worldtraveller

Well all. Since i started using sport drink on a long ride.
so when i go out do a 120km ride or so .

I at the point i can ride non stop the full distance, with little soreness now.
I think its a combination of on the bike nutrition, getting electrolytes and some calorie intake on the ride.

i am able to keep pushing and still maintain a good speed all the way through

when i use to try to ride long distance i was bonking at the 75km mark and pretty much dragging my ass home after that, i would use just water.

So now I am doing better. and able to do 110km rides under 4 hours
just a shy over 3 and half hours. I know that is kind of slow, but its ok for now, i hope to work on it some more.

So do you think what i am doing now, is because of on the bike nutrition and using sports drinks? or is it just better fitness in general?

Please all you experts explain.

Richard Cranium

Neither. You simply are gaining some experience - and with that experience you are managing your exercise more successfully.

Often people think of human performance as some sort of "on/off" black and white perspective. Certainly there are "do's and don'ts" - but life and human physiology are hardly as simple as that.

Sooner or later you'll have a "bad day" and if you try to blame or "analyze" the result using your present thinking - and you could be just as wrong as right.
Keep trying - but realize that to continue successful increases in performance is far trickier than simply drinking some juice that worked well once or twice.

late

It's both.

on a long ride you really need to do something.

We often stop and split a soda and pretzels on hot days.

But I keep a number of things ready, Endurolytes, Gu,
Potassium tabs, and more.

Bonking and heat exhaustion gets old fast.