Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Fifty Plus (50+)
Reload this Page >

Energy Drinks, Asked this on the Road Forum

Notices
Fifty Plus (50+) Share the victories, challenges, successes and special concerns of bicyclists 50 and older. Especially useful for those entering or reentering bicycling.

Energy Drinks, Asked this on the Road Forum

Old 03-10-09, 04:45 PM
  #26  
Banned.
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Southern california
Posts: 3,498

Bikes: Lapierre CF Sensium 400. Jamis Ventura Sport. Trek 800. Giant Cypress.

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
To be honest I have no clue if the 5 hour energy drinks work. Never tried them. As far as the FRS products they seem to work and Lance Armstrong is promoting the product. I have tried Cliff shots and eat cliff bars while I ride and they seems to give me a bit of energy boost after about the one hour mark. The Hammer Gels have replaced the Cliff shots when I ride now.

from what I understand we need to fuel and hydrate on any longer ride. Water works fine I am sure as do whole foods. But a gel pack is somewhat smaller than a banana. But water doesn't have all teh electrolite replacement that poweraid and gatoraid do so people who sweat a lot seem to prefer that as hydration. We have been told that the advantage of the gels and chews is they get in the system quicker and work while exercising. The normal digestion process tends to slow down during extream exercising so that maximum blood flow can move to the mussels. The gels don't need the same amount of digestion. Now this is what I have been told and what I have read. It could be all advertising and people like Lance may be just trying to make a buck. But it has me buying the product.
Robert Foster is offline  
Old 03-10-09, 05:37 PM
  #27  
His Brain is Gone!
 
Tom Bombadil's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Paoli, Wisconsin
Posts: 9,979

Bikes: RANS Stratus, Bridgestone CB-1, Trek 7600, Sun EZ-Rider AX, Fuji Absolute 1.0, Cayne Rambler 3

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
I'll add:

1) It is left up to the individual to determine if they want to consume caffeine and sugar. Both are "natural" products. Many, many people take caffeine for boosting energy. No value statements, just wanting to be clear about what most energy drinks are.

2) My idea of a in-ride snack is to stop somewhere and get a hamburger or a slice of pizza. I've done this on a lot of rides. I do remember once allowing myself to de-hydrate a bit, pulling into a service station and downing a 20 oz Powerade. Boy did that hit the spot!
__________________
"Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen." Louis L'Amour

There are two types of road bikers: bikers who are faster than me, and me. Bruce Cameron - Denver Post
Tom Bombadil is offline  
Old 03-10-09, 06:17 PM
  #28  
Senior Member
 
zonatandem's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 11,016

Bikes: Custom Zona c/f tandem + Scott Plasma single

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 77 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 19 Times in 11 Posts
Real fruit, real tap water, hard candy.
Works fine for me, even on double centuries.
zonatandem is offline  
Old 03-10-09, 07:35 PM
  #29  
rebmeM roineS
 
JanMM's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Metro Indy, IN
Posts: 16,217

Bikes: Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer

Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 653 Post(s)
Liked 345 Times in 225 Posts
Originally Posted by europa
Mate, there's a picture on the internet somewhere showing a display of bottles called 'Diet Water'.

Stick a label on it, enough idiots will buy it ...

... which is a general comment, not a comment on this particular product which I know nothing about.

Richard
Where can I get some of that diet water? Do I have to import it from Oz?
JanMM is offline  
Old 03-10-09, 08:08 PM
  #30  
Recovering mentalist
 
Randochap's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: On the Edge
Posts: 2,810

Bikes: Too many

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
+1 for Perpetuem. As a randonneur, I need something that keeps on giving all day and all night and this Hammer product sits well with my finicky stomach.
Randochap is offline  
Old 03-10-09, 08:10 PM
  #31  
His Brain is Gone!
 
Tom Bombadil's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Paoli, Wisconsin
Posts: 9,979

Bikes: RANS Stratus, Bridgestone CB-1, Trek 7600, Sun EZ-Rider AX, Fuji Absolute 1.0, Cayne Rambler 3

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Serving it up ...
Tom Bombadil is offline  
Old 03-11-09, 09:35 AM
  #32  
Senior Member
 
BlazingPedals's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Middle of da Mitten
Posts: 12,474

Bikes: Trek 7500, RANS V-Rex, Optima Baron, Velokraft NoCom, M-5 Carbon Highracer, Catrike Speed

Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1511 Post(s)
Liked 733 Times in 454 Posts
I used Perpetuem(tm) one year. It uses longer-chain carbos, notably maltodexatrin, so it provides a more even supply of energy and no sugar spikes or crashes. I used it on a 100-mile road race, and never felt hungry before or immediately after the ride. Trouble is, after a while it starts tasting like barf! I'd use it on another 100-mile ride, or maybe Heed(tm), but not for normal rides.
BlazingPedals is offline  
Old 03-11-09, 11:17 AM
  #33  
www.ocrebels.com
 
Rick@OCRR's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Los Angeles area
Posts: 6,186

Bikes: Several bikes, Road, Mountain, Commute, etc.

