Heat injuries and food

[Savra]

If you are staying away from sugar and don't want to do Gatorade - Try Propel Zero. It says it replenishes and is zero calories, although it doesn't list potassium and that is one of the key things you need - especially in heat. I would end up throwing up if I tried riding in heat without my Gatorade. I mix half Gatorade and half water.

[Owlie]

If you are going no-sugar, you might try coconut water. Actually, to be honest, I don't know it's sugar content, but it's natural and supposedly is chock full of electrolytes. I have considered getting some of this to keep in my bottles for long rides - but my problem is I just never know when I'm going to be on a long ride and never plan accordingly (I ride until I don't want to anymore, which could be 10 miles or 50).

If you are going low-sugar are you also going low-carb? I found when I first when low carb, having Luna bars on hand all the time was great. Now however (6 months in) I can have a cup of coffee, set off for a 50 mile ride with just water, and be fine when I get home. I often don't get hungry again for many many hours (6+ usually) and have not yet suffered any ill health effects. It just takes a little patience to reset the way your body fuels itself - I took it easy on my rides until I was sure my body was good enough at burning fat and not dependent on sugar to keep me going.

Interesting!

As much as I love coconut water (I have a coconut problem!), if it gets warmer than "cold", I'd think it would make me queasy, but tepid liquids of all stripes do the same.

[OakLeaf]

Too little sodium gives me nausea, intestinal distress, lightheadedness. Too little calcium and magnesium give me cramps. I like Zenergize Hydrate - lightly sweetened with stevia, but just enough to offset the acid of the citrus flavor, not nearly as sweet as HEED.

I prefer to drink my calories in the form of HEED on shorter, harder rides, but when I'm out for more than four hours or so I need protein, and if I'm sweating much I need a lot more electrolytes than HEED provides.

[Melalvai]

I did a little comparison and found that per volume, V8 has almost 10 times the sodium and potassium as Gatorade. Plus it has calcium, iron, vitamins A & C, fiber & protein in addition to the carbs. I like V8 even better now!

[Sky King]

I am a "nuuner" but also like Ultima, no sugar, gluten free, vegan yada, yada, 10 calories per 12 oz.

just a note of caution on coconut water - I am allergic to coconut so make sure you don't have that issue

My go to food for a 40 mile ride is flour tortilla with peanut butter and honey. slips into your pocket in a baggie, isn't bulky and for the hard cores can be eaten while riding

Hate heat stroke, glad you recovered okay

[ehirsch83]

Stepping in here on a nutrition point.

Even if you cut out sugars throughout your daily life- don't cut them out on the bike.

When you are on the bike, the calories you take in(via liquid, gels,etc) and transferred into energy almost ASAP (granted you are riding for over 1.5 hours, longer ride or harder,etc.- does not count for an easy recovery ride)

There is a reason that energy gels, drink mixes, etc. are what they are- your body turns it into fuel asap.

When you hit the point of bonking, you have gone to far- it is your body telling you it needs energy to keep going.

I eat almost no sugar in real life- I use agave or honey in coffee and that is it, I eat pretty paleo(with the exception of some ezekial bread a few times a week) but on the bike I feed my body what it needs to perform at it's best.

That might mean gels, blocks, home made bars, drink mixes, just this past Sunday on a slow 5 hour ride(75 super slow miles) I had to stop at about hour 3.5 due to me bonking at a gas station and I had a Dr. Pepper and a Snickers.

Sometimes I just need some fig newtons or vitamin water at the gas station.

Also if you are riding over 3 hours, you should be taking in protein also(I get eggs at a gas station if I have a chance to stop, since protein mix doesn't sit well in the Florida heat in a bottle and bars tend to melt).

If you want to keep it so you know what the ingredients are- check out www.nomeatathlete.com

There are some great recipes on there for home made gels and bars(I eat meat, but on the bike you don't usually want meat- so great ideas on here).

Or, if you want real food- you could take a small baguette with you, some butter, honey and ham in it and snack along the way(sodium, sugar, carbs, protein).

Just please please please realize that taking your body off of all sugar while riding is detrimental to your improvement.

[ehirsch83]

Also,

I do use Nuun for electrolyte source. If my ride is under 2 hours I try to take only water and no food, but each person is different. Weekend hard group rides- I have a drink mix in 1 bottle so I make sure I am getting the needed calories into my system and electrolytes in the other. I may only do 45 miles if I do the short loop but there is a good chance I will have gone through 2 gels by the time I get home.

