Heed in Camelbak?

[kmehrzad]

I hardly use my Camelbak any more because I don't like riding with something on my back. But if I did, it would be water, with Nuun to put in my waterbottles.

Tulip,
I was using Nuun tabs in my water bottles and a good friend pointed out that an ingredient in the tabs, polyethylene glycol, is a product found in antifreeze. That sealed the deal for me ... no more Nuun tabs. I'm now using juice cut with water and adding a touch of sea salt. Maybe you're okay with Nuun, but thought I'd mention this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyethylene_glycol

[OakLeaf]

Endurolytes is another option without the flavors, sweeteners and fizzing agents.

Polyethylene glycol isn't the safest thing in the world, I agree, but that it's "found in [low-toxicity "green"] antifreeze" isn't really relevant... so is water. I''m equally concerned about the acesulfame potassium (which is not in antifreeze). I will use Nuun as a "quick fix" - if I do make a homebrew I make sure to include potassium, calcium and magnesium in addition to the sodium - and personally I can't tolerate any fruit or fruit juices during a ride or run. YMMV.

[kmehrzad]

Oakleaf,

What do you use to make your homebrew? Where do you get potassium, calcium and magnesium to add to your brew? Since you can't tolerate any fruit juices during a ride, what do use as your liquid base?

[Dannielle]

I've never used plain water in my camelbak and I've never had any problems. Propel and Crystal light never left a flavor but Gatorade and Cytomax do, to some degree.

I do clean it out as soon as I get home and I have a cleaning kit (the nashbar brand rather than the official camelbak cleaning kit) for it so it's an easy job. Sometimes I fill it with water and add a denture tablet...sometimes I just use a tiny bit of dish soap and the brushes...and rinse really well. I always hang it to dry with the insert that keeps it open.

I guess a taste residue might be weird if you go back to water but if you stick with a flavored drink it's not a big deal.

[OakLeaf]

My homebrew recipe:

1 Cup Sugar
4 Tsp Salt
2 Tsp Potassium Chloride (Salt Substitute)
2 Tsp Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda)

Use 3 Tbsp per liter of water

For calcium and magnesium I just swallow capsules separately, although I know there are liquid forms available.

Mostly I just use HEED and Endurolytes - more expensive but simpler. On longer rides I can get calories from just about anything except fruit. On longer runs I use Hammer Gel and Endurolytes. I tried a lot of natural substitutes for gels (molasses, barley malt syrup, rice syrup, combinations of those), but they were all too high in fructose for my digestive system.

[kmehrzad]

Thanks for the homebrew recipe. One more question:

Use WHAT per 3 TBSP per liter of water? I'm not quite getting that part of the recipe. Thank you.

My homebrew recipe:

1 Cup Sugar
4 Tsp Salt
2 Tsp Potassium Chloride (Salt Substitute)
2 Tsp Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda)

Use 3 Tbsp per liter of water

For calcium and magnesium I just swallow capsules separately, although I know there are liquid forms available.

Mostly I just use HEED and Endurolytes - more expensive but simpler. On longer rides I can get calories from just about anything except fruit. On longer runs I use Hammer Gel and Endurolytes. I tried a lot of natural substitutes for gels (molasses, barley malt syrup, rice syrup, combinations of those), but they were all too high in fructose for my digestive system.

[OakLeaf]

Thanks for the homebrew recipe. One more question:

Use WHAT per 3 TBSP per liter of water? I'm not quite getting that part of the recipe. Thank you.

3 tbsp of the mixture.