Gels and energy bars

GT_TDI_150

Guys,

How did ye decide on what bars/gels to get?

Is there big differences between all them? ie is 1 gel way better worse than the rest of em?

I tend to throw a rice krispies bar in the back pocket but not sure is that the best option when I'm trying to ramp up my km/spin

Thanks

DirkVoodoo

They are mostly the same. Some have caffeine added, there are plenty of studies disputing the effects of it in endurance sports, other people swear by it.

Replace your question with "What bars do you like?", the answer is the same: It's about preference, your own taste buds.

Your best bet is to buy a few individual bars and gels and see what you like. One won't have a massive benefit over the other if that's what you are concerned about, it's just which one you can stomach and which one makes you wretch.

I've tried and stuck with Powerbar and Torq gels, my stomach prefers the yoghurty ones. Zipvit chocolate energy bars (uncoated) are also quite nice.

But seriously, they all do the same thing!

MajesticDonkey

I always use PowerGel (i.e. PowerBar) gels. Either Vanilla or Mango & Passion-Fruit (which has caffeine).

granda

my favorite's are the torq gels(raspberry ripple. ruhbarb and custard,and black cherry) and yes they really do taste like that

laraghrider

Exactly as Dirk said. What tastes nice. Bars I've yet to find one that I really like so as a result intend to eat aldi apple breakfast bars.

Gels wise H5 hydro are the only ones i take without a grimace.

Darkglasses

I've tasted most brands of gels, easily my favourite are high5 ones with caffeine. Probably the only ones I don't hate ingesting. Easily the worst by a long distance are those ones you can only buy in Holland and Barrett, in a red pack. They have chunks of "real orange" in them and that's exactly as horrifying as it sounds.

I've been frequently tempted to do a vlog about energy food taste testing, just because some are utterly horrifying and some are pretty ok. SIS make really quite tasty bars.

DirkVoodoo

All the replies above prove my point: "I like...", "I prefer".

If 50% of the replies like Mars bars and 50% like snickers (or Marathon bars if it's before July 19th), then does that say anything about which one you will like? No, of course not.

The best way to try is to go into a few local cycling/triathlon stores, buy one of each, try it out for taste.

You eat what you can stomach. If you end up needing to pull over and throw up into a ditch or get an attack of the scutters, then that qualifies as "bad". You won't find one that suddenly makes you blast up a mountain unless it contains something illicit.

Briando

I've tried the vast majority of bars, and the nicest are Clif Bars. Taste like real food as opposed to a gloopy chemical mix.

Cant recommend any gels as most of them don't agree with my stomach.

pprendeville

I find Mulebar and Clifbar the most natural. Easier on the stomach than something like Powerbar C2 Max or ZipVit.

Nwm2

GT_TDI_150 wrote: »

Guys,

How did ye decide on what bars/gels to get?

Is there big differences between all them? ie is 1 gel way better worse than the rest of em?

I tend to throw a rice krispies bar in the back pocket but not sure is that the best option when I'm trying to ramp up my km/spin

Thanks

IMO, rather than going the €2 energy bar route, try the 39c LIDL chocolate bar route or 40c banana route first, or bring a few biscuits or go some other el cheapo route, especially for routine training. Racing - sure, splash out on the gel. It's easy to end up spending a fortune on gels & energy bars. Last resort for me. I do go with powdered High 5 in my drink though, bought in bulk from the cheapest source.

AIR-AUSSIE

Briando wrote: »

I've tried the vast majority of bars, and the nicest are Clif Bars. Taste like real food as opposed to a gloopy chemical mix.

Cant recommend any gels as most of them don't agree with my stomach.

I agree closely followed by the powergel ones.

petethedrummer

I was in A4 and struggling to finish races and then i started taking gels. After about 6 months i got a pro-contract and won the king of the mountains in the Giro dI'Italia. So take it from me they do work.

