinks) balanced with a nice Payday here or there actually work for me.

(Once again I had to skip lunch at Death Ride, missing out on the soup, because I was too busy trying to shepherd my coach-ees. Between the power bar pine sol pops, the sustained energy and the Paydays, I was fine.)

[jobob]

Paydays are nearly the perfect on-bike food, IMHO.