But you need to look at where your body is right now and when you start to feel worse- if you feel good and then at 1.5 hours you feel horrible- then you need to start putting nutrients into your body 30 minutes before that point on the next ride and then continue to do it every 30-45 mins or so until you get home.


Not fueling your body during these rides would be like not putting gas in your car- it can't run without the proper fuel and electrolytes are important but there is more then just that to keep you running

[Susan Otcenas]

Also if you are riding over 3 hours, you should be taking in protein also(I get eggs at a gas station if I have a chance to stop, since protein mix doesn't sit well in the Florida heat in a bottle and bars tend to melt).

Have you tried Perpetuem Solids? I love Perpetuem in my bottles on my long rides, but in hot weather, the bottles can get skunky. Perpetuem Solids solves this problem. I can have plain water (or a carb-only mix like Heed) in my bottles, and get some protein from the Solids.
http://www.hammernutrition.com/produ...solids.ps.html

Susan

[OakLeaf]

Huh. Never heard of that.

On long unsupported rides I usually stop at a convenient store or Subway for an egg salad or tuna salad sandwich, but on supported rides where there's often no access to food other than the food stops, and they NEVER give you enough protein, I've carried pre-measured Ziploc bags of Perpetuem and mixed them with water as needed. Doesn't take too much room in a jersey pocket.

I try to avoid soy though - lately I've been making my own with one part Garden of Life Raw Protein Powder to two parts HEED. Got me through the marathon last weekend.

[Susan Otcenas]

On long unsupported rides I usually stop at a convenient store or Subway for an egg salad or tuna salad sandwich, but on supported rides where there's often no access to food other than the food stops, and they NEVER give you enough protein, I've carried pre-measured Ziploc bags of Perpetuem and mixed them with water as needed. Doesn't take too much room in a jersey pocket.

I'm partial to smoked turkey breast sandwiches on long brevets. Usually after 10-12 hours in the saddle, a turkey sandwich goes down REALLY well and gives me the motivation to get back on for the rest of the night. I've done turkey breast on tortillas made at home and eaten after 10-12 hours but will only do that on brevets when temps are in the 40s or lower. Any warmer than that and I buy them at Subway or a grocery deli.

On PBP I used 40 bottles of Perpetuem, all individually measured and carried in little ziploc baggies just as you described. Takes up less space in my trunk bag than the solids. But for shorter/warmer rides, a few tubes of solids (same size tube as Nuun) in my bento box works really well.

[Catrin]

Huh. Never heard of that.

On long unsupported rides I usually stop at a convenient store or Subway for an egg salad or tuna salad sandwich, but on supported rides where there's often no access to food other than the food stops, and they NEVER give you enough protein, I've carried pre-measured Ziploc bags of Perpetuem and mixed them with water as needed. Doesn't take too much room in a jersey pocket.

I try to avoid soy though - lately I've been making my own with one part Garden of Life Raw Protein Powder to two parts HEED. Got me through the marathon last weekend.

It seems like my long rides always take me places where there aren't any stores, or anything else outside of corn/soybean fields. Great places to ride, but I have to take everything with me. Probably why I've really not considered any water option outside of my Camelbak - I won't run out of water that way

Good idea about making your own Oakleaf - I do like HEED...and my long rides are getting long enough to start thinking about something more substantial than HEED. I will check out Garden of Life Protein powder...

[airrace]

I guess I would have died for food if I had only eaten a couple of bananas on that ride. Electrolytes are indeed very helpful and the nutrition suggestions above should be appreciated - but I also wonder what type of clothes you were wearing, which let you heat up so "tragically"... huh. Actually, I never feel so hot when riding, the sweat cools me well. There might be an antibodies supplier which offers applications to study the results of overheating on the immune system. Might be worth a look.

[malkin]

It seems like my long rides always take me places where there aren't any stores, or anything else outside of corn/soybean fields. Great places to ride, but I have to take everything with me...

*giggle* I just got a funny image of Catrin's bike by the side of the road while she gnaws down a few soybeans in the field.

[OakLeaf]

*giggle* I just got a funny image of Catrin's bike by the side of the road while she gnaws down a few soybeans in the field.

That's not what we use the cornfields for around here.

[Catrin]

*giggle* I just got a funny image of Catrin's bike by the side of the road while she gnaws down a few soybeans in the field.

I laughed out loud at this

That's not what we use the cornfields for around here.

Nor do we, but I am thankful that I finally got over my problem about not being able to do this!