GT_TDI_150

Ok, thanks (to those with genuine replies...)

firstly, I suppose I should have mentioned I cant eat chocolate in any shape or form, so any alternatives containing chocolate are of the options list.

secondly, I've tried the tablets that get put into the biddons and for some reason they kill my kidneys to the point that I would have to stop and pee + drink loads of the plain water biddon to releave the pain, has happened a few times, so now its just plain water in both biddons

smacl

Not a fan of gels, but quite fancy the torq pineapple and ginger bars. Energywise, they're no better than bananas or flapjacks, but last longer and are easier to eat to the go. Gel wrappers always leave a sticky mess, which is why I can't stand them, natural food company jelly snakes work well for me instead.

My eldest daughter regularly cooks flapjacks, and if they're made with lots of dried fruit and nuts, taste wise they see off all the opposition.

Konkers

GT_TDI_150 wrote: »

Ok, thanks (to those with genuine replies...)

firstly, I suppose I should have mentioned I cant eat chocolate in any shape or form, so any alternatives containing chocolate are of the options list.

secondly, I've tried the tablets that get put into the biddons and for some reason they kill my kidneys to the point that I would have to stop and pee + drink loads of the plain water biddon to releave the pain, has happened a few times, so now its just plain water in both biddons

I was going to offer up the tablet alternative plus some feedback as i just started using them recently. But i see you have had a bad experience and probably do not want to repeat it. However just my two cents worth. I'm sure you know that they just contain an electrolyte mix so they are purely for correcting any hydration imbalances that result from excessive sweating. They (or at least the ones i used....nunn) are not a source of carbs etc. So, like any electrolyte mix its key that you mix it with the right quantity of water.

I only use gels etc during an event and even then just when I am out of regular food or have bonked. At the end of the day they are just a sugar substitute that get glucose to your blood stream fast (or at least that's the claim).

If i'm on a long spin for me the key is to eat and drink regularly, at least every half hour. I also chew the **** out of everything I eat. I think this means i am replacing what i use so hopefully i should not have to reach for the gel. A few months ago I bought a few USN gels that had no flavour (just slightly sweet), they were great but they have stopped making them. Don't ask me how they achieved a no flavour (just slightly sweet) thing.

Best of luck.

Oryx

The advantage of special sports food is it is concentrated and convenient. But in training regular food works as well or better. Flapjacks, banana, dried fruit, nuts are all easy to carry. A friend swears by bringing a small ham roll to eat on long rides. My recent discovery is that a bag of tayto works wonders when you are close to bonking

But if you want to use sports food for racing you have to use them in training or they'll just sicken you on race day. In my experience no matter how good they are you'll eventually get tired of any of them. No one brand is 'best'. Though if you have a dicky tummy, avoid caffeine.

dermabrasion

I use gels for racing, only because I can get them down within one missed breath. They don't work miracles, but might prevent a bonk/fade if you time them appropriately: they don't provide that much carb. I choose SIS gels as it does not churn my stomach and is less sickly, but that's just my taste. I don't think it actually matters to me puffing over Sally Gap despite the research.
For training, or long spins or sportives I use bars and real food like cake or a sandwich. The limiting factor is pocket space, so sports bars tend to slot-in and not melt.
I did a 280k sportif this year, and packed SIS bars as I thought they were ok, and had tested them on training. I timed myself to eat a mouthful every 20mins. Half way through the day, I found myself having to force myself to eat them, as I found them (and eating) totally disgusting. Even though they got me through, I don't think it has anything to do with the specific bars, but I think variety of taste and texture for very long spins helps.

longshank

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

They are mostly the same. Some have caffeine added, there are plenty of studies disputing the effects of it in endurance sports, other people swear it!

so the evidence against caffeine is scientific and evidence in favour is peoples opinion??? i think your letting a personal opinion influence your interpretation of the evidence, which is massively weighted the other way round!!

Enduro

I choose to leave the overpriced overmarketed sugary junk behind, rather than train myself to have a dependency on that crud. Have a read of this.

studiorat

petethedrummer wrote: »

I was in A4 and struggling to finish races and then i started taking gels. After about 6 months i got a pro-contract and won the king of the mountains in the Giro dI'Italia. So take it from me they do work.

A better life through chemistry!

mcgratheoin

Enduro wrote: »

I choose to leave the overpriced overmarketed sugary junk behind.

