Training & Nutrition - A Little Discovery

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MrCrassic
09-08-08, 08:27 AM
I think I've made a bit of a discovery yesterday:

I initially started my ride with water mixed with Hammer HEED. It tasted REALLY bad (I don't think I mixed it up correctly), but I noticed that every time I drank it (which wasn't often, obviously), my performance was sustained and the effects were immediate! It really did make an impact on feeling comfortable during my ride.

I eventually had to ditch the stuff and switched it out with pure water. I drank a LOT more, but it wasn't really helping with my performance. I was still doing fine, but it didn't feel the same.

When I ran out of water, I loaded it with Gatorade. REALLY bad stuff. Tasted good, but that was mostly because of the sugar. Sugar is quite addictive, and it didn't help much with my performance either. Just made me drink a lot more.

I then switched it with Gu2O, which was okay.

Just sayin'.

aham23
09-08-08, 09:50 AM
i do not notice any performance benefit when drinking HEED. i mean it provides calories that i need to keep motoring along, but that is about it. now, popping a Hammer Gel or two gives me some noticeable benefit, but its short lived. by the way, me is a big Hammer Fanboy. :) later.
kk4df
09-08-08, 10:20 AM
I've had good success with Heed on the shorter rides, and Perpetuem on the longer (4+ hour) rides. I get the unflavored Heed, and then add some of those Crystal Light sugar-free flavor packets that you use to flavor bottled water. That way, I can mix in whatever flavor I feel like for the day.

One trick is to avoid any sugar when using these products, or any with maltodextrin as the sweetener. Your stomach may complain on longer rides if you start mixing Gatorade-like products with these two.

I like the Hammer products. They work very well together, and especially the gels, Perpetuem, and Endurolytes work well for me.

MrCrassic
09-08-08, 11:35 AM
I've had good success with Heed on the shorter rides, and Perpetuem on the longer (4+ hour) rides. I get the unflavored Heed, and then add some of those Crystal Light sugar-free flavor packets that you use to flavor bottled water. That way, I can mix in whatever flavor I feel like for the day.

One trick is to avoid any sugar when using these products, or any with maltodextrin as the sweetener. Your stomach may complain on longer rides if you start mixing Gatorade-like products with these two.

I like the Hammer products. They work very well together, and especially the gels, Perpetuem, and Endurolytes work well for me.

Very true. The Gatorade gave me a sinking feeling in my stomach; it was weird. It wasn't as bad as the one time I ate chocolate chip cookies! Never again...

(BTW: Who but Krispy Kreme supplies GLAZED DONUTS for a Century ride?!)

When do you start using the Perpetuem? Do you use it before the ride or somewhere in between? I will try that for my next century.

BTW: Those Hammer gels are TEH AWESOME...tastes like Apple Pie!