Do you need the sweet sports drinks for energy?

[Brandy]

Good answers here so far. I think it's hard for women to transition out of the mindset that sugars/carbs are bad and into the mindset that they're necessary for athletic performance.

On the bike I typically stay liquid unless I'd doing a double century. I use Accelerade (great because it also contains protein), Accel Gels and recently I have been using Carbo Pro/Carbo Pro 1200. CP1200 is good for when I'm over the sweet taste of Accelerade. The flavor is pretty mild.

[PinkBike]

caution about the accelerade - i cant stomach the whey in any form, it gives me cramps. cytomax is an alternative for me - no fructose. and it doesnt have that sweet gatorade taste - to me anyhoo.

[Brandy]

caution about the accelerade - i cant stomach the whey in any form, it gives me cramps. cytomax is an alternative for me - no fructose. and it doesnt have that sweet gatorade taste - to me anyhoo.

See how we're all different...I totally dehydrated myself of a century once because I couldn't stomach Cytomax...lol.

[Dogmama]

I just got done studying muscle kinesthesiology as it relates to endurance. If you are working at a lower heart rate, like 60%-70%, your body can fuel itself from fats. But, you still must have carbs to assist this conversion. "Fat burns in a carbohydrate flame" according to Covert Bailey.

If you're working at a higher heart rate, you'll need simple carbs. Malodextrin is one of the best & usually one of the first ingredients in Cytomax and other drinks of that type. As stated, fructose is harder to break down. The glycogen is needed keeps your muscles contracting. It isn't stored as fat unless you ingest too much.

Also, consider the EPOC effect after very long or interval rides. Your body will continue to burn calories to mend the small muscle tears and replace muscle glycogen. The amount of EPOC is directly proportional to the difficulty of the ride. That's why you need to fuel your muscles immediately after a ride if you intend to do it again soon (before 48 hours.) You'll recover quicker if you have a liquid with a protein:carb ratio of 1:4. You want to avoid fats because fat will delay gastric emptying, thus your muscles will not be able to quickly absorb the protein & carbs they crave.

Your mileage may vary. You can train your body to burn fat at a higher heart rate but it takes time. The fact that some people do better with fats & protein on their rides shows how different we are (but, I'll bet a little simple carbs would supercharge their ride. )

[Susan126]

Powerade is my elixir, panacea, cure-all, wonder remedy for me! I find gatorade too salty and within seconds of drinking it my mouth feels parched! I also enjoy a mocha before every ride

[fidlfreek]

"Also, consider the EPOC effect after very long or interval rides. Your body will continue to burn calories to mend the small muscle tears and replace muscle glycogen. The amount of EPOC is directly proportional to the difficulty of the ride. That's why you need to fuel your muscles immediately after a ride if you intend to do it again soon (before 48 hours.)"

I am new to cycling and have had all kinds of advice about eating but nothing as good as this. Thanks for actually explaining the whole process!

I was wondering if you knew anything that might help me. I am a very short very thin gal and am interested in loosing as little weight as possible. It seems like I'm ALWAYS hungry now that I'm cycling multiple times a week. Any ideas on keeping this killer metabolism from eating me alive? I'm just not used to this....