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 83 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times in 2 Posts
Originally Posted by BlazingPedals
Trouble is, after a while it starts tasting like barf!
I think that's kind of severe!

I would say it tastes neutral, i.e. it has very little if any taste if it is the "Natural" flavor Perpetuem. For that reason, I usualy flavor mine with Hammer Gel; whatever flavor they happen to have at the Checkpoint.

Perpetuem is also available in both Orange-Vanilla and Caffe Latte flavors. I've tried the Orange-Vanilla and found it acceptable (far short of wonderful), but I've never tried Caffe Latte Perpetuem.

Rick / OCRR
Rick@OCRR is offline  
Old 03-11-09, 11:46 AM
  #34  
Senior Member
 
Allegheny Jet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Medina, OH
Posts: 5,806

Bikes: confidential infromation that I don't even share with my wife

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 35 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Perpetuem is also available in both Orange-Vanilla and Caffe Latte flavors. I've tried the Orange-Vanilla and found it acceptable (far short of wonderful), but I've never tried Caffe Latte Perpetuemacceptable (far short of wonderful), but I've never tried Caffe Latte Perpetuem

Orange-Vanilla works fine for me, tastes somewhat like a Dreamsikle
Allegheny Jet is offline  
Old 03-11-09, 12:52 PM
  #35  
Senior Member
 
Kurt Erlenbach's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Space Coast, Florida
Posts: 2,465
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 21 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
I can't eat much on a long ride, so I go with Gatorade - lemonade flavor is like rocket fuel. (Have you noticed that Gatorade is now "G"? My children at the University of Florida report that thre is a bit of an uproar about the branding change.) I'll eat Snicker marathon energy bars too, and pop a few Advil along the way. I might change to Excedrine with cafeine and see how that goes.
Kurt Erlenbach is offline  
Old 03-11-09, 07:56 PM
  #36  
just keep riding
 
BluesDawg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Milledgeville, Georgia
Posts: 13,560

Bikes: 2018 Black Mountain Cycles MCD,2017 Advocate Cycles Seldom Seen Drop Bar, 2017 Niner Jet 9 Alloy, 2015 Zukas custom road, 2003 KHS Milano Tandem, 1986 Nishiki Cadence rigid MTB, 1980ish Fuji S-12S

Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 173 Post(s)
Liked 33 Times in 22 Posts
I had never heard of this "Perpetuem" stuff. I found myself with a large supply of Juven left over from my days of trying to hold on to some lean muscle mass while losing weight rapidly due to being unable to eat during the latter stages of my radiation therapy. I have been mixing it with Thicken 2 because it helps with my dysphagia (leaky esophagus). On longer rides I supplement this with Hammer gel to add more calories and salts.
I don't know if any of this stuff helps, but I have it so I'll use it.
BluesDawg is offline  
Old 03-11-09, 08:14 PM
  #37  
Senior Member
 
Allegheny Jet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Medina, OH
Posts: 5,806

Bikes: confidential infromation that I don't even share with my wife

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 35 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by BluesDawg
I had never heard of this "Perpetuem" stuff. I found myself with a large supply of Juven left over from my days of trying to hold on to some lean muscle mass while losing weight rapidly due to being unable to eat during the latter stages of my radiation therapy. I have been mixing it with Thicken 2 because it helps with my dysphagia (leaky esophagus). On longer rides I supplement this with Hammer gel to add more calories and salts.
I don't know if any of this stuff helps, but I have it so I'll use it.
Here is the link Hammer Pertetuem
https://www.hammernutrition.com/za/HN...%20Homebanners
Allegheny Jet is offline  
Old 03-12-09, 08:21 AM
  #38  
Senior Member
 
Garfield Cat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
Posts: 7,079

Bikes: Cervelo Prodigy

Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 475 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 87 Times in 67 Posts
When a food product starts to taste like barf, it may be your own gastric juices coming up. A food manufacturer would not want to make their product taste like barf.
Garfield Cat is offline  
Old 03-12-09, 08:44 AM
  #39  
Senior Member
 
MNBikeguy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 1,834

Bikes: 05 Trek 5200, 07 Trek 520, 99 GT Karakoram, 08 Surly 1X1

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Garfield Cat
A food manufacturer would not want to make their product taste like barf.
Are you sure about that?

MNBikeguy is offline  
Old 03-12-09, 11:24 AM
  #40  
Senior Member
 
BlazingPedals's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Middle of da Mitten
Posts: 12,474

Bikes: Trek 7500, RANS V-Rex, Optima Baron, Velokraft NoCom, M-5 Carbon Highracer, Catrike Speed

Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1511 Post(s)
Liked 733 Times in 454 Posts
OK, it didn't taste identical to barf, but after a while the taste gets harder for me to swallow. By the end of the 100 mile race, I was agonizing over the choices: keep sipping at regular intervals or run out of energy. The "keep sipping" choice won out, but not by much. I got a can of Heed(tm) on the recommendation that it was 'lighter-tasting' but that was a lie. I may try to get used to it this spring, just to see if it'll work for those longer non-stop rides that I occasionally do.
BlazingPedals is offline  
Old 03-12-09, 06:03 PM
  #41  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Newfield, NY
Posts: 140
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I've had real good luck with Hammer Heed. The orange flavor still tastes pretty good at the end of a century or even at the end of a week long tour. Rather than use perpetuum, I add energy bars or other food to the longer rides along with the Heed. I've also found the Hammer energy bars to be the best, IMO. Great company and products.
sesmith is offline  
Old 03-14-09, 08:02 AM
  #42  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 830
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
There is a optimum concentration of sugars for energy drinks while riding. Too much sugar and you slow the absorption of water, too little and you slow the absorption of carbs. I don't remember the proper ratio.

