Sugar free biking

[Melalvai]

Right before Thanksgiving I quit sugar & caffeine. I didn't think much about how that would affect my biking because I just commute, and it's not like I'm out there for hours at a time on my bike. Heck, twice this week I didn't get lunch until late afternoon, and I had to bike home. I was hungry and I wasn't biking fast, but I made it home.

I'm planning a bike trip now: I want to visit all 40 Missouri State Parks that have camping. I'm planning this for 2014 so it is years away. (I adore planning.) Can I do this without sugar and HFCS?

I think I can. From what I've learned recently about refined sugar, it gives you a quick sugar rush followed by a crash, and it's the crash that does the damage, makes you feel worse than before and hungrier. So if anything not eating sugar will be beneficial for long rides. Which goes against everything I've heard about needing quick sugar on a long ride.

The way I have it routed now, there are some days that are 80+ miles. Otherwise mostly 30-60 miles. What do you think?

[ny biker]

You will need carbs to fuel your rides. Sports drinks, gels etc. are not about "fast sugar." They are formulated to be digested easily and quickly so the fuel gets into your blood, brain and muscles quickly instead of sitting in your stomach making you feel sick. They need to be consumed at regular intervals because your body is using up glycogen while you ride and if your brain requires that you replace it.

You can make your own sports drink if you want. I've seen a recipe that uses orange juice, salt, and I don't remember what all else.

You can experiment with other sources of carbs to see what your stomach tolerates and what keeps you well fueled.

Also bear in mind that you will need other nutrients such as sodium during long rides.

See Nancy Clark's Sports Nutritrion Guidebook for a good overview of all of this, as well as recipes.

[Biciclista]

I think if you are not in a hurry you could do it. But it would be hard for me to get through an 80 mile ride without sugar.
I had a coworker who went on a diet on the days he did not ride, he stayed away from sugar. But his come was a hilly 18 miles each direction. On those days he ate what he wanted. He did melt the excess weight away that year..

[Melalvai]

I'm not so concerned about weight, as avoiding a sugar peak (and crash). I'm ok with "eat whatever I want"--so long as it doesn't have sugar or HFCS. I guess when I go on this ride I'll eat all the pasta & carbs I want otherwise.

I haven't lost any weight since I quit sugar. Too bad!

[OakLeaf]

I did my first tour with no refined sugar. Two weeks, mostly 60-80 mile days, sometimes pretty hilly.

I was solo and rode slooooow. It was fine with me and there was no one else to complain about the pace.

Trail mix on the road, hot cereal for breakfast, dehydrated bean and grain dinners. I was also some 30# overweight and riding slowly enough to burn through fat stores. I lost a LOT of weight on that tour.

But I was a lot younger then. I don't know whether I truly need nutrition during a ride more now than I did then, or whether it's just that I'm both riding harder and that I'm more aware of my body. I certainly don't get hungry during a ride, nor have I ever bonked (although I do get dehydrated and/or hyponatremic pretty easily) - I just run out of energy and my muscles hurt.


ETA: How refined do you consider "refined?" In lieu of gels on my long runs, I've been using three parts brown rice syrup to one part blackstrap molasses and a pinch of salt, and water to thin it. There's a good amount of complex carbs (although not as much as in commercial preparations, obviously), a gram or two of protein, the molasses adds minerals (other than sodium) out the wazoo, and with the right brand of rice syrup it actually tastes pretty decent. I prefer the taste of Lundberg - although as a company and a product I really prefer Eden, their rice syrup is just too bitter for me. That's all probably too heavy to carry on a long tour. Although as a complete newcomer to touring, I did carry a lot of liquids that time, that I really could've left home .


Edit again: Have you experienced sugar crashes during exercise before? I'm prone to them when I'm being sedentary (and have been since before that tour), but one sure way for me to avoid them is to exercise. Really, my activity level and mental stress level are a MUCH better predictor of whether I'll experience a sugar crash, than my food intake. Are you sure you're not worrying for nothing?

[Triskeliongirl]

See post 5 (mine) in this other recent thread on a related topic: http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...138#post487138

I can do a century on just muscle milk light as I describe in the thread (10g CHO, 25g protein/bottle).

[indysteel]

My stomach isn't overly fussy, so I can eat most things during a long ride. Bananas, watermelon, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,dried fruit, nuts, bagels, etc. I do tend to carry Cytomax sport drink, which does contain sugar. I especially need it in the heat or when the ride is long enough that my stomach does start to fuss, e.g., the RAIN ride. I think you have plenty of time to experiment with what works for you.

[Eden]

If you stay away from the stuff you can get in grocery stores (ie Gatorade....) most cycling drinks don't generally contain HFCS. Things like Cytomax, even gels and chews, while they certainly do contain sugars, are usually based on maltodextrin, plain fructose and dextrose.

I don't find that when riding that these cause sugar highs or sugar crashes - then again I'm not downing a whole bottle in one big chug either.... its a sip here and a sip there... I also only use them when I'll be on a very long or long and fast ride. I don't find its necessary if the pace is casual and I can stop and eat something when ever I feel like it. If the pace is high I don't tolerate solid foods too well though.

[Melalvai]

Thanks for the feedback! Sounds like I can do this easily. I know that exercise attenuates sugar highs (and thus sugar crashes). Sticking to my no-sugar rule is a mental thing as much as preventing sugar crashes. I'll see how it goes on the next long ride.

[malaholic]

Interested to hear how this goes for you...personally, I ride a lot stronger if I'm taking in some sugar during the ride, at least if the ride is going to be more than a couple hours. Energy gels work really well for me (though I don't particularly like the taste)...jellybeans are my favorites for riding, even though I never eat them otherwise. If my ride is shorter, say 30'ish miles, I'm OK without the snacks, but anything longer than that and I need the energy boost.

FWIW, I've never had a sugar crash during a long ride even after downing a cookie or jellybeans or gel, which jives with what Oakleaf & Eden have experienced. Although I'll get them if I'm not working out. From what I understand, during heavy exercise, the firing of your muscles stimulates a steady, level absorption of sugar from your bloodstream, without requiring production of insulin. Whereas at rest, your body produces insulin to transport the sugar, which leads to a more rapid decrease in blood sugar, hence the "crash". On my long rides, I don't crash by eating high glycemic index stuff....but I'm at risk of "bonking" if I don't.

+1 on the sports drink advice from previous posts...if you take in a few carbs here & there as you drink, it will help keep your energy levels balanced during the ride. I haven't tried Cytomax, but have heard good things about it. Hammer makes a drink called Perpetuem that has been the absolute bomb for me - it includes some protein & lipids in addition to the carbs.

Sounds like you have plenty of time to experiment & find out what works for you - you can do rides of different lengths/intensities, try different types of snacks, drinks, etc. during the rides and pay attention to how your body responds. Sounds like an awesome trip you are planning!

[Melalvai]

Wednesday I'm riding to Jeff City, which is 30 miles away, because I need to get there and I don't have a car available to me that day. All of which makes it an excuse for the ride. And then 30 miles back. So I will be able to test the sugar thing on a ride of a decent length.

Most of my rides are shorter, in town commutes, and of course I'm not trying to ride well or fast, just get there. It could be that when I go on my long trip, I will go ahead and start eating sugar again. But I hope not.

I know that exercise attenuates the sugar high and therefore the crash. It's more a mental thing: if I allow sugar on a bike ride, other excuses creep in!