What nutrition do ye use...?

martyc5674

Just wondering what the general concesus is on gels/energy drinks etc.
Would they only be used by serious racers amongst you lot or are they common place on sportives/training?

I did my first sportive @ the weekend and i hadnt really trained properly for it... it was only 90K but i hadnt done more than 30K in any spin in 3 months and even so id only 2*50K's done this year.(would have been my longest spins to date)

I had one of those "high 5" sportive packs that has a few gels/powders for drinks etc (i bought it as it was only 7€ in halfords and wanted the bottle!)

So i used the high 5 stuff as prescribed and i must say i felt a bit like lance.... could have done the 90K again and finished strong.

I didnt notice anyone else using them...did i cheat??!

Just curious really as to peoples useage...
Chjeers,
Marty.

NIMAN

You didn't cheat. Maybe you are fitter than you give yourself credit for?
Or adrenaline perhaps?

martyc5674

Ha ha!
doubt it was adrenalin...I just felt stronger, or to put it another way...I wasnt getting weaker the further i went which is how i normally feel when out for a training spin.
Cheers,
Marty.

seany15

Nutrition is horses for courses really. When I'm training I just use water and a banana and maybe a chocolate bar and a flapjack for longer spins. Would use a carb drink and take a gel or two for a race, depending on distance/terrain.

Though you certainly didn't cheat on the sportive. Did the 130k Leinster loop a couple weeks back and was with the front group, must have went through the gels, maybe 4, and the carb drink.

Ole Rodrigo

Nesquik after a spin. Mmm...mm.

Even better are the ' For goodness Shakes ' powders. But they aren't as cheap.

G1032

I find them handy. I asked the same question a while ago and you can see the replies here.

I won't bring any food or gels on a cycle of about 60km or less. Just water with maybe an electrolyte tablet.

Closer to 80/90 km I'll probably bring maybe 2 gels and use them.

Over 100km I tend to eat real food. Jam sandwiches, rice cakes, flap jacks. I'll have a gel for backup.

All the above depends also on when I go for the cycle. If it's the morning I'll tend to eat more on a ride than if it was later in the day and I've had lunch or dinner.

Also, when I started out cycling I couldn't go 20km without having to stop and eat a banana or something so my ability to go for longer without food is certainly improving. A lot of that hunger might have been down to poor hydration I think. Since I've started drinking more water I'm eating less food (in general life as well as cyling)

Then it's all individual. Some have said on here before they can go 100km or so with a bottle of water!! Whatever suits I suppose.

martyc5674

Cheers lads for the replies...
I normally only bring water...with an electrolyte tablet on my 30 or 50K spins.
Next question: Where to get good quality EPO?? :P

ZiabR

No you didn't cheat! You must have eaten well before the race and just felt good on the day. I use the drinks and gels for long spins but one thing I will say about the gels is that if your not used to them they can give you the runs . At the Ring of Kerry this year there were a few riders I saw horsing the gels into them! One of my mates was not well at all the next day.

dragratchet

ror_74 wrote: »

Nesquik after a spin. Mmm...mm.

Even better are the ' For goodness Shakes ' powders. But they aren't as cheap.

yeah have a nice nesquik shake after a session on the trainer.. really look forward to it.

Bloggsie

martyc5674 wrote: »

Cheers lads for the replies...
I normally only bring water...with an electrolyte tablet on my 30 or 50K spins.
Next question: Where to get good quality EPO?? :P

ask lance!

C-Shore

martyc5674 wrote: »

Cheers lads for the replies...
I normally only bring water...with an electrolyte tablet on my 30 or 50K spins.
Next question: Where to get good quality EPO?? :P

I know a place in Celbridge