Longer rides and "bonking"

[ny biker]

Thanks for that. I don't have a sodium sensitivity that I know of. I think I just don't much like the taste and avoid it for this reason.

I read the article and that really helps me get the bigger picture, so thanks again. I think I need to keep with my shots I have left over from last year (the clif ones). I will also try a couple more options and try to see the sports nutrition place in town for some recs. I know now what I need to look for (something with electrolytes BEFORE a ride and something for during to drink). I think my biggest issue is that I don't get enough of what I need before I get started and then I feel crappy and don't want to eat/drink more. The next day, I'm not feeling great because of the choices I made pre/during/post ride. I would like to stop that from happening this year!

You can make your own sports drink. I think the Nancy Clark book has a recipe. Orange juice, a bit of table salt, a few other ingredients.

You can also try having a saltier-than-usual dinner the night before a long ride. Soups tend to be pretty salty, as do some kinds of cheese.

I have friends who eat potato chips and drink V8 juice during rest stops on hot days. My stomach would not tolerate that (I can't drink tomato juice under any circumstances without getting sick). But they find that it helps a lot and they prefer it to gels and electrolyte tablets. If you do go with gels, I've found that Gu Roctane and Power Gels have more sodium than some other brands.

For after the ride, drinking juice can be a good way to get some quick calories if you don't feel like eating. They don't have protein, though. Yogurt is good, a smoothie with juice and yogurt would be good, cereal with milk can also work.

[OakLeaf]

I don't like my food salty either, plus I'm a heavy sweater, and it took me literally DECADES to figure out why I would get sick for days at a time, unable to eat much or drink almost any water, to the point that I ended up on an IV once (when they finally found a vein, which wasn't easy, as dehydrated as I was). Doctors never figured it out, because they think no one ever eats anything that doesn't come out of a box with several grams of salt already added.

Any more, I don't even drink much plain water in hot weather or when I'm in a heavy training phase. I toss a Nuun U Naturals tablet in almost every bottle.

Gatorade is actually kind of light on electrolytes when you really need to replenish them, but it'll help, and it's what most organized rides use. Personally I just can't tolerate fructose during exercise (not even natural fructose from fresh fruit or honey), so drinks with HFCS are right out for me.

[colorisnt]

Yeah, HFCS makes me sick in high concentration, so I water it down to almost nothing. It doesn't help all that much then. I will try the Skratch Labs or the Nuun U Naturals stuff.

The main issue I have is I also have a citric acid intolerance. I can only take a bit of citric acid (tomato juice would kill me, too, for that reason). I have have about a 6 oz glass of juice after which point, I will start to have issues and develop sores on my scalp, mouth, and in "sensitive" areas, which is a shame because I LOVE smoothies and I LOVE pineapple/banana/orange juice best of all. I've tried to see if it still happens periodically and it does. So, smoothies (depending on what's in them) are a great thing, but maybe not something I can do depending on what is in them.

I know I should live in a bubble and I sound difficult but I think you guys are right in that Sodium is just not "there" for me. I don't eat a lot of processed stuff. My cooking is sodium-light. So, I could see why I'm not getting enough. I'm a pretty healthy eater most of the time.

[amnesiac]

I like the rice-based portables from the Feed Zone cookbook. Protein doesn't generally sit well with me during a ride, so I save it for afterwards.

Oak makes a good point about electrolytes. Managing that aspect of my nutrition has made a world of difference.

Me too - I take along rice cakes and potato waffles made into little sandwiches with a piece of ham & cheese inside. I also use the Skratch Labs electrolyte mix slightly diluted - my belly tolerates it much better than others. Then I usually have a protein shake right after I get home.

[colorisnt]

I bought some skratch labs powder and some honey stingers I'd had before when my roommate offered them up. I will give those a go.

[colorisnt]

I have some Nuun tablets to try now, too. I bought some ages ago and lost them but found them again now. Will try them on the "long" 30-miler this weekend.

I also picked up some sun butter. I think that could be a good protein-rich snack for me (a PB&J). It tasted pretty good to me today.

[colorisnt]

UPDATE: Had electrolytes on the bike, clif shot blocks, and a sun butter and jelly sandwhiches. Ate a big breakfast about 1.5 hours before we left. Altogether, I felt great. The BF was a bit hung over from night before hijinx but he felt better after some electrolytes.

I am thinking it is definitely a lot do with the electrolytes! I wasn't AS hungry today and forced myself to have a little yogurt off the bike. I did take electrolytes with me on the bike again for my ten mile ride, too. So, almost 50 miles this weekend and I was still good.

[Melalvai]

I have had similar experiences and Nuun or Endurolyte tablets made all the difference in the world. I don't like artificial sweeteners, which unfortunately they have, but they work so well that I just accept it. But there is something else that does really well that doesn't have artificial anything-- V8! It has more sodium & potassium than Gatorade, but no added sugars-- if you get the original. The low sodium has sugar-- but you don't want the low sodium anyway. I don't remember if the spicy one has sugar. Probably!

The only thing V8 doesn't have is magnesium and I have found that magnesium during the bike ride prevents charley horses at night. I think you can get magnesium separately, I don't know. I haven't tried that yet, I just use V8 and Nuun. The other downside to V8 is it's heavy compared to a pack of Nuun tablets.

[OakLeaf]

Nuun U Naturals don't have artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols. Neither does Skratch Labs, but to me it's much easier to carry tablets. Both of those have magnesium.

For me, supplementing magnesium off the bike prevents the nighttime cramps.

[colorisnt]

Good to know (about the Mg).

I like the Skratch stuff. I am going to have to keep trying that. The V8 would probably make me sick as a dog on the bike because of the citric acid in it. I would be itchy all over in very private places most likely. Citric acid intolerances and V8 don't mix, unfortunately.

That's what I'm having issues avoiding with liquid stuff. It's CHOCKED full of citric acid if it's a smoothie. I just can't do that regularly without feeling it.