D.I.Y gels

[Helpmytrap]

You essentially need two parts to it, one quick release and one slower release.

Very high sugars have a way of spiking insulin which gives a nice kick but the sugar crash that follows is pretty bad. Something that contains both quick and medium release is better as it will help prevent the crash.

Also that under exercise, you are not going to get BG spikes.

 

(Google "glutame translocation".)

Short (and probably oversimplified) explanation:

1. Under conditions of rest, ingestion of carbs causes BG/insulin spike and glutame transports glucose to fat (and you get the other glycogen storage process going on as well - to liver, and marginal amount to muscles.).

2. Under conditions of exercise, glutame transports glucose to muscle. There is no (or in reality, a much reduced) BG spike due to the glucose being quickly shuttled into the muscle cells.

 

So it doesn't really matter what form of sugar you ingest, and if bonking is a risk due to the intensity that you are riding at, then logic says you should be using something high GI. Why restrict avl glucose when you are potentially running short of it?

 

I now use gu's for planned carb intake (after 30 mins, and then every 45mins or as needed) and whatever is lying around for unplanned carb intake.

 

I also believe htone is probably right regarding the 'if you push adaptation far enough, your liver should be able to generate enough carb to support high intensity'.

 

I've given it a go, but for me that's one step too far at the moment and I will stick to carb supplementing during high intensity exercise.

 

<cynicism on>

My own opinion here - treat as you wish:

 

The whole low GI thing is a bit of a scam.

 

If you are exercising, you are not going to get the big BG spikes we think we will get.

 

If you test someone exercising with a low GI supplement, you will get no (read "a reduced") BG spike.

If you test someone exercising with a high GI supplement, you will get no (read "a reduced") BG spike.

 

If you put a graph of the results shown in the low GI study (which is the same as the high GI study) and say "look, use our product and you don't get BG spikes", then I say you are like manufacturers who put "No Cholesterol" on margarine packaging. Misleading the uninformed for marketing purposes.

<cynicism off>

[Helpmytrap]

Ok, seeing as none of you guys could be arsed to go and figure out what GLUT-4 is all about, I had to do it myself…

 

This is my current (beginners) understanding:

 

GLUT4 is a protein that transports glucose – both to muscle, and to fat. GLUT seemingly standing for GLUcose Transport. It sits in vesicles until translocated to the cell membrane by either exercise or insulin (using different, but overlapping signalling pathways) and then transports glucose across the membrane (into the muscle fibre / fat cell).

 

1. When you get your insulin spike, it is GLUT4 that it triggers to transport glucose - if you are not exercising, then it transports it into fat cells

2. When you start exercising, GLUT4 is stimulated and translocates to muscle fibres - so starts transporting glucose to the muscle fibres.

 

So, why the reduced insulin spikes vs glucose ingestion during exercise?

 

The best I can figure is that with in the increase of exercise induced GLUT4 activity, BG levels do not build up enough to trigger insulin response.

 

These pathways are all interconnected, so there may well be other reasons as to why insulin levels are reduced, but at least we now have a credible theory as to why you don't get / get reduced insulin spikes during exercise...

 

Edit: From the Doc himself:

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  Dave Tapson ‏@davetapson19h
  .@JeroenSwart Ta. Are reduced BG spikes directly caused by the increased exercise-induced activity of G4? Or is it not that simple?
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  Jeroen Swart ‏@JeroenSwart3h

  @davetapson it's mostly because of that.

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[BarHugger]

If "insulin spiking" is a concern, try substituting normal sugars (glucose) with fructose.

[Snytjie]

This is a myth. During exercise your muscles sensitivity to glycogen is elevated, and I believe it is because of GLUT-4 translocation that your body does not experience a glucose spike. (I'm foggy on the details though.) Slow release carbs during exercise regarding blood glucose is just a marketing claim.

 

What does happen though is: if you don't consume food on a ride and you hit a low due to low blood glucose, athlete then consumes gel to get some oomph back which brings the blood glucose back up to normal levels but shortly thereafter the athlete moans about how his body has just crashed. This isn't a "sugar crash", it is just your blood glucose returning back to its previous low state.

 

+1

Athlete goes on until glucose is depleted

Athlete take a gel and experiences boost

Athlete goes on until glucose is depleted

Athlete experiences "crash"...

[HappyMartin]

I'm always a bit surprised when people say they can't eat or drink such and such on a bike because of the taste. I'm so bent out of shape in races I would lick the sweat from a baboons testicles if It was offered and I thought it might help.