Carb absorption/processing to replenish glycogen reduces significantly above 75% of max (measured) heart rate.

Contrary to the popular media, you do not always get an evil insulin spike after consuming sugar. If you're exercising at a reasonably rigorous level, your insulin sensitivity increases which means that your cell walls become more porous to glucose and you do not produce more insulin. The affect apparently continues for some hours after vigorously exercise and might be the basis for the 4 hour post-ride window for carb loading to speed recovery. I suspect it's also the reason that lack of physical activity is often cited as a reason for type 2 diabetes.

However, a sugar drink before a ride will likely induce an insulin spike, but it's not clear to me at least, that it matters in a well exercised individual with a decent overall diet.

Source: Exercise Physiology; Exercise, Performance and Human nutrition, 6th edition.

A consideration for going "natural" is that fructose (which is high in many fruits and is 50% of sucrose(table sugar)) is processed differently than other sugars as it goes thorough the liver. It's therefore a very slow process to convert sucrose to glucose. You won't get a fast boost from some fruits to avoid glycogen depletion.

The devil is in the details.

Al

Last edited by alcanoe; 03-15-09 at 04:14 AM.
alcanoe is offline  
Old 03-14-09, 07:38 PM
  #43  
Fast Old Guy
 
Straightblock's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Central California
Posts: 682
Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 145 Post(s)
Liked 669 Times in 177 Posts
Originally Posted by Bud Bent
It's amazing what people will buy. Next thing you know, they'll be selling bottles of plain water.
Ever notice what Evian spells backwards?
Straightblock is offline  
Old 03-14-09, 07:42 PM
  #44  
Senior Member
 
BengeBoy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Seattle, Washington, USA
Posts: 6,955

Bikes: 2009 Chris Boedeker custom; 2007 Bill Davidson custom; 2021 Bill Davidson custom gravel bike; 2022 Specialized Turbo Vado e-bike

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 9 Times in 8 Posts
If God wanted me to drink energy drinks, he/she wouldn't have built so many espresso stands in the state of Washington.


(Personally, I think I'm lucky - I have no problem eating "real food" on rides and generally stay away from anything to drink except water and the occasional coffee or espresso if I can find it. I love coming across a little espresso stand in the middle of nowhere...).
BengeBoy is offline  
Old 03-14-09, 07:54 PM
  #45  
LAJ
So it is
 
LAJ's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Westminster, CO
Posts: 21,226

Bikes: Luzerne, 684, Boreas, Wheelhouse, Alize©®, Bayamo, Cayo

Mentioned: 245 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 11321 Post(s)
Liked 4,635 Times in 2,701 Posts
https://www.hardnutritionshop.com/Products.html
LAJ is offline  
Old 03-15-09, 04:50 AM
  #46  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 830
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by BengeBoy
If God wanted me to drink energy drinks, he/she wouldn't have built so many espresso stands in the state of Washington.


(Personally, I think I'm lucky - I have no problem eating "real food" on rides and generally stay away from anything to drink except water and the occasional coffee or espresso if I can find it. I love coming across a little espresso stand in the middle of nowhere...).
It all depends on how one rides and possibly the diet and has little to do with luck. If you ride at high heart rates for longer periods, you will deplete your glycogen and if you sweat a lot you'll lose electrolytes. If you stay in the fat burning zone, then one doesn't need the calories except for very long rides.

In the early 60's the wife and I suffered electrolyte depletion for a few years before we realized what was going on. Even the doctors were stumped. Some folks sweat electrolytes more than other's, so I guess there's some luck involved there.

I mix table salt in my water and take gels during the ride and do some carb loading during the post-ride "window". If I don't do that, I slow down during the ride and feel tired afterwards and can even feel hypoglycemic the next day or even two days later. Symptoms of glycogen depletion.

I typically ride 2 hours to 4 hours at around 75% of max heart rate (measured) and not infrequently spend an hour or more above 80%. It's all single-track mountain biking which is especially strenuous.

Unfortunately, there's no espresso in the woods, a big disadvantage of mountain biking. The way I ride road is not helpful either as I drive out into the country to get better scenery and some decent hills. I like to climb, hate stop signs and lights, not to mention traffic and prefer to stay on the bike for 50 to 70 miles.

From where I've been in Washington, you seem to get nice scenery from almost everywhere.

Al
alcanoe is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.