Energy Drink advice

torturedsoul

Anyone have good energy drink advice? I have to avoid sugar at all costs and have been simply using Lucozade sport on my cycles. Don't think it does much good mind you bar quench thirst.

Was wondering what concoctions people find works best for them. Again I have to try and avoid sugar drinks which is difficult enough.

cython

torturedsoul wrote: »

Anyone have good energy drink advice? I have to avoid sugar at all costs and have been simply using Lucozade sport on my cycles. Don't think it does much good mind you bar quench thirst.

Was wondering what concoctions people find works best for them. Again I have to try and avoid sugar drinks which is difficult enough.

I'm no expert here, but what you're asking for doesn't really add up for me. If you want an actual energy drink (as opposed to an electrolyte one), then you need something that will give you carbs, likely fast burning ones, which pretty much comes down to drinks that have a high sugar content. Lucozade Sport (barring the light ones) actually have a higher sugar content than you may realise.

It might also be worth staring your own thread for this, unless you also have gluten/coeliac issues to take into account yourself?

uberwolf

split out from gluten free thread.

torturedsoul

Yeah, my fault there I'd say. I am new enough to cycling myself and I am getting to the stage where all food and drink really matters to my overall performance and recovery. Considering I can get energy from brown rice and other foods I suppose a drink that provides electrolytes would be best.

But what does a drink with electrolytes do for you exactly?

My recovery isn't great so I think I may be doing something wrong here. Either I am not eating enough before during or after the cycle or Im not getting enough fluids in. I went for a 73K cycle yesterday and I feel wrecked this morning. Any advice?

torturedsoul

apologises if thats a little off topic also. I presume that there has been a thread on nutrition already but I have failed to locate it

Lumen

I have no idea what's in Lucozade Sport, but if you you want a cheap, good alternative just buy some maltodextrin and mix with fruit squash and some salt.

I have never got close to bonking using this. However, excess consumption (by which I mean crazy quantities, like 150g of maltodextrin per hour) will cause bloating as it just sits in your stomach undigested.

Also, you may cycle so far that you cause yourself an injury.

Alternatively, just eat proper food.

woody_2000

Sometimes you may be just simply be short of electrolytes. Electrolytes help maintain electrical conductivity in your body. In exercise this initially may have muscular implications... Lucozade has a lot of glucose (rather than just simply sugar). You could maybe make your own energy drink with electrolytes and glucose - that's what I do (I sometimes add other stuff also). Sometimes just electrolytes are sufficient...

EDIT: I find that fluids and electrolytes are mainly necessary in warmer conditions, to replace what's lost due to perspiration...

uberwolf

Lumen wrote: »

I have no idea what's in Lucozade Sport, but if you you want a cheap, good alternative just buy some maltodextrin and mix with fruit squash and some salt.

I have never got close to bonking using this. However, excess consumption (by which I mean crazy quantities, like 150g of maltodextrin per hour) will cause bloating as it just sits in your stomach undigested.

Also, you may cycle so far that you cause yourself an injury.

Alternatively, just eat proper food.

Afaik maltodextrin is not gluten free.

Lumen

uberwolf wrote: »

Afaik maltodextrin is not gluten free.

I think it depends on where it comes from.

The product description on the link I posted says that it's made from corn starch.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Does_corn_starch_have_gluten

"Corn starch does not trigger the autoimmune response in celiac disease. It contains a form of gluten (a type of combined grain protein), but not the same form as wheat, barley, rye, kamut, spelt, and triticale.

If the corn starch is not contaminated, it is safe for celiacs."