Make SIS BETA fuel yourself just a few pence per bottle

You would be correct! Folks need to focus less on isotonic solution and just meeting the following needs:

  1. Carb needs per hour

  2. Sodium needs per hour.

  3. Fluid needs per hour.

Doing so with closer to a net 8-18% solution is probably more optimal in most conditions. Maybe 12-18% in cooler conditions, and 8-12% in hotter conditions. I generally just target 12-14% personally unless I’m at the end of a 4-6-hr ride and dehydrated, in which case I’ll move it down to 8-10%.

This post and my others below it in the same thread may be informative.
I discuss much of this at length, ICYMI.

I think they may be citing my book when they make these quotes on the podcast but I’m not sure. Haven’t listened yet. I know they had cited it in the past, but perhaps they’re citing the Gonzalez review. I need to go listen!

Gatorade is hard to know. Sucrose is first ingredient. Dextrose is next (ie. glucose outside the body). If it’s 95% sucrose and 5% dextrose, it could be quite optimal. I doubt that though. Gatorade has touted 2:1 ratio for a long time. It’s probably close to 1 sucrose : 1 glucose, which gives a 2:1 gluc:fruc ratio.

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Anyone have amazon links to what to buy?

Seems like the current thinking his shifted to 1:1 glucose to fructose aka sucrose, aka table sugar.

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I have done 3h and 4h upper end z2 rides with table sugar/Torq energy powder to taste/0,5 tsp of salt per bottle. 90-100g carbs/hr. Seems to be working just fine.

Thanks @Dr_Alex_Harrison, this will save me a pretty penny in the long run :slightly_smiling_face:

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@abg, links are in my post #167 above.

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From my post here: At-Home Hydration/Nutrition for an idiot: Triathlon Forum: Slowtwitch Forums

  1. Sugar
  2. Gatorade
  3. Sodium Citrate

Zefal Magnum Bottles (32oz)
Additional Universal Bottle Mount

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Thanks for this.
I’ve been experimenting with mixing my own fuel for the last few months, to great success so far. I recently purchased a big bag of Sodium Citrate so am now looking to incorporate that, but am a bit lost on how much to use.
I’m mixing malto + water in a 750ml bottle for trainer rides. How much sodium citrate would I be looking to use in 750ml, if I go through the bottle in about 1h15m? Would 1 tsp be about right, if I’m looking to get roughly 1,000mg of sodium per hour?

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Yep! Bingo.

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What’s the serving size for sodium citrate?
My bag didn’t have a measurement

I think 1 tsp = 1000 mg

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I tried doing the sugar and Gatorade but I could not handle how sweet it was. Can I replace the sugar with Maltodextrin? And if so what would the ratio be?

I was showing 1/3 teaspoon being 600mg.

Thanks, all stuff ordered.

For table salt, that’s pretty close. For sodium citrate, there is about half the sodium per tsp, as for table salt.

Clarifying: Sodium Citrate has about 1000mg sodium per tsp. Table salt (NaCl) is about 2000mg sodium per tsp.

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Thanks

I’ve heard a few people mention Sodium Alginate, how does it differ to sodium citrate?

Sodium alginate = 1 sodium ion + 1 alginate ion
Sodium citrate = 3 sodium ions + 1 citrate ion

Higher osmotic effect of sodium alginate for same amount of sodium. (more molecules)

No benefit of sodium alginate. (hydrogel is bunk)

Use sodium citrate.

Probably minimal difference in majority of cases, as with sodium chloride.

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Thanks, so last dumb question as its still confusing my little brain.

How much of each do you need to get the 1000mg sodium? :flushed:

1 tsp sodium citrate ≅ 1000mg of sodium.

Dunno re: alginate!

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It’s a while since I ordered, but found my spreadsheet when I was working it out. Using Bulkpowders (Dextrose/ Maltodextrin mix; Fructose; electrolyte) it was coming out a 8 cent a bottle I think. Bulk or MyProtein, you have to be prepared to go when they have the 45% or 50% off.