Gels

maxamillius

Need to order some gels, any good deals anywhere?

themighty

maxamillius wrote: »

Need to order some gels, any good deals anywhere?

Up to half off on SiS and High 5 on Wiggle. Customs and charges included.

wheelo01

High 5 have an offer here

https://highfive.co.uk/products/energy-gel-plus

Also got a pop up saying 25% off your first order if you sign up for a newsletter. Also a 3 for 2 on all energy products banner at the top of the page, I don't know if you can use all three together.

maxamillius

Great stuff thanks folks much appreciated

LCD

Out of complete curiosity what do you need gels for ? No racing or events on. Do you use them in training?

lizzylad84

If your buying them for training, Id be reluctant to use them. I only ever use solid food in training, bars, jellys etc

themighty

I mostly use solid food out on the road and bring one for backup.

If I've a hard threshold or VO2 workout to do on the turbo early in the morning where I won't get a chance to have breakfast beforehand I'll take one 10 mins before I get on the bike. It honestly just makes it easier.

Macy0161

Wouldn't you want to test they don't cause "issues" in training?

Anyway, I could see why you'd want quick release energy for morning workouts - personally I prefer bottle mix to gels (not because gels upset my stomach, but bottle mix is much cheaper!)

themighty

Yeah, I'll do that in the run up to races alright. Stomach's pretty strong luckily, tend not to get any issues.

I do use mix the odd time for the morning, but don't like using it too much. One of the ladies in our club is a dentist - she managed to scare me off the mix a bit:D.

Macy0161

Would gels, or indeed (presumably sugar heavy) "real" food, be that much better?

Anyway, making myself works out at under 30 cent a 500ml bottle. Well did pre-brexit, last time I brought ingredients.

maxamillius

LCD wrote: »

Out of complete curiosity what do you need gels for ? No racing or events on. Do you use them in training?

Ye I usually take one of I’m going on a long spin or a long run, generally just there as a back up.

To be honest it’s actually become a running joke now, I usually bring them with me and end up handing them out to others that have bonked!!

themighty

Macy0161 wrote: »

Would gels, or indeed (presumably sugar heavy) "real" food, be that much better?

Anyway, making myself works out at under 30 cent a 500ml bottle. Well did pre-brexit, last time I brought ingredients.

I think with food or gels, you wash them down with water usually - so much of the sugar removed. With mix your coating your teeth with it and it stays there for the duration of your ride. I've taken to brushing my teeth as soon as I get on out of paranoia:D. I still use it a good bit but just a bit more aware of it now.

Fair play on making the mix, saw some of the recipes on the TR forum alright. I'm a bit too lazy to do it myself, I just wait till the High5 mix goes on sale and pick that up.

Large bottle small glass

Macy0161 wrote: »

Anyway, I could see why you'd want quick release energy for morning workouts -

The "quick energy" is already there after a nights sleep(circa 2000cals in a fit male) and assuming a proper meal a few hours before bed.

A gel to do an hour's turbo or whatever is a psychological crutch not a physiological one. Sugar and caffeine will always give a lift but it is not necessary.

07Lapierre

The first time I used a gel was on the Marmotte sportive in 2012. About 4K from the summit of Alpe D’huez i bonked completely! I was so dehydrated I got pins/needles and cramp
In my arms, shoulders and chest! I climbed off my bike and sat in the shade. All I had in my pocket was a high 5 caffeine gel. I had great difficulty getting the gel open. When I did, I poured it into my bottle, which was half empty. That ONE gel got me home. Without it, I’d still be there today!

The point of this story is to say that gels are “for Emergencies only” (or when racing) where possible eat real food!

themighty

Large bottle small glass wrote: »

The "quick energy" is already there after a nights sleep(circa 2000cals in a fit male) and assuming a proper meal a few hours before bed.

A gel to do an hour's turbo or whatever is a psychological crutch not a physiological one. Sugar and caffeine will always give a lift but it is not necessary.

I'd mostly agree if the workout was in isolation. Last night I'd 1 hour 15mins of VO2, then 1.5 hours of under/overs this morning, with an hour run this evening. So I'm going to bed depleted (even with dinner I wouldn't fully stock up), going over the hour and then have to fuel for later.

The 2000 calories of glycogen isn't fully available. 20% is stored in the liver (mostly) and gets depleted during sleep, so that leaves 1600. Your muscles will cling onto 40% no matter how hard you push yourself so now we're at 960 available, (assuming I'd the full 2000 going in). I burned 1250 in the hour and a half (based on a powermeter), at threshold about 60% of that is carbs - so 750. Even fully fueled up the numbers start getting a bit tight and RPE goes up, and that's ignoring my having to train later. Better safe than sorry .

maxamillius

For me they are a back up for a 70-100km spin, I wouldn’t say I’m the strongest cyclist but am for enough to do long spins. I have ran out of energy before in the Dublin/Wicklow mountains and a gel has been a life saver. For me that’s all they are, simply a back up option in the jersey pocket.

Enduro

themighty wrote: »

I'd mostly agree if the workout was in isolation. Last night I'd 1 hour 15mins of VO2, then 1.5 hours of under/overs this morning, with an hour run this evening. So I'm going to bed depleted (even with dinner I wouldn't fully stock up), going over the hour and then have to fuel for later.

I have run (and won) 24 hour running races without eating. You do not need to "fuel" for exercising a few hours in a day. God I hate seeing that word used for food. The human body is not a mechanical engine. It is far far more interesting than that, and far more capable. Although having said that, it does sounds like you are training in a psychological dependency on sugar hits before exercise.

themighty

I did most of my training for an Ironman (150+km bikes and 3hour runs) fasted a few years. Started taking the gels a couple of weeks beforehand to get used to it. Even now most of my long runs (2.5+ hours) are fasted, sometimes I'll bring a gel just in case. It can definitely be done, especially with aerobic work. But once you get above threshold I think you're just making life difficult for yourself.

Macy0161

No, not "needed" for the work (although I generally do longer than an hour), but I consider it the first step of recovery, and I only fuel the hard workouts. An hour and half endurance I don't fuel on the bike, an hour and half of sweet spot I do. I definitely find it reduces post workout, and particularly long outdoor spin, binges if I've kept on top of taking stuff on board during it.

And if it reduces RPE and helps complete the workout, it still helps!

With all due respect to Enduro, I'm not close to your universe when it comes to endurance athletes!