Fo you can't do without on a ride

[MTBjunky]

I was reading the thread on 'Bonking - the bad kind' and was wondering what food / snacks / bars / gels etc. you would not leave home without when doing a training ride or race and which products you swear by.

[Ryan]

Fast fuel bars for long rides.

 

Any gel for racing.

 

[Matchstix]

apples

[Squier]

I go with fast fuel and any sort of energy bars. Make sure you eat throughout your ride and not only when you get tired.

[Slowbee]

I am going to kop alot of flak for this - but I dont think those energy bars are good for you....all that sugar plays havoc with your body. Your insulin levels go haywire, and all the products all say you if you take this, then also take that, followed by something else and then you are ready to take z.

 

Rather get a muffin recipe, protein, carbs, everything you need. Some people swear by baby potatoes. On longer rides if I was to take food it would be banana's and carbonossi (its got loads of protein and the oils that provide carbs).

 

[Ryan]

 

I am going to kop alot of flak for this - but I dont think those energy bars are good for you....all that sugar plays havoc with your body. Your insulin levels go haywire' date=' and all the products all say you if you take this, then also take that, followed by something else and then you are ready to take z.

 

Rather get a muffin recipe, protein, carbs, everything you need. Some people swear by baby potatoes. On longer rides if I was to take food it would be banana's and carbonossi (its got loads of protein and the oils that provide carbs).

 

[/quote']

 

I agree 100%. The fast fuel bars are not too bad though. I find.

 

We did the Giants castle challenge the one year and right and the top of what felt like the highest point in the berg they had boild potatos and salt. best thing I have ever eaten. only thing that got me to the finish line that day.

 

[virgo]

I agree with you, SB.  Nothing can beat real food.

And it tastes much better than all those sticky, sweet stuff.

 

[Dibles]

"Full for longer" low GI bread from Woolies smeared with a bit of sugar-free peanut butter.

[The Saint]

Pre-race meals

 

Night before

 

?     A light meal should be enjoyed just to top up on glycogen stores.

 

?     Focus on carbohydrates and avoid high fat or fibre foods.

 

?     Pasta, rice or potato with chicken or fish.

 

MuXmAn2010-01-13 07:15:49

[The Saint]

Early in the morning

 

?     Have a light meal with a little bit of protein e.g. Oats/Pronutro (not whole-wheat)/Peanut butter and toast.

 

?     It does not matter if the starch is low or high GI.

 

MuXmAn2010-01-13 07:15:02

[The_Break]

you can pretty much eat anything you want so long as your body can convert it into energy and that there is enough of it. Most of us ride at about 500-1000kJ/hour(easy ride to racing) and if you convert that roughly to kJ you need to eat with all the losses in digesting and harnessing the energy it works out to 2000-4000kJ/hour. Obvioulsy you have your Glycogen stores and still fat reserves to work off of, but if you were to ride for say more 2 hours at huge intensity then it wouldn't be a bad thing eating at least half this much if you can get it down. Thats 3 jungle oat bars every hour.

 

Needless to say, I get away with 1 Powerbar per/hour on training rides of medium intensity for up to 5 hours. But then I am hungry.

 

Races of over 3 hours I chow big. When you get hungry it is already way to late and first signs of bonking will come in a weakish feeling in your legs if you are trained that is.

[Help.Me.]

try a handfull of raisins... light to carry....it works for me , or is it all in the mind??

[Cycle Fan]

You should consider 'Infinit' drink. Distributed by Triangle Sports (Ironman SA). You can custom blend it to suit your requirements and contains all the calories, protein, etc that you need so there's no need for any gels or bars. Been using it for a while now and doing the Half IM on it and probably the full.

 

Helps to take the guessing game out of nutrition

 

[HappyMartin]

Not much point in a low GI bran muffin that will take 2 hours to digest and break down to the sugar you need when you are half way through a 3 hour ride and have depleted your reserves and are about to bonk. Heavy low GI food will impact negatively on your performance as your body will divert blood supplies from doing work in your muscles to your intestines to help with the digestion and absorption of the food. If working very hard there is every chance you will simply chuck the muffin up onto the road anyway.

[The_Break]

You should consider 'Infinit' drink. Distributed by Triangle Sports (Ironman SA). You can custom blend it to suit your requirements and contains all the calories' date=' protein, etc that you need so there's no need for any gels or bars. Been using it for a while now and doing the Half IM on it and probably the full.

Helps to take the guessing game out of nutrition
[/quote']

 

Hey I am not being funny when I ask this but it is very hard to believe that a drink can provide as many calories as is needed for those events. People will most certainly bonk on fluids alone. Can you look at the label and tell me what the max calorie mix is for a high concetrate formula?

[FujiKing]

I have tried the energy bars and gels and it works a bit i suppose, but let me tell you the best thing for me is a brown bread peanut butter sandwich. Take a bite every one in a while and my energy levels stay up all the way. It's cheap and it tastes great if you are out on the mtb.