+1 on that in general - on sportives etc. I find it difficult to eat proper food while cycling, even during a break - for some reason when I push anything beyond a recovery ride, my appetite gets seriously reduced. I did buy one of these recently - for €9 I figured it was worth a punt to see if they were any good and it was a bit of a mixed bag.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/high5-race-pack/
The energy drinks are ok - not too sweet and I tried them out with one bidon of carb drink and one bidon of water.
The electrolyte tabs do nothing for me, I much prefer just water to rehydrate myself.
The gels are a bit sickly sweet alright, not sure I'd be that bothered with buying them again although they don't take much space in your jersey so maybe I'll keep one or two in case of emergency.
The box says it's for an event up to 4 hrs - FFS, I can't see how anyone could ingest the contents of that box in 4 hrs though.


I have tried these in place of my usual jelly babies/haribo and they're easy to eat and taste like any sweet (I've stayed away from any of the caffeine ones)
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/powerbar-energize-sport-shots-16-x-60g/

Peterx

Enduro wrote: »

I choose to leave the overpriced overmarketed sugary junk behind, rather than train myself to have a dependency on that crud. Have a read of this.

They can have a definite place towards the end of a race though Enduro.
I'm not disputing your link and I never use gels in training. You can't beat real food but real food can be difficult to carry and eat under pressure.

I like to carry a couple of gels in races and about half the time I don't take them BUT the other half of the time they do what they say on the tin, a ridiculous blood sugar spike and surge of energy.
Unfortunately this is inevitably followed by a bonk about 40 minutes later so it is very important to realise once you start popping gels, you have to keep doing it every 25/30 minutes.
Ie: if I have 3 gels I can't start taking them until I'm within 90 minutes of the end of the race.

To answer the original question - power gels if I have water to wash it down and more watery ones if there's no water available.

random.stranger

Enduro wrote: »

I choose to leave the overpriced overmarketed sugary junk behind, rather than train myself to have a dependency on that crud. Have a read of this.

Interesting read, thanks

DirkVoodoo

longshank wrote: »

so the evidence against caffeine is scientific and evidence in favour is peoples opinion??? i think your letting a personal opinion influence your interpretation of the evidence, which is massively weighted the other way round!!

I don't believe so. Any study I have read says that the result is highly variable and that it has a more pronounced effect on those who don't regularly ingest caffeine. Seeing as most Irish people drink a shedload of tea, it's probably reasonable to assume that it won't do much for you.

Caffeine won't help you in a sport like cycling, unless it's maybe on the track. In studies with cyclists, performance increases in trained athletes are around ~4%. This may be worth shelling out for more expensive gels, or it may not.

I don't think marginal increases (balanced by the diuretic properties of caffeine) show it is "massively weighted" the other way around.

EDIT: You're right though, how I phrased it was incorrect. I should have said the performance gains are marginal and I don't believe they are worth the extra cost. I think most of us get enough caffeine from other sources throughout the day and races tend to be short enough (for most of us) that you don't really need the extra kick.

Enduro

Peterx wrote: »

They can have a definite place towards the end of a race though Enduro.
I'm not disputing your link and I never use gels in training. You can't beat real food but real food can be difficult to carry and eat under pressure.

I like to carry a couple of gels in races and about half the time I don't take them BUT the other half of the time they do what they say on the tin, a ridiculous blood sugar spike and surge of energy.
Unfortunately this is inevitably followed by a bonk about 40 minutes later so it is very important to realise once you start popping gels, you have to keep doing it every 25/30 minutes.
Ie: if I have 3 gels I can't start taking them until I'm within 90 minutes of the end of the race.

My saying these days is that they are exactly like defibrulators... very good and useful if you need them in an emergency because they'll give you a big kick to get you going again, but not something that you should be using on any kind of regular basis at all!

I will sometimes carry one on some races in case of bonking, but haven't used one in nearly a year now (and never ever ever used in training). A requirement for gels means that I've fecked up something else big time!

colm_gti

I have yet to find a gel that works for me as I've not yet won any races....:pac:

Rew

I've tried various brands and types of gels, bars and sweets the ones I like (and agree with me) are the Honey Stinger ones.

Brian?

I got a great price on a 100 box of these last year:

http://www.amazon.com/GU-Energy-Gel-Chocolate-8-Pack/dp/B00076SYNM

Very, very tasty.

