When do you suck your gel?

[DR ◣◢]

what's the deal with "organic" peanut butter. Is that different to the Black Cat that I buy?

 

Tastes a hell of a lot better than the Black Cat. No added anything. Its just nuts I tell you!!!

[DaLoCo]

I was told to use it 10-ish minutes before I need the power....but this only works if you know the route.

[Stretch]

For 60km plus...one at every water table

[DIPSLICK]

 

 

+1. And something proper to eat - possibly with a bit of fat and/or protein. Also found that most gels didn't work very well with my stomach.

Solid foods low gi, gels and my stomach definitely not friends and I am yet to find one that does not cause spiking of energy high high and low low.good old fashion solid low gi foods= constant energy release for me,

[Jaco-fiets]

My protocol: If race 2hrs or less: race on gel and water with gel every 45min

If more than 2hrs: energy drink in one bottle and water in other. Gel 1.5hrs into race and then make judgement call every 30min afterwards.

 

I like to follow a low GI approach pre race with oats and little bit raisins (not low gi, i know) and then 1 bottle (50g) 32GI 30min before race. Start taking my Jeukendrup mix 30min into race (2hr+ races). Seems to be working fine for me. Think the most important is to make sure your glycogen stores are filled the night before race. That to me is the meal that counts

['Dale]

When my riding starts sucking......

 

Good one!

Haha

['Dale]

The last 30 mins of the event...

[baie-sukkel]

60km? One small bottle of water. What ya need a gel for?

 

DITTO !!

[arendoog]

Good breakfast .1 bottle water 1 bottle game 2 bananas .gel in pocket if needed .Rarely need the gel

[HappyMartin]

You don't get an insulin spike from hi GI food when you are exercising at high intensity. If you can eat and digest biltong and raisins you are not riding hard enough. The thought of riding up Hekpoort trying to hold the group while using solid food for energy makes me want to vomit.

 

Somewhere or other I read that Sauser takes a gel every 20 minutes. Well I don't ride like him but I try to learn from him.

[Ibicam]

I am also one of those who don't like the gels. I do carry one, but find I typically hand it out to someone else during a ride/race and then replace it at some point.

Guess it's just an "emergency in case I bonk" for me.

 

So I would agree with those who are saying get the before and during race nutrition right for you and you won't need gels.

 

I have standardised on oats for breakfast, brown bread and peanut butter just before the race, cytomax in one bottle and pronutro bars for every hour or so.

[jcza]

Surely if the race is longer than 3 hours you need to eat and won't survive on drinks only if you're going hard.

 

I mean racing hard

Edited September 27, 2012 by jcza

[RoboLuke]

some really interesting points here.yes sorry i should have said mtb.

 

i ride very much on my HR to prev ent overdoing it.im concerned that the gel will spike my hr. also too much caffeine gives me the ****s. ive never tried a gel in a r ace, i will suck just one 30 minutes before the end and see how that goes. and gi32 on tge ride that stuff makes me feel awesome

[nickelass]

I have never used gel in any race, and only have water in my camelbag,have on occasions felt flat on a 45km ride if going very hard,I rely on my hrm to not overdo the heart rate and I know what is my substanable input in order to race to the end,maybe I am not riding hard enough,but at the age of 50 I am more concerned with enjoyment and fitness.

[Seeker911]

15 before every 45 ? that's what it says in the packaging

[SeaBee]

My stomach goes in a knot at the thought of eating anything solid past 1:30, maybe 2h into a race. So will eat a bar until then and then klap the gels more or less hourly and jelly babies (love them!) inbetween.