Sugar for fueling rides

I just bought some maltodextrin just to try it. So if I want 2:1 I mix 1/3 maltodextrin to 2/3 sugar, correct?

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You can substitute some or all of the white sugar with brown sugar. Not sure what the composition of it is, but it tastes significantly less sweet. Or you can dilute it more when training indoors, i.e. 100 gram sugar in 1liter of water. As long as it doesn’t become too much liquid to drink

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Correct. You want one part maltodextrin to two parts sugar. Since maltodextrin is all glucose and sugar is half glucose/half fructose, you end up with 2 parts glucose to 1 part fructose

I usually use a kitchen scale: 30g maltodextrin plus 60g sugar. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt for about 1150mg of sodium, plus some lemon or lime juice to cut the sweetness. Or just add a hydration tab such as NUUN or SIS for the sodium & flavor. SIS cola flavor is my favorite…makes your drink taste like a flat coke

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Awesome, the cola flavor sounds interesting. I’m gonna try that.

Real Cola is also 1:1, so technically you could just buy a Coke or Pepsi 2 liter, let it flatten in the fridge, and add some maltodextrin.

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Dude!!!

Can’t remember who it was, but there was a famed marathoner who relied on flat coke exclusively as his race-day fuel.

Probably Frank Shorter. Although coke was used by many he was popular and the coke idea is ascribed to him by some. Good stories anyway. Flat coke is energy and also helps settle a nervous stomach before races.

When bonking on long rides back then (70s), it was always time to stop and get a coke and snickers to get home.

All those years gone and the answer is still sugar (and caffeine)

:grimacing:

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And even without the maltodextrin, it would put you at about 70g per large (750ml) water bottle which fine for most rides.
Anyone know how “not real” coke splits out on the fructose:glucose ratio? I guess since it’s sweetened with HFCS, you’d be throwing the ratio towards too much fructose…

This has some fun graphs…Fructose content in popular beverages made with and without high-fructose corn syrup - ScienceDirect

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How much water do you mix this with?

The “recipe” above is for a large water bottle (750ml/25 oz).

That’s a great question because mixing it too strong affects the tonicity/osmolality. As I understand it, if the drink’s osmolality is higher than your blood’s, then water will be pulled from your blood into your intestine to help with absorption.

Pretty sure the Norwegian Cross country ski team still uses a mix of flat coke & powdered coffee for longer races like the 50k. Simplicity works :wink:

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An oft-quoted bit of advice in my tri club is that a flat coke is your best chance of averting potential disaster during a full-distance run leg, and if that doesn’t work then you’re doomed.

That sounds disgusting! I’m going to try it.

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I had one of these for wine, and guess what, it is an ace pop flattener. Even 1 pass through is nearly flat, 2 passes it has next to no carbonation left.

https://www.amazon.com/Vinturi-V1010-Essential-Decanter-Enhanced/dp/B000UPOJ5W?tag=offersamzn-20&ascsubtag=03pcCHZ7mNCDR6TylEKVOtJ

…best with a roll of Mentos.

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