They're not magic sauce or anything, I eat them when I feel like it. It's usually because I haven't prepared properly, eating properly before a spin. They're very handy when you get caught out, enough sugar to keep you going until you get home.

I had to stop buying these, they're too god damn tasty. I'd end up eating them for no good reason:

http://www.amazon.com/PowerBar-Energy-Raspberry-12-85-5-Pouches/dp/B005UO5ZC4/ref=sr_1_2?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1375971752&sr=1-2&keywords=powerbar+chews

longshank

Enduro wrote: »

I choose to leave the overpriced overmarketed sugary junk behind, rather than train myself to have a dependency on that crud. Have a read of this.

"scientific study"??
- participants in study "myself"
- control - none

I'd need a bit more than that to be convinced, although you can definitely adapt to greater use of fat as a fuel source but to ignore CHO as a fuel source is madness for all non extreme endurance events. What might work for Ultra marathon might not be the best preparation for a cycle race where you are operating in or around your aerobic limit all the time.

Enduro

If you want a bigger picture overview, with a huge emphasis on the quality of the scientific research behind a range of claims, the have a look at this site. It's a good one. It'd not sports specific, but when you start combining all the information together from all the sources there are some very obvious conclusions!

That was just one article from Barry. There is tons of scientific studies outer there supportign the general ideas in there. I don't think that BMC cycling would have him as their nutrionist if he was just some kind of quack basing his advice on a "scientific study" of size 1. (You would be absolutely correct to dissmiss his conclusions on that basis if that was the case, of course).

There is very little difference, if any, between the nutrional requirements of cycling long distances and running long distances (Why on earth would anyone expect there to be!). Can't say that I've noticed any differences myself over short distances either.

I can remember an interesting thread from this forum last year where Leftism was bringing up similar points about training on empty for TDF cyclists. If I get time I'll see if I can find it.

petethedrummer

Enduro wrote: »

have a look at this site.

Nice, I hadn't seen this site before.

ROK ON

There is no reason to consume energy gels unless you are one of those people that actually enjoys them.

I have marshalled a lot of races in past few weeks. In the last race I saw several guys with gels up one leg of the shorts for a 40k race.

I marshalled at a triathalon a few weeks back. I was stationed on the top of a climb. Several of the top guys (leading triathletes in the country) came past with a crazy amount of gels taped to the bike or up the shorts - one guy had four gels sticking out from the bottom of his short leg. This was a tri that had a 40k cycle followed by a 10k run.

Im sorry if you cant put in an effort of 60-90 minutes without needing this gunk then you need help.

colm_gti

ROK ON wrote: »

Im sorry if you cant put in an effort of 60-90 minutes without needing this gunk then you need help.

Absolutely, if you need that many gels in such a short spin, then you need to take a look at your pre-race diet, and overall diet!

The guidelines of using a gel every 15 minutes after the first hour is pure marketing carp, I would use maybe 3 gels per ~100km race, and even then I probably don't necessarily need them...

Rew

You should only be using them when doing 90+ mins of exercise before that there isn't really any benefits.

longshank

ROK ON wrote: »

There is no reason to consume energy gels unless you are one of those people that actually enjoys them.

I have marshalled a lot of races in past few weeks. In the last race I saw several guys with gels up one leg of the shorts for a 40k race.

I marshalled at a triathalon a few weeks back. I was stationed on the top of a climb. Several of the top guys (leading triathletes in the country) came past with a crazy amount of gels taped to the bike or up the shorts - one guy had four gels sticking out from the bottom of his short leg. This was a tri that had a 40k cycle followed by a 10k run.

Im sorry if you cant put in an effort of 60-90 minutes without needing this gunk then you need help.

anyone who can do an olympic tri in 60-90mins needs no help!!:D
you are drawing this conclusion on amount of energy gels needed on the basis of what?

longshank

Enduro wrote: »

If you want a bigger picture overview, with a huge emphasis on the quality of the scientific research behind a range of claims, the have a look at this site. It's a good one. It'd not sports specific, but when you start combining all the information together from all the sources there are some very obvious conclusions!

