Energy Gel Strategies - Triathlon
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deepbluex posted 2 years ago.
I quit buying sports gels and instead got myself a big box of 200 single-serving packets of honey. I strap two on my bike and keep the water bottle full of water. It's been working out pretty well and it's much easier on the pocketbook.
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1315 days
bluebirdbiker posted 2 years ago.
I sometimes do the same thing. Take a smaller water bottle and put in a concentrated solution of honey with water. I put this in the lower bottle cage or in one of the two behind the seat. I carry solid food too. The lower bottle cages have water and gatorade.
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kylie posted 2 years ago.
I like eGel ([url]http://www.cranksports.com/products/eGel/default.asp)[/url]. I've never looked at the sugars in it, but just checked and it looks like it has less sugar in each packet. And more cals. I just like the flavor (either strawberry or mountain rush, which is citrus) and found it to work well for me.
I tend to use the same gels for the whole race, or mix if I run out and the aid stations have a different one.
From what I understand bonking is when your body is out of glycogen to burn and then can't even use fat for energy (since the fat to energy process uses glycogen in it), which means there is just nothing left for it to use. So I would think that if you are taking in enough sugars to keep your body going, taking sugar wouldn't lead to a bonk. But that just seems to make sense to me right now, and could be totally wrong :)
835
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1381 days
glbrum posted 2 years ago.
I've used Power gels for about 1 year now and they work great. I just recently started using Fig Newtons. 2 fig's every 30 minutes and I'm in business. They work just as well as the Power gels and they a bunch cheaper. Obvioulsy everyone is different in the digestion, but encourage you to try a buch of different things before you decide on one.
4508
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1646 days
kylie posted 2 years ago.
I love fig newtons, esp when biking! It's easy to grab one and munch on it without hands, and I like having both on the handlebars (esp in mtn biking). They are awesome, and since I love the taste it's easier to get them down.
401
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1202 days
TBRAVO posted 2 years ago.
I like PowerGel, chocolate and orange flavors. Keep them in the fridge and grab a few as I go out the door. They get really thick when they are cold (yum). I stock up when Performancebike has them on sale. I also agree on the Fig Newtons, one of my favs. I have an orange tree in my backyard, so this time of year oranges are also one of my staple energy sources.
- T
3354
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1414 days
RV posted 2 years ago.
I like PowerGel and HammerGel. Tried honey once, but didn't work out too well for me. I also like bringing some solid food for long rides. I've tried PowerBites and will also bring along a PB&J cut up in a bag, so I can pull out a bite-sized piece as I pedal on. Sometimes nice to chew something.
RV
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bluetri posted 2 years ago.
On an Olympic distance I used 3-4 GU's during the race. They were spaced out about 25-35 minutes apart. I also took one about 20-30 minutes before the race. Make sure to drink enough water with GU otherwise you may have some painful gas issues.
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RV posted 2 years ago.
bluetri wrote:
On an Olympic distance I used 3-4 GU's during the race. They were spaced out about 25-35 minutes apart. I also took one about 20-30 minutes before the race. Make sure to drink enough water with GU otherwise you may have some painful gas issues.
Ya, drink water with gels, and not sports drink.
RV
It takes a long time to get good. - Scott Molina
Slow is smooth; smooth is fast. - Rich Strauss
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1408 days
brittda posted 2 years ago.
bluetri wrote:
On an Olympic distance I used 3-4 GU's during the race. They were spaced out about 25-35 minutes apart. I also took one about 20-30 minutes before the race. Make sure to drink enough water with GU otherwise you may have some painful gas issues.
If you take them too often you will have the issues. 45-60 min is what is recommended. I have no problems with the sports drink, but when I take them too close (ie 25-35 min appart) I get nauseous.
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1252 days
Beldrueger posted 2 years ago.
I work on the theory of slightly more nutrition on the bike portion. I use the AccelGel. Vanilla is the only decent flavor. Chocolate is horrible. I take one 20 min before the race. One after the swim. One every 25 min on the bike. I slow it down before the run and during the run to about every 40 minutes. I weigh about 175 in race trim. I've never had any nutrition issues yet. My longest race so far, an xterra, was 3:43, and I felt solid all the way through.
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1176 days
bluetri posted 2 years ago.
brittda wrote:
If you take them too often you will have the issues. 45-60 min is what is recommended. I have no problems with the sports drink, but when I take them too close (ie 25-35 min appart) I get nauseous.
Scratch what I said earlier. Brittda is right. I was taking them 45-60 mins apart. Don't know why I thought it was 25-35, I would've been super full eating that many. Sorry, I didn't do my math correctly I would've eaten 6 packets if I had them every 30mins.
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rjkowski posted 2 years ago.
I am sure that by now you have realised that everybody has a little bit different strategy. You've got to figure out what works best for you during a race. Try a few different gels for flavor, and find out which ones you like. Then use the gels during your training to make sure they will work for you during your race.
During really long rides (4+ hours) I can't live off of gel alone, so I will usually eat a Powerbar every 1.5 hours. This gives me something a little more substantial in my stomach that just gels.
Just remember not to try anything for the first time on race day. Good luck!
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1065 days
kwmccasl posted 2 years ago.
I greatly appreciate all of the input from everyone. I will try a few different things. Never know till you experiment a little!
Thanks again and God Bless
Hello Everyone,
Kinda new to the nutrition strategies so im hoping i can get a little help. I am looking at various energy gels. Gu gels have a high concentration of complex carbs and gels such as energice have a very high concentration of sugars. I had read that too many simple sugars can lead to a bonk. Do you guys recommend one vs the other? Do any of you mix the two at different stages of the race? I am trying to avoid the dreaded bonk and am trying to live off of your experience.