electrolytes, whats your preference?

[marni]

I usually carry a Bottle of FRS which gives me fruit based energy, some electrolytes and doesn't get funky tasting when it gets warm. I carry a bottle of plain water for dumping on my head, drinking with endurolyte/sports legs tablets. When both are empty I stop and refill, I carry extra FRS tubes with me and mix up one bottle at a time. I also carry gu and cliff shot rocks along with a couple of luna bars. If the ride is over 50 miles I stop somewhere for a banana and some chips or other real food.

several years of distance of riding have taught me to step down for a moment or two every 20 miles or so take a deep deep drink and nibble something, even if it's just a gu shot or a cliff blok, and also to eat more real than not. Cn't stand gatorade, gives me a stomach ache. I tend to be a rut sort of person anyway, so having found something that works for me, I stick with it.

I do like Nuun tablets as well and will use them if I can't get FRS.

marni

[ivorygorgon]

I am another Nuun convert. I start out with two bottles of Nuun. When I stop I usually fill one bottle with half water and half Gatorade (I can't stand full strength Gatorade) and the other bottle with water. I think I am going to start carrying Nuun tablets with me though, as I really am not a huge fan of the Gatorade.

I take 1 Payday and 1 Cliff bar or Luna bar, and I usually eat - er - choke them down. I try to take a bite every 20 minutes to a half hour, but I am not super good at remembering to do this. This is for a 50 mile or so ride. If I am going longer, I like some real food - like a turkey sandwich, chips, and banana.

[Sky King]

Another Nuuner here and also an Ultima user but Nuun tablets are so easy to carry. As I am a "pootler" love that and not a racer, I carry a Zimbale Top Rack bag and can put my PB and Honey sandwich in there. Depending on the length of the ride, I stop every 15 to 20 miles, stretch and have a small snack. I also carry an emergency supply of JellyBelly electrolyte jelly beans. Those things save my butt when doing rim to rim of the grand canyon (hiking not biking) a great treat when the mantra in my head starts saying "no you can't" instead of "i think i can"
I am allergic to soy and most energy bars give me stomach cramps too.

[TsPoet]

Another NUUN vote. I put 1 NUUN tablet in a 24 oz bottle (it's supposed to be 1 tablet/16oz) and I carry another 24 oz bottle with water in it.
I bring some sort of food with me, depending on the ride and temperature. Fig newtons are good, cheese crackers...
I also often carry 1 tiny bag of Sports Beans. But I suspect that's mostly because I like them and I love the excuse to eat candy.

Sandy Earl, who just broke the women's 12 and 24 hr distance records, likes pizza. She says that someone can hand her a pizza as she pedals by and she can hold it and it gives her a punch.
Don't know what she likes on her pizza

[Chile Pepper]

I have never liked sports drinks--I don't want the sugar, and I don't use any artificial sweeteners, so NUUN is out as well. I also dislike the taste. I just found a recipe for a homemade alternative, based on lemon juice for potassium plus a pinch of salt:

Just mix together:
1 cup (8 oz) water (not carbonated)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
small pinch of salt
Flavoring and sweetener to taste

Has anyone tried something like this? I think I'll mix some up for my ride this weekend, maybe with just a bit of honey to smooth it out.

[Susan Otcenas]

I went through FORTY (yes, that's four-zero) bottles of Hammer Perpetuem mixed with Hammer Powdered Endurolytes on Paris-Brest-Paris last month. That accounted for about 1/3 of my calories consumed.

Hammer Products in general seem to have lower electrolyte levels than many other sports nutrition products. Add electrolytes to a hammer nutrition plan via their powdered Endurolytes, the pill-form endurolytes, or the Fizz tablets (similar to Nuun).

Susan

[maillotpois]

Hammer Products in general seem to have lower electrolyte levels than many other sports nutrition products. Add electrolytes to a hammer nutrition plan via their powdered Endurolytes, the pill-form endurolytes, or the Fizz tablets (similar to Nuun).

Susan

I love the Endurolyte Fizz tablets. I simply will not remember or bother to take endurolyte capsules. The fizz is interesting and makes the sports drinks taste better (I combine sustained energy with something like Heed for flavor, but as you noted none of those have much electrolyte).

And forty bottles of liquid nutrition is staggering to think of. Understandable, but staggering.

[OakLeaf]

Hammer Products in general seem to have lower electrolyte levels than many other sports nutrition products.

It drives me crazy that they make you buy (at least) two of their products instead of just one.

And yet ... HEED is so easily available. And it works really well on my stomach.

I like my Zenergize tablets a LOT, but fizzing bicarbonate tablets are a problem in sealed containers like hydration packs and straw/bite valve water bottles. Endurolytes mixed strong in the secondary bladder of my Nathan Synergy pack is a lifesaver (literally) in hot weather marathon training.

DO NOT under any circumstances mix a scoop of Endurolytes into your diluted gel flask. Yecccccccch.

[soprano]

I have never liked sports drinks--I don't want the sugar, and I don't use any artificial sweeteners, so NUUN is out as well.

Put 1/8 tsp lite salt in 1 liter water. Sounds yucky, but if you can taste the salt, you aren't low on electrolytes.

Bananas are my favorite.

[OakLeaf]

But you sweat out sodium MUCH quicker than potassium.

[maryellen]

Another fan of Ultima Replenisher though I like the lemonade flavor

[Chile Pepper]

I tried the homemade electrolyte drink on my rides this weekend. Following Oakleaf's advice, I upped the salt a little and didn't worry about the potassium, so I wound up using the juice of one lemon (two to three tablespoons) and about 1/16th teaspoon salt in my large water bottle. I added about half a tablespoon of honey, which balanced out the flavors and gave a good mouthfeel.

I really liked it! It tasted great, it was practically free (the lemon was from my tree), and it contained no artificial ingredients. Most importantly, I drank it, so my hydration was better than with plain water. I will definitely be using this for my longer rides.

[goldfinch]

So, do you really need anything other than sodium salt? Currently I only take water and a form of sugar and salted walnuts. I throw a bit extra salt on the walnuts. I hate fruity flavored drinks. Are there any electrolyte tablets that have no flavor?

[OakLeaf]

So, do you really need anything other than sodium salt? Currently I only take water and a form of sugar and salted walnuts. I throw a bit extra salt on the walnuts. I hate fruity flavored drinks. Are there any electrolyte tablets that have no flavor?

I need magnesium and probably calcium. YMMV, but a friend of mine carries a whole baggie of Endurolytes capsules and hands them out to anyone who's getting cramps.

I've never heard of unflavored fizzy tablets, but Endurolytes comes in powder form if you'd rather mix something into your water than take a pill. It's a noticeable flavor, and I think the added flavors and sweeteners are mainly to cover the bitter/metallic flavor of the electrolytes.

S-Caps are another popular pill alternative, but I've never tried them.

Obviously we're talking about longer and/or warmer weather efforts here - assuming reasonably good overall nutrition, I don't think it's a worry for anyone until you've replaced a couple of liters or so of water.

[TsPoet]

Obviously we're talking about longer and/or warmer weather efforts here - assuming reasonably good overall nutrition, I don't think it's a worry for anyone until you've replaced a couple of liters or so of water.

That's a very good point. In fact, I've wondered several times reading answers how long/hot/fast rides are people talking about, I don't use anything for rides less than about 20 miles unless it's >90 degrees out.