That was just one article from Barry. There is tons of scientific studies outer there supportign the general ideas in there. I don't think that BMC cycling would have him as their nutrionist if he was just some kind of quack basing his advice on a "scientific study" of size 1. (You would be absolutely correct to dissmiss his conclusions on that basis if that was the case, of course).

There is very little difference, if any, between the nutrional requirements of cycling long distances and running long distances (Why on earth would anyone expect there to be!). Can't say that I've noticed any differences myself over short distances either.

I can remember an interesting thread from this forum last year where Leftism was bringing up similar points about training on empty for TDF cyclists. If I get time I'll see if I can find it.

I'm not saying he doesn't have a point I'm just saying be very careful about interpreting such info for your own situation. I doubt very much if BMC don't use energy gels and to interpret what is said on that website as an argument against using energy gels would be doing your performances in races no favours.

Enduro

longshank wrote: »

I'm not saying he doesn't have a point I'm just saying be very careful about interpreting such info for your own situation. I doubt very much if BMC don't use energy gels and to interpret what is said on that website as an argument against using energy gels would be doing your performances in races no favours.

Oh yeah, I agree about needing to interpret any claim carefully. In this specific case my own observations from my own training and racing in long distance endurance events (accross several sports, including cycling) over many years happen to fully agree with the latest nutrional theory that I've read/heard from the like of Barry Murray, Authority Nutrtion, Tim Noakes etc. etc. I had already figured out the old school theory of having to continuously fire carbs/sugars into the body to maintain energy output had to be wrong as I was constantly disproving it in my own race performances. Talking with Barry and reading up for myself on fat burning, adaptation trainging / training on empty, low carb - high protein / Paleo style diets all happened to line up nicely to explain my own observations.

With this better scientific knowledge I've been able to tune my own training and racing nutrition even more to enhance my competitive ability. I've broken a few PBs and records this year, so it seems to be helping!

petethedrummer

GT_TDI_150 wrote: »

How did ye decide on what bars/gels to get?

The thought of eating a gloopy/sticky energy gel makes me want to wretch. Decision made.:pac:

This thread has moved into racing territory and I see you are just looking to up training miles. You could make up a peanut butter sandwich and take it in ziploc bag. Its alot cheaper than bars.

If you are riding yourself to bonking and think you will need gels then you might need a re-think on your method of training. Also, what is the purpose of your training and the increase in mileage? racing, an event, just want to increase?

MajesticDonkey

petethedrummer wrote: »

If you are riding yourself to bonking and think you will need gels then you might need a re-think on your method of training.

No, he's training perfectly if he comes back completed f#cked.

theSHU

granda wrote: »

my favorite's are the torq gels(raspberry ripple. ruhbarb and custard,and black cherry) and yes they really do taste like that

You're just paying for overpriced sugar. Madness!!

Torq Gel

Nutritional Information:

Per 45g Serving Per 100g

Energy (kCal/kJ) 114/476 255/1065
Protein (g) 0 0
Fat (g) 0 0
Saturates (g) 0 0
Carbohydrate (g) 28.8 63.9
Sugars (g) 9.6 21.3
Sodium (mg) 50 111
Chloride (mg) 85.5 190
Potassium (mg) 11.5 25.7
Magnesium (mg) 1 2.3
Calcium (mg) 4.5 10.1

http://www.torqfitness.co.uk/acatalog/info_18.html

Try Honey instead:

Honey
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)

Energy 1,272 kJ (304 kcal)
Carbohydrates 82.4 g
- Sugars 82.12 g
- Dietary fiber 0.2 g
Fat 0 g
Protein 0.3 g
Water 17.10 g
Calcium 6 mg (1%)
Iron 0.42 mg (3%)
Magnesium 2 mg (1%)
Phosphorus 4 mg (1%)
Potassium 52 mg (1%)
Sodium 4 mg (0%)
Zinc 0.22 mg (2%)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey

granda

theSHU wrote: »

You're just paying for overpriced sugar. Madness!!



Try Honey instead:

ye but honey doesnt have rasperry ripple and rhubarb and custard flavour:D

Max_Charger

ROK ON wrote: »

Several of the top guys (leading triathletes in the country) came past with a crazy amount of gels taped to the bike or up the shorts - one guy had four gels sticking out from the bottom of his short leg. This was a tri that had a 40k cycle followed by a 10k run.

