Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - Gatorade vs 'electro-lite'

I started riding longer distances this year and wondered if anyone has thoughts regarding preferred or recommended fluids while riding....especially regarding using a standard electrolyte drink (gatorade) vs the low cal electrolyte drinks (ie..lower carbs, etc). Is it preferred to use the standard gatorade to gain the carbs while riding or can that be factored in the the other nutrition intake?

It seems to be a personal preference what to drink.
I like the powdered Gatorade. That way I can mix it as strong or weak as I like.

My own personal beverage preference is HEED. I only use Gatorade on occasional short rides.

I just recently discovered the mixing HEED with a bit of Gatorade taste pretty good. For me Gatorade just is too sweet and sticky and cutting it down with water makes it feel too diluted.

I drink whatever is available. I like Accelerade, and I bring a couple of pre-measured baggies of it, but I also buy PowerAde, Gatorade, Red Bull, Pepsi, Vitamin Water, Snapple, and sometimes just mix one of those single-serving Celestial Seasonings tea mixers into my bottle.

Yeah, definitely a personal taste... However, keep in mind that you specifically want carbohydrates for long rides. If you pick a low-carb drink for some reason, you'll have to get your carbs some other way.

I've used Gatorade for over 35 years cycling 10 of those years I was racing. If you go to the Gatorade site the science behind that stuff was actually very good; and all other Johnny come lately's are ripping off their ingredients and then adding vitamins or something stupid like that so they can charge more.

Gatorade for long distance cycling needs to deluted about 50 to 70% otherwise it might make your stomach upset, and it will make your mouth feel sticky. I buy the powder to because it's very cheap that way. Accelerade is actually a sweeter version then Gatorade and you would have to delute that by about 75% to make it work, otherwise it's the same.

I knew the guys at Kern County Wheelmen in Bakersfield Ca and Team Action Sports along with Action Sports that won the 4 man RAAM race about 6 years ago and they all drank Gatorade even during the race. Action Sports even sold the much more expensive bike boutique drinks but wouldn't use any of that stuff except for Endurox for recovery.

If you want carbs your better off eating something then expecting a drink to do it for you.

I like nuun (http://www.nuun.com/) tablets a lot - I drank that for two days straight with no issues, although towards the end I wanted plain water too.

Combined with Clif's "shot blox" it kept me going for quite a while this weekend. Well, that and a bunch of pizza and other random stuff.

Brawndo :thumb:

I use the Hammer product Perpetuem. I was having stomach upset problems once I got beyond 300k with anything solid or the simple sugars in Gatorade. I combine that with their electrolyte capsules.

< 2hr Heed
> 2hr Perpetuem

Two scoops of Heed in a 2L Camelbak.
Three scoops of Perpetuem in a small Hammer Nutrition flask made into a pancake like batter. Switch to plain water.
Endurolyte tablets every two hours.

This is my typical intake on a six hour ride in the summer. I get no sticky mouth, no stomach upset. Both of which I got when I drank Gatorade.

depends on how long i'm going, and what i want to carry.
i have used heed and perpetuem and gatorade or whatever is available on the route.
i try to listen to the body and forage at convenience stores...

i have had perpetuem go bad on warm rides... the name comes from the taste it will leave in your mouth if you chug it after it goes off. ;)

i have had perpetuem go bad on warm rides... the name comes from the taste it will leave in your mouth if you chug it after it goes off. ;)

I've also heard HEED referred to as HEAVE by some other people, like myself, who just can't stomach Hammer products.
There's something odd about them that makes some people retch. I'm one of those unfortunates; tried a Hammer Gel, harfed about 5 min later. 2 weeks later I gave HEED a try with the same result. It's a bummer, since so many people have given such high accolades to Hammer products for long rides.

There is one thing I forgot to mention in my earlier post. On long rides over 50 miles I take a supplement called Stim-O-Stam which is still available at www.stimostam.com. This product came to my knowledge at Action Sports after I started experience cramps in my calves for the first time in my life about 12 years ago. For some reason banannas do not work for me, so after I started using the StimoStam product I never had cramps again. I only take 2 before a ride, then 1 every 3 hours unless I start to feel a cramp then I may take 2 instead of 1. This stuff is way cheaper then all the drink stuff that I found that promised the same effect.

I guess it depends on the whole mix. I always use at least some Cytomax, but bigger picture includes whether or not I'm eating something else that provides minerals.

This IS the long distance forum - comparing mineral drinks individually could be done for a hot 40k time trial, but is kind of meaningless when they never really "stand on their own" in real life.

In fact, I still think many cyclists "over salt" themselves by eating high sodium content foods while continuing to use mineral supplement products. But -then you know me......

In fact, I still think many cyclists "over salt" themselves by eating high sodium content foods while continuing to use mineral supplement products. But -then you know me......

I don't know you, but your right.

V8 juice hits the spot for me.

I just added a salt packet to each water bottle (4) and popped magnesium and potassium pills. my secondary bottles (2) had full strength Gatorade just for fun and flavor. I used 3 bananas and 2 small boxes of raisins for natural carbs. Chicken sandwiches (1.5); cold hot dogs in their bun (3) and a stray snickers bar rounded out the mix over 8.5 hrs for my 1st 100 mile ride. I think it all worked out - no real strains or cramps and my tummy was happy all day. The salt packets were free at Dunkin' Donuts!

Vince868; my advise to you is keep it simple, try to take in about 300 calories per hour,60 grams of carbs per hour and one bottle of fluid per hour. With those basic guide lines, you can then experiment with different products and see what works best for you. WARNING: never try a new product[food or equipment] on an important event. Trust me- you don't want to be two hours into a century, only to learn that the free sample of gels they gave away at the start line seem to give you diarrhea.

Vince868; my advise to you is keep it simple, try to take in about 300 calories per hour,60 grams of carbs per hour and one bottle of fluid per hour. With those basic guide lines, you can then experiment with different products and see what works best for you. WARNING: never try a new product[food or equipment] on an important event. Trust me- you don't want to be two hours into a century, only to learn that the free sample of gels they gave away at the start line seem to give you diarrhea.

Or make you throw up. :(
I had the misfortune of finding that one out on the ride home from the Tour de Cure a couple years ago. Free Hammer Gels in the schwag bags, so I gulped one down after the ride for some energy on the way home. Got about 2 miles into the ride home and found myself doubled over on the side of the road.

I agree with the V8 juice as well, but drink only one, more then that could lead to problems, at least for me. Orange juice is another good drink, but my stomach can't handle it while riding at all.

And I tried that salt in water, well, it's just plain nasty; I've got to have some flavor so good ol powdered Gatorade diluted 50% is just fine.

And I tried that salt in water, well, it's just plain nasty; I've got to have some flavor so good ol powdered Gatorade diluted 50% is just fine.

Try a squeeze of lime or lemon.

Try a squeeze of lime or lemon.

That's what I did do!!!

just use less salt!

btw: I work with a woman who refuses to ever drink water, she's got to have something like soda or ice tea, etc. she is morbidly obese, and must be 300-400 lbs

water is not desert, it's a nessesity, if you want candy, eat candy

Brawndo :thumb:

It's Got Electrolytes. It's What Plants Crave.