Have you used any of these in the same quantities as you plan to use during the race?
Bad reactions can hamper performance.
Caffeine works for me. I use those 100 mg Maurten gels.
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Good point. I asked BeetElite if I could brush my teeth before or if this rule only applies to mouthwash. They said brushing was OK, avoid mouthwash.
I wanted to ask about toothpaste with Scope in it (US mouthwash brand) but I don’t think they can split that hair. Their study and others showed it was mouthwash that interrupted the nitrate nitrite nitric oxide pathway.
I personally find it to be helpful even after a year but in studies not everyone does.
Short, off road. I don’t think I would consider any supplements for long races.
I do this habitually in my water bottles
Never. I agree, I’d need to test before race
@ArHu74 What are the positive PE effects of creatine aside from sprint power?
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As I dentist I can tell you mechanical disruption of the pellicle (biofilm) does much more for removal of oral bacteria than mouthwash
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The positive effects of creatine are just too great to mention from better mental performance and wellbeing to just about every performance metric you could imagine
W/kg is a bit of my no so secret weapon. So I don’t use it in season for the potential weight gain handicap, which I do feel immediately. Some coaches like @empiricalcycling have the same reservations.
You might retain a bit of water but not much and all that extra liquid in your body means you don’t need to drink as much
I like Alpha-GPC especially before anaerobic or sprint efforts, it’s in a lot of pre-workouts and also has neuro-protective benefits etc. I suspect it adds some power and sustain to sprints and other short, very hard efforts.
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mmm, evidence is scant. And potential CV issues could be a risk. I’d stay away!
@Brennus is your man on questions like these. I’m flying to his metro area and can track him down if he doesn’t post. Maybe I can sell him some free software, and call on a couple customers lol.
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Thanks for this. I wonder if I should brush my teeth right before heading out, so that’d be about 30 mins after drinking (and swishing) the BeetElite.
I had asked them because in addition to mid-week training, I most critically use it for early Saturday group rides and I defo want to brush my teeth at some point but I also don’t want to wake up earlier than 5:30 (I have to leave the house at 6:45, we roll at 7:00).
Not looking for you to have the definitive answer, but I’m guessing you know more than me.
Anyone aware of research / evidence of the water retention side effect of creatine as a potential benefit in longer events where hydration becomes an issue? Debating whether to cycle off it as I approach leadville this year.
If the event is at altitude or there’s any altitude acclimation, throw iron testing and supplementation into the mix.
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Works. You don’t need me to tell you this if you’ve read the lit, of course. I take 200mg 45 minutes before start. For longer events I’ll take another 200mg every 2-3 hours. The literature would suggest a dose 2x that but I have only ever taken one sip of coffee & I don’t drink soda so I’m not habituated to the drug.
Taken in isolation, works, but not as well as others on this list. If you are going to consider co-ingestion (esp w/ caffeine) I rec you review the available literature on this practice.
I don’t like beet juice. I chew arugula instead since it has more active ingredient and tastes better. Back yard grown arugula tastes fabulous & I craft a pre-race quid by combining leaves of back yard grow stevia.
But, generally, I don’t use it because co-ingestion with caffeine provides no additional benefit. Caffeine is more effective.
Not effective in acute application. Beta Alanine is more appropriate in a chronic stack. If I remember I’ll post a chronic stack at the end of this post.
One thing I will mention regarding acute beta alanine…imo paraesthesia can have a Pavlov’s Bell sort of effect. So if you train your mind to experience paraesthesia and then race hard, maybe there can be some psychological benefit. Similar to smelling salts. But I’m not a big believer.
Works. Low risk if you know what you’re doing. I mix 1tsp plus 1/4tsp in 9oz of water…take 1 bit of a Nature Valley Oats ‘n’ Honey granola bar, chew it up, swallow, wash it down with the bicarb sol’n. Eat the rest of the granola bar. Wait 30 minutes. Eat another granola bar/bicarb sol’n mix. Wait 30 minutes. Just drink another bicarb sol’n mix.
Leave 120 to 180 minutes between consumption of the last bicarb sol’n & your event start time. Two reasons for this…first of all, any gastic impacts from the bicarb will start in 45 minutes and be done in 75 minutes. Second of all, increased buffering capacity in the blood will persist for 180 minutes.
Ergogenic aids that work in chronic application but not in acute application:
1.) Beta Alanine (although review co-ingestion literature!) Short load time so that’s nice.
2.) Creatine (make sure you understand weight gain impact before you start chronic ingestion)
3.) L-carnitine (this one for sure works & probably has better application in longer endurance events but it has a very long loading time & has to be co-ingested with other things. Please review the literature. You have to be kind of disciplined to reap the benefits of l-carnitine loading)
For hot events, if you suffer in the heat, I think Greenleaf/Sims acute sodium loading can be helpful. Trisodium Phosphate can help with chronic loading but you will experience weight gain (again, review the literature, please!)
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Thank you for your contribution.
Is this standard?…I don’t consume caffeine at all. Was thinking about consuming it with a gel 15-25min before start during warmup. This is a short race.
Check
Check
What do you think about the Maurteen formulation?
No. Standard dose recommended in the literature would be more like 300mg to 500mg. I just don’t like feeling that wired. That’s a lot of caffeine for a non-coffee, non-energy-drink, non-pre-workout athlete like myself.
15 to 25 minutes before the event might work depending on the athlete. Caffeine in the gut is as absorbed as it’s going to get (99%, lets say) 45 minutes after consumption. But plasma levels of caffeine reach their peak about 20 minutes after consumption.
(The pharmacology of caffeine | SpringerLink)
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0091305797000038)
“What do you think about the Maurteen formulation?”
It’s OK. The caffeinated gels seem to come on really hard. If I consume ‘alginated’ carbohydrate during a long event I have a lot of gas the next day but no real discomfort. I think if you have trained your gut to absorb dextrose & fructose, that obviates the need for alginate. This may be an individual thing. I encourage you to try it and see…maybe it’s the best thing ever for you.
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Sorry for confusion, I meant their bi-carb formulation. It’s expensive, but the hydrogel thing seems like an ok idea to prevent the gastro issues.
I haven’t tried the bi-carb but I’d be real curious to hear what you think of it if you give it a try.
For me, I 100% have acute bicarbonate loading down. 
So it’s tough to justify the cost. But it does sound like a novel solution.
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I’m full on:
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Creatine
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Beta Alanine
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Cafeine (Race Day)
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Bicarb 4 weeks from race.
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I’m not affiiated or anything so hopefully I’m allowed to post this. This is what I use and enjoy. I also use amp pr lotion only for races
I take all four of these. With regards to caffeine and sodium bicarbonate, I would get 10+ practice runs with them before using them on race day.
Everyone is an individual, so of course ymmv, but here is what I’ve found works. My workouts are all first thing early morning. I am 40, 68-69kg.
For difficult sessions, I mix 3g beta alanine, 20g baking soda, and 2oz water. Swirl in a cup and take it like a college tequila shot. Chase with a Maurten 100 gel, and then over the next hour consume 1L fluid w/ a Maurten 320 and a 350ml cup of coffee. At the same time as the bicarb tequila, take 2x100mg caffeine pills.
In 55-65 minutes you may experience some…distress?…that resolves itself rather quickly. Once that’s taken care of, put on your bibs and take another Maurten 100 gel. Good to go.
The side effects have gotten better over time, and now it has become part of my pre-vo2 and threshold routine.
Depending on the length of the session you may want to add carbs to be consumed on the bike, but from what I gather on this forum have that covered.
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