 

If the taste is an issue your legs are not hurting enough is my theory.

[Malpiet]

I dehydrate potato slices in the oven, then blend it into a powder.

 

My ratio is 60% raw organic honey (a 1by nature product),15% salted smooth peanut butter (black cat), 25% potato slices

 

mix it all up with a stick blender but make sure the honey is a bit warm but not too hot if its too thick add 1 or 2 tablespoon of distilled water.

 

works great for me.

 

also tried a 70% honey, 10% molasses and 20% espresso (for a extra kick make about 200ml of espresso and then reduce it on the stove to about 100ml I have a basic machine so this is my way of a double espresso) makes it leka strong.

[Sniffie]

I agree with Dave and Helpmytrap. Insulin spiking while going hard is impossible. It is all hype coined by the industry to sell certain low GI brands and products. Google the scientific papers available. When you are going hard enough for long enough you will run out of glycogen sooner or later. To replace this you will need the type of energy source that can be absorbed by your gut the fastest. Low carb or low GI while of the bike or for LSD efforts. High octane while going flat out. Simple as that.

[Pieter1]

My wife is going to make these...http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=2733336 looks lekker!

[Super Sywurm]

I'm always a bit surprised when people say they can't eat or drink such and such on a bike because of the taste. I'm so bent out of shape in races I would lick the sweat from a baboons testicles if It was offered and I thought it might help.

 

If the taste is an issue your legs are not hurting enough is my theory.

 

I sometimes eat jelly babies when riding. But these Oros Pops, for some crazy reason, I can't swallow them. I chew and chew and chew and chew and spit it out. I have no problem with jelly babies (or bananas or Super C or peanuts). It's not the taste that bothers me, they're yummy. After the race I eat the whole packet, it's during the race that I can't eat them.

http://d77r3ym80c2os.cloudfront.net/File_32187_38_OrosMangoAndOrange.jpg

[Eldron]

Me - I'm a "like to keep it simple" kinda guy.

 

Through research and testing my magic grams of carbs per hour requirement is 42g.

 

In what form those 42 grams of carbs get into my body is almost irrelevant - I have used honey, powerade, energade, only water and bananas, gels, jelly babies, potatoes, super expensive energy drinks and found very little difference in performance......under 3 hours.

 

Over 3 hours I find adding 20% protein to the carbs is really effective. Single Track Fuel is my over 3 hour and stage race energy source of choice. Works for me!

 

That said - when I'm 4 hours into a stage all I crave is the "red ambulance" - 50% coke and water. Gets me home every time.

 

I generally train on Powerade/Energade and bananas. Or use USN Nrgy. I only really buy these products because they're easy to use - bang some in a bottle, mix up and go. Jely babies/potatoes etc are tough to eat on the road.

[AngryAustrian]

Question: Making your own gels sounds all good and well but what do you put it into?

[BarHugger]

Me - I'm a "like to keep it simple" kinda guy.

 

Through research and testing my magic grams of carbs per hour requirement is 42g.

 

In what form those 42 grams of carbs get into my body is almost irrelevant - I have used honey, powerade, energade, only water and bananas, gels, jelly babies, potatoes, super expensive energy drinks and found very little difference in performance......under 3 hours.

 

Over 3 hours I find adding 20% protein to the carbs is really effective. Single Track Fuel is my over 3 hour and stage race energy source of choice. Works for me!

 

That said - when I'm 4 hours into a stage all I crave is the "red ambulance" - 50% coke and water. Gets me home every time.

 

I generally train on Powerade/Energade and bananas. Or use USN Nrgy. I only really buy these products because they're easy to use - bang some in a bottle, mix up and go. Jely babies/potatoes etc are tough to eat on the road.

 

Yip.....trial and error......and everyone is different and performs different.

 

2.5-3 hours of above threshold activity (read carbohydrate metabolism)........glucose tank empty. The trick is to keep it full for when needed.

[Pieter1]

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=2733336 Came out like this

[Ryan's dad]

Question: Making your own gels sounds all good and well but what do you put it into?

+1 what sort of reusable containers are out there and where can we get them?

[Rocket-Boy]

+1 what sort of reusable containers are out there and where can we get them?

Hammer have some decent small ones that you can buy from Dischem.

[GreatGusto]

Question: Making your own gels sounds all good and well but what do you put it into?

 

I struggled at first too when I tried at bike shops, Sportsmans Warehouse etc. Look at Dischem, your local China plastic shop etc.