thanks so much for that reply. I’m going to save that table for sure haha.
I started to use them but because bulk has flavored bcaa and their mojito flavour tastes extremely good I add small amount to my carbs for a taste. So now I see valid reason - thanks for the article.
@Dr_Alex_Harrison It might sound like a bit of a dumb question but what happens to the excess carbs if you take in more than the amounts you’re recommending in the table above? Do they get stored as glycogen or turn to fat, or is there some other process that kicks in? If you consume more than the recommended amounts, won’t the excess carbs contribute to the recovery process? Does the answer begin with “it depends…” ?
Just strap some whole roast chickens to your bars
Gut cramps, most likely!
If consuming more than the lower amounts recommended in the shorter sessions, where you might be able to tolerate higher carbs per hour than the maximums recommended for performance enhancement, just glycogen storage after the workout.
100% agree on this. There is a huge difference in fueling a 90 min zone 2 to ride in the middle of a 5-7 hour week and a 15-20 hour training week. Same goes for what workout was before and after. Like most things the answer on how to fuel for 90 min z2 ride…it depends
I’ve personally slowly worked up to almost 140-160g for 1hr-1.5hr workouts. That is usually in the morning when I don’t eat breakfast, when I do eat breakfast beforehand I get cramps after more than 100g an hour. It’s definitely individual and takes time but I feel so much better and don’t end up stuffing my face as much any more throughout the day!
Even zone 2 workouts I’ll consume at least 100g an hour. It helps me feel so much better the rest of the day!
Yep, and thereby avoiding the high fat/sal/sugar triad of convenient snacks. Proper fueling eliminates this!
Hint: a second bottle with pure water. Sip from carb bottle. Sip from water bottle, rinse, swallow. Easily mitigated. Even scientifically proven.
You’re welcome …
I guess gut bacteria have to fuel their workouts too
Got any literature to back that up? Would love to see it because I’ve previously viewed the best attack on my sugar-water advice as the dental hygiene argument.
That meme was just that… a meme. I guess this is the wrong thread for jokes .
Not sure about the data/lit, but my dentist who’s an athlete has always recommended to me brushing my teeth post-recovery meal and doing what @sryke mentioned, it will be better for my teeth in the long run.
Without too much digging, one orthodontists shared that disagrees:
It will clear sugars, but the problem is how quickly the bacteria can absorb, metabolize, and store sugars. All the data tells us this is more or less immediate and well established biofilms can continue to make acids for hours after sugars are gone. Xylitol is great because it will compete with available sugars and then starve out the bad bacteria.
With rinsing after meals you want to make it a rinse that will re-balance your oral pH quickly to combat the initial drop.
Nobody is too worried with all the sugar intake?
I thought I saw some study passing by that the sugar is directly converted to glucose hence no “bad” for the body?
Dental health is a big one and this needs to be taken care of.
Main culprit for dental erosion is the acidity of a sports drink. The more citric acid and other acidic flavours are in there, the more acidic → dental erosion. Rinsing with water does not really help anymore as the harm is already done upon first contact. Therefore, DIY carb drinks with higher pH (at least above 5.5). A pure table sugar solution has a neutral pH.
Then, drinking style. Gulping! Shoot the stuff into the back of your mouth. No holding or rinsing:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1600-0722.2004.00172.x
The carbs harm through bacteria. Bacteria feed on them and produce acid → dental erosion. This process does not happen at once as with the direct uptake of acid. Therefore, reduce frequency and time of exposure. Rinse with water asap after exposure.
Good to know! Are you a dentist? Looks like that’s another win for home brews with sucrose!
Makes swallowing easier too, when using a concentrated front bottle. Another win-win. Thanks for sharing this. Not sure how I missed it!
I did a test run with a 10% solution made with gatorade powder plus sucrose. Between this drink, some gummy bears, and some Cokes I did 88grams/hour over about 5 hours with no issues other than the drink being really sweet. Not sure if I could limit myself to drinking just this over an everest (20-24 hours for me), but I think that would be more from a taste perspective than a digestibility one.
I may try a 12-24% solution, however as it warms up over the summer I need to be careful about matching how much I drink to the concentration to not go over my target carbs.
Nice! Yeah, that 16-24% range works okay if you’re under 100g/hr and also not sweating heavily. If either of those aren’t true, in my experience, you’re going to suffer if you start pushing up towards, and above, 20% solution.
Sorry…a bit late to this topic and trying to get a summary of what looks like amazing insights here. I currently put 60-80g of maltex in a 750ml/26oz bottle and on z2 ish longer rides I consume 2 bottles on 3-4hrs. In warm weather I add a micro scoop of electrolyte powder. I have just bought some 1L/33oz bottles though.
I have some 6-7hr GFs coming up and trying to work out how to get the max amount of carbs in across the rides? I’m slightly nervous as I’m vegan and on a couple of the rides the organisers have handily confirmed they wont offer any vegan solid food options except for perhaps some fruit I know I’m going to be quite reliant on the first 2 bottles I bring with me and possibly some ziploc bags of pre-made mix. What should I bring for the bottles?
Thanks for any insights.
This is quite low on water. I consume 1 bottle per hour (22oz) with 90g of GU Roctane.