Im sorry if you cant put in an effort of 60-90 minutes without needing this gunk then you need help.

Double that time at least for an Olympic and surly if they are the leading triathletes in the country, who are we to question how many gels they use? I personally hate the things, couple banannas and fig rolls for long spins over 100k, be grand.

ROK ON

A 40 k cycle for a racing cyclist at a reasonable level or a semi competant triathlete takes about an hour.
A 10 k run sligtly more than 30 mins.

The race I was referring to was my own cyclig clubs league race (1 hour).

The triathlon - my point was that I was amazed at how many serious athletes had a lot of gel type stuff for what would be around 90minutes of racing exclusing the swim.

I do not believe that any athlete needs gel for 90 minutes of athletic activity.

Other than cycling and athletics, is refuelling like this as big in other sports - ie team sports. (Speaking about feeding as oposed to hydrating).

De Bhál

I use Aldi Harvest Morn Cranberry breakfast bars. Tasty, filling and they don't melt in the pocket.
Very cheap also.

Have the tops of the wrappers cut off before you put them in your pocket.

Interesting thread, just wondering what do tennis players eat, they can be on the go for hours.

hueylewis

De Bhál wrote: »

Interesting thread, just wondering what do tennis players eat, they can be on the go for hours.

Usually see the pros eat a section of a banana during their breaks. Have seen the odd player taking gel too.

Max_Charger

ROK ON wrote: »

A 40 k cycle for a racing cyclist at a reasonable level or a semi competant triathlete takes about an hour.
A 10 k run sligtly more than 30 mins.

The race I was referring to was my own cyclig clubs league race (1 hour).

The triathlon - my point was that I was amazed at how many serious athletes had a lot of gel type stuff for what would be around 90minutes of racing exclusing the swim.

I do not believe that any athlete needs gel for 90 minutes of athletic activity.

Other than cycling and athletics, is refuelling like this as big in other sports - ie team sports. (Speaking about feeding as oposed to hydrating).

The winner of Bo Peep tri in Kenmare came in just under 2 hours, last person crossed the line after 3.5 hours. Triathletes don't have the luxury of seating in a group conserving energy either, it's a 2 hour+ balls to the wall time trial so will burn more fuel then a cyclist in that given time. Team sports isn't really comparable as half the team at any one time will be standing still doing nothing and they get their half time break to re fuel.

BadCharlie

I would say when you go for longer then 1hour you could start thinking about taking one. If your going to stop shortly after your hour then no need to take anything. I know my self i start to tank after about 1hour 30mins & would need something.

Geomy

I use the gels and energy bar's when I go for a long surf during the winter.

I could be in the water for up to 4 hours, the blackcurrant one's I find the best, that's in both bar and gel. ...

Enduro

BadCharlie wrote: »

I would say when you go for longer then 1hour you could start thinking about taking one.

Why? The last race I did (last weekend) was 40 hours. I took no gels.

ford2600

Enduro wrote: »

Why? The last race I did (last weekend) was 40 hours. I took no gels.

No arguing with that answer!

Do you mind me asking what race was?

BadCharlie

Enduro wrote: »

Why? The last race I did (last weekend) was 40 hours. I took no gels.

I tank after 1hour 30mins. Don't matter if its weight training.. soccer.. GAA ect.. I need to get something fast or i slow slow right down. If you want to burn up lots of fat well then don't eat anything at all for 40hours but i bet your not going to be going all that fast.

Carbohydrate is stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen for use when energy is needed. Assuming your glycogen stores were depleted, all 1000 carbohydrate calories will become glycogen and none will become fat. The amount of glycogen stored in the liver ranges from 60 – 120 grams (250 – 500 calories) depending on the time of day and the carbohydrate content of the last meal. Muscle holds relatively less glycogen but muscle mass is larger and so 200 – 500 mg (800 – 2000 calories) of glycogen is stored in the muscle a 150 lb man. To dramatically increase muscle glycogen levels, eat a high carbohydrate meal right after a vigorous workout.