As others have mentioned here, it seems odd to be experiencing maltodextrin as “too sweet.” Pure maltodextrin is often perceived as unenjoyably unsweet, by many folks (myself included).
If indeed it is too sweet, adding more sodium generally cuts back on the sweetness perception. Salt or sodium citrate will do the trick. Combining it with other sour flavor sources like lemon juice or citric acid may help too, but I’d be mystified if you were experiencing malto+salt as too sweet.
Since you’re in AZ, adding sodium will definitely help things. You’re going to be sweating plenty to merit it. And you could probably do with consuming more water alongside it.
Recommendation summary:
First, ensure that what you’re consuming and perceiving as too sweet is actually pure maltodextrin.
THEN, if yes:
Add Table Salt or Sodium Citrate, or both, to your maltodextrin beverage. Target sodium content of 1000-2500mg/L.
Use enough water with your maltodextrin beverage to make sure it’s down to 100-150g/L.
Chase each big swig of malto+salt mix with fresh water immediately afterwards.
If still too sweet, add citric acid or lemon juice or other sour flavor.
Next hard effort 60+ miler is tomorrow morning. 5 a.m. wake up; 6 a.m. start. Should start around 72 degrees and climb up to 80-82 degrees.
I have a mix of ~30g malto (yes, it’s 100% maltodextrin (tapioca base)) + salt + crystalized lemon for one 24oz bottle. Water in the second bottle. Because I haven’t bought any gels yet, I will take a pb&j and/or pick some ‘trash’ at the gas station at the half way point. I will also be able to refill my mix bottle there with (diluted) gatorade.
I intend to attempt to eat a large bowl of cheerios and a banana for breakfast at ~5:30, just before heading out the door.
I had a big breakfast this morning, a post-commute cliff bar, and a substantial lentil+veggie burrito for lunch.
I have no real answer for your dinner question, other then pots of carbs with few fibres.
It’s your on bike fueling that is concerning, with only 30g fluid carbs for 60 (hard) miles will mean you have to eat lots of solid carbs. That wont’t go over well I fear.
Trying to work my way up to putting more in the bottle. I have done this ride the last few times without eating anything before the half way mark and didn’t die (even stayed with the front group longer than expected). So hopefully this is a baby step in the right direction and “not dying” will gradually evolve into performing well as I learn to stomach more carbs.
Firstly, it takes a while to train your stomach to handle more and more.
I used to either bonk or have gastric issues in ironman’s 6h bike leg: triathlon is the fine line between glory and vomit.
400 kCal was barely enough but 500 was too much and that fine line was highly temperature dependent. If it’s too hot, then i could not digest.
For me, Maurten (liquid or gel) was game changer. I can go to 600 kcal / hour no issue if at least 200 kcal are maurten
Coming back to this to thank everyone. I’ve paid much, MUCH more attention to my friday dinners and now won’t go to the start without breakfast in me. Eat at the start (e.g., cliff bar, fig bar, stroop waffle, granola bar, banana, or molassas chews). Swigs from ~60g bottle for the first half (using mostly malto, less sugar + lemon really helped cut the sweetness). Eat at half way regroup (real food). And now I have advanced to tolerating a couple shots of maple syrup for the second half. I can now hang with the leaders for the entire second half (at least until their race-season fitness kicks back in), and I feel good enough to get extra miles in after. Also: last two weeks I had my first two races. Podiums (second) for both. So thank you all again!
(Updating for thanks, but also in case anyone is doing searches for similar topics and is similarly skeptical about stomaching lots of sugar, like me…)
