Training & Nutrition - sports drinks and bars

Alright, i have noticed that I'm out of shape and need to ride more (which I'm starting to do) and not being an athletic person all my life I have never needed a HUGE amount of carbs in a given span (like a long ride). My first ride which was one week after getting my bike what was supposed to be 30 miles turned into 50 some. The guy i was biking with had a couple of powerbars and at the 30 mile mark he gave one to me. while i thought it tasted nasty it did give me a boost. I normaly carry gatorade in my bottles for hydration and today i took water and the ride seemed like it took a huge toll.

So at last my question, is all that power-goo-charge-ade really worth it for all distances 20-100miles? and is it worth the money, and they are not cheap!

thanks
-Ross

If you are out of shape, as I am, you cannot really burn that many calories that quickly without feeling really lousy- your heart rate for a given wattage will be higher, and it is harder to get to the higher heart rates, so you won't need as much food for a given length of ride. I weigh 280, and when I get my heart rate up to 135, which is not a bad rate for long touring, I use about 500-600 calories per hour. If you are 3/4's of my weight, you might be looking at 3/4's of the calories, or 375-500 calories per hour. Assuming that gets you to 16.67 mph, you need six hours to go 100 miles, or 2,250-3,000 calories. You can probably afford safely to lose about 1,000 calories over that distance, so you need to consume 1,250-2,000 calories. You really don't need anything very special to do that, just a reasonable lunch, and a few small snacks. You can emphasize carbs, but really just eat a good variety. Remeber, the rougher the food you eat the more likely you are to get indigestion. You can save a bit of money by going for things like the quaker oatmeal bars, or whatever like that you can get from your local warehouse store, supermarket or x-mart. Mix in some fruit and make sure you get some fiber. You'll be OK.

too bad about the title of this thread- I thought it might have been beer as a sports drink.

I used to get Power Bars, Cliff Bars and other such things at cost through my ex-girlfriend. They are a mixture of simple and complex carbohydrates and will provide some sort term energy. I used them a lot when I was canoeing and hiking long distances in the wilderness, when stores were every week or so and preparing a meal was not always possible. They serve their purpose and they are better than a candy bar, however better food is available. Things like fig bars, dried fruit, oatmeal cookies, granola, a little bit of bitter chocolate and other things like that are healthier choices. I can no longer eat Power Bars, as I had way too many and the sweet drinks like Gatorade never appealed to me. Combining the two must amount to an unhealthy amount of sugar so have a look at the labels to see how many simple carbs you are ingesting. Oh, if you do use these types of bars, they require lots of water (½ litre) in order for them to work properly.

I used to take Clif Bars and other brands of energy bars along on rides, and I've finally gotten tired of choking down 'food' that has (to me) such a disagreeable taste and texture. Some folks like 'em, but I just don't care for any of them. Now I take along PayDay bars or Oreos or maybe buy a big ol' brownie at a store along the way -- tastes MUCH better to me and I still have plenty of energy. As for drinks, I'll usually fill the bottles with Gatorade and the Camelbak with water and that works really well for me.

I'm still trying to find what works best for me. Right now, fig newtons cut into bite size pieces and gatorade seem to do good. I can eat the small pieces of fig newton about 2 every 15 - 20 minutes and chase it with gatorade. (powdered gatorade alittle less than full strength) Seems to work for the 2-4 hour rides. (gatorade only for 1-2 hours) Last Saturday I forgot to eat (too busy talking) and about fell off the bike at 35 miles - wasn't a good ride. Whatever you eat and drink, I think I have read to start eating/drinking early and often. I haven't tried any "power bar " type bars yet - yes, they are expensive. I do like the Slimfast granola bars - they are less than $1 each at Walmart but I don't know if they are "power bars"

You're right, you don't need that "power - sport" crap. Just ride.

If you ever get "back in shape", you might notice that "carb-food" makes riding faster easier. Until then, just keep eating any old crap.

Originally posted by FOG
too bad about the title of this thread- I thought it might have been beer as a sports drink.
Yeah. I was thinking CytoMax & Vodka. Shaken, not stirred.

The most important nutrient you need is calories. Preferably ones that your body can metabolize fairly easily. For higher intensity work, go for simpler sugars. For longer, less intense stuff complex carbs work fine. Avoid fats... they're harder and take longer to digest.

You'll benefit from electrolytes with sports beverages. Gatorade and Powerade aren't that much more than soda. Nutrigrain bars, fig bars (and fat free fig bars), bananas, and pretzels are excellent ride food. Instead of Gu or PowerGel, etc., consider going to the bike shop and getting a Gu flask (it's like a miniture plastic waterbottle) and filling it with honey. It's easy (no wrappers to fumble with) and cheap. Take a shot and chase it with water or whatever. Good stuff.

Originally posted by roadbuzz
Yeah. I was thinking CytoMax & Vodka. Shaken, not stirred.

I tried ordering a vodka and gatorade while doing the STP, all I got was a strange look :D

When I ride short distances I don't do GU,or energy bars or even sports drinks. But when I am doing 50 or more miles I include cliff bars ,GU and sports drink. It does help keep you fueled and does not fill your stomach. for shorter rides I find that a good oatmeal raisin cookie and gorp works well

edit: Don't forget your fruit bananas are especially good for riding packed full of good stuff for you and easy to digest

I tend to like bananas apples and rasians or a mixture of rasians peanuts and Nesles' smi-sweet cho. ships. Sometimes salted crackers - I ran out of salt about a mile from the top of the Grand Canyon - that last mile went slow untill I ate a couple of crackers.

Joe

I thought this article was quite informative. Somestimes energy bars and the like get a misnomer, or false advertising. It basically comes down how fast and convenient do you want your food.

http://www.cspinet.org/nah/12_00/barexam.html

WOW! that was actually a great article... many thanks!!!

now this is to be continued sometime with "what do you eat while riding?"

I can't stand the taste of gatorade...is there any other way to do electrolyte replacement, like something tasteless to add to your water?

mark
t

Let's see: sports drinks and bars.

Yes, all three! I sometimes go to my local Hooters to watch some NASCAR and eat some chicken wings.

There is a small sports bar in town that brews their own beer. I like that! Good burgers too!

L8R