Originally Posted by
KC8QVO
I started using electrolyte mixes (gatorade, MioFIT, some powder packets from the local health foods place, etc) in my water bottles on rides as I was having problems with cramps. That seems to have made a night and day difference in my rides.
Is there anything that can help out with calories/energy that I can mix in there too? I asked a fitness trainer that I work with today about the protein mixes and he said not to do that but wasn't sure of anything that was a "food replacement" type mix.
I guess what I am after is instead of eating snack bars on my rides is there anything I can combine with my water to make any sort of shake that will do everything - food, electrolytes, and hydration? If I am drinking all the time already I suppose I don't see why it wouldn't make sense to try and combine the intake.
I do eat a lot of oats for breakfast with protein - heaping 1/2 cup of oats, 2 scoops of protein mix, 1-1/4 cup of milk, and some raisens and craisens sprinkled in. If I could run that in a blender maybe that would be an option? Or, have one bottle electrolytes (and more backup on the rack) and one oat shake? Though I am not sure how to keep it "fresh" over the course of a day.
Just trying to come up with ideas.
Most of the "what do I consume before / after & during a ride" questions have to deal with what specific nutrients will increase various measures of performance. It sounds like your question may be different. It sounds to me like you are asking:
"How can I condense my daily nutrional needs into a bottle I can drink from while I ride?"
Assuming that I have interpreted your question correctly:
Off the top, I would say that your best choice would be Ensure -- or one of its look-alikes...
Those drinks were designed to to provide most or even all of a person's nutritional needs right out of the bottle -- and they do not need to be refrigerated before they are opened...
... You might get some snickers from the 20 something hotshots -- but you can pass them by while they stop to eat their "real" food.
Nutrition Products for Your Health - Support Your Immune System ? Ensure Drinks
Admittedly, I would not recommend them as the healthiest way to eat (if for no other reason than they do not contain any fiber) -- but they are meant to meet a person's basic nutritional needs (usually for those who have impaired intake). People with feeding tubes can live for many years on similar formulas -- so you could do a lot worse at your local McD's or 7-Eleven.