Energy to Break Through The "Wall"

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BikeNut5
BikeNut5 Posts: 57 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
O.K. For all of you who ride long distances what do you take with you for fuel?I really need to know what to do when I hit that proverbial wall.I really don't want to overload with caffeine . I've heard about gels & powders you would mix in your water.Also I heard about power bars & protein bars. Are these things helpful or harmful in the long run?Then there's the matter of cost.Isn't there anything like fruit or nuts that would do the same as these caffeine products?Please any suggestions would be helpful..Thanks!

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  • glenr79
    glenr79 Posts: 283 Member
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    Go to Wal-mart and buy you some cliff bars!! They are made for long distance endurance events!! trust me
    O.K. For all of you who ride long distances what do you take with you for fuel?I really need to know what to do when I hit that proverbial wall.I really don't want to overload with caffeine . I've heard about gels & powders you would mix in your water.Also I heard about power bars & protein bars. Are these things helpful or harmful in the long run?Then there's the matter of cost.Isn't there anything like fruit or nuts that would do the same as these caffeine products?Please any suggestions would be helpful..Thanks!
  • mmhenry28
    mmhenry28 Posts: 163 Member
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    I used to work for Iron Man events and those that weren't using those electrolyte drink things or power bars were eating bananas!
  • daves160
    daves160 Posts: 600
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    WalMart has Clif Builders(organic) for a good price.
    I usually take one of them along with Shotblocks or some other instant Carb blob thingy.

    The trick is to keep hydrated(the days before and during) your ride. Some people like Gatorade or something similar. I prefer just water.
    ...And eat as you go. Don't wait until you start feeling weak, it is too late then.

    I also like a nice plate of Spaghetti with meat sauce the night before. Good preload for carbs and protein.

    Think about how many cals you are going to burn, and try to keep them replaced as you go.
  • leachan79
    leachan79 Posts: 15 Member
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    I don't cycle, but i do run marathons. I normally take half a protein bar and top up with gels in the middle of the race (take it with water). It does give me the little burst of energy to finish my race. It work faster, in giving us the burst of energy than food. There are some gels which has no caffeine as well.
    But then again, i hardly take them on normal days because i read that we shouldn't take it too much. Probably everything is about moderation. :) For cheaper options, during hiking, i normally bring along some dark chocolate for energy..hehe..but running i couldn't stop and eat my bar of chocolate so i go for gels.
  • deebauer145
    deebauer145 Posts: 47 Member
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    When I do century rides I tend to hit the "wall" around 85 miles. When this happens I usually take a Hammer Endurolyte capsule and in less than 10 minutes I feel like I have new legs. It usually lasts an hour...just enough to get me to the finish line. I also use Clif Shot Blocks during long workouts.
  • AZTrailRunner
    AZTrailRunner Posts: 1,199 Member
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    I've done several Half Ironman events (5 hours), and got by mostly with gels, and maybe some Fig Newtons. Powdered drinks and gels absorb faster than solid foods, which is why they are so popular, but hour after hour of eating them can sometimes bug your belly. So it can be nice to eat something solid along the way if you can carry it.

    If you get your sugar/ carbs through gels, then skip the Gatorade. Too much sugar can give you watermelon belly.... a discomfort you DON'T want to deal with. Use one form or the other.

    You can also supplement with Endurolytes or various other pillls (potassium, sodium, and other electrolyte replacements).

    The key is to experiment on shorter rides so you don't get yourself into trouble when it really counts.

    During multi-hour events, you may wish to refuel about every 30 minutes.
  • TheBigYin
    TheBigYin Posts: 5,686 Member
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    If we're talking non-competitive riding - i.e. not in a bunch, where you need to keep up with the others or you'll get dropped and have to ride in alone, the energy gels are overkill imo. When I was riding longer distance stuff (12 hour T/Trials, 300km+ Audax rides etc - before my knee problems a few years ago!), I used to just pack up small-ish sandwiches - say 3" of baguette with calorie rich fillings - peanut butter and jelly / banana & honey / Ham and Brie - squash 'em down, and double wrap 'em in foil - perfect for in the cycling shirt pocket (or bar/saddlebag on longer rides). For real emergencies - I have been known to dive into local shops and buy a bag of Jelly Babies - half a dozen of those and it'd see me up the next hill.

    Secret of distance riding is not to actually get to the point where you do get "the knock" - keep eating a little and often, just to top up. It's not easy at the best of times, and harder still when you're base diet is already a "reducing diet" - you're going into things short-fuelled as it is. Cycling for a longer distance is just one of those situations where - in MFP parlance - you really DO have to eat back some of those exercise calories. You've already realised it's possible to burn 3000+ calories on a 4h20m 55 mile ride - doing that WITHOUT eating some of it back is not going to be sustainable my friend. From your food diary, you're daily intake is 1450kcal ?? So, you're talking the equivalent of fasting for 2 days that week by making that one single ride! My advice is to make sure that in any single day, you try not to ride more calories away than your daily ration - and if you do ride more calories away, then eat them back - preferably before the ride in the form of a good slow-release breakfast and during the ride.

    When you're burning 3000+ calories a day, frankly, if your eating healthy food, it's actually quite hard work to eat enough to keep you going!

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