Powders

[vanboy]

What kind of things do you put in your water bottles for pre,during,and post rides. People I ride with recommend Cytomax products but they seem like more of a meal replacement/high caloric product. I seem to ride better after I have some protein, be nice people, but don’t like to ride with a full stomach. I would greatly appreciate some advice on this subject.
Bob

[bikeamaroq]

I normally don’t put anything in my water bottle, but if I had some gatorade powder, I would put it in my water. Sometimes I bring a bottle of Gatorade instead of water too. Now that I have a CamelBak, that habit is fading though. But back to Gatorade. I think it makes a difference and restores energy quite a bit faster than water, so if you can find the powder, I would try it!

[vanboy]

Thanks,
But I’m not a big fan of the Gatorade powders. I think they are WAY too salty!!!

[JJonas]

Hi Vanboy,

Have you tried Emergen-C? It will just add a little flavor to your water without the higher carbs and salts that you find in Gatorade or Cytomax.

I’ve used Cytomax in the past but now I’m back to Gatorade. Most of the time I don’t mix it at full strength. I sweat a lot so I not only need the salty Gatorade, I also take Endurolyte tablets to keep my electrolytes high enough on extended rides. After a ride, I’ll often drink V8 (again, I think the craving is due to the high salt content) or orange juice mixed with soy whey.

When it comes down to it, everyone is different so each person’s choice of drinks, gels, and solid foods will be different. First and foremost, it’s got to be something you like…A LOT. Then look at the nutritional contents of the drink/food and find other things you like to complement it and make a balanced riding diet (carbs/protein/fat/salt). The longer you’re out on a ride, the more important diet becomes…sometimes it’s difficult to even keep up on your caloric intake/consumption balance. I’ve got a book called "Eating for Endurance" which I thought was useful for the basics but my body doesn’t seem to like some of their recommendations so I’ve modified my riding diet to fit my likes/dislikes.

[bikeamaroq]

Emergen-C is a great idea. The powder has ton of vitamins in it, isn’t salty, and actually tastes pretty good. I’ve tried it at home but never biking. Sometime I’ll add it to my water and see if it’s any good out on the trails.

[Cmorair]

Hammer Nutrition makes some great products that have always worked well for me. You just have to experiment and find what works best for you. I recommend Heed and look forward to trying the new unflavored Heed. Good luck. 😀
http://www.hammernutrition.com/

[Asfyxiate]

I personally enjoy the Clif brand, its organic and it seems to work great for me. Clif shot keeps you up with energy during biking, while Clif Recovery is the post-biking drink, they have energy bars as well, and tons of others you can find them at their website if it seems interesting

http://www.clifbar.com/

[Outdoornut]

There are several Cytomax products. I swear by the Cytomax performance drink, before, during and after the ride. I had problems drinking several other drinks like Gatoraid, SportAid, etc. Gave me some extreme heartburn. A friend of mine who raced all the time put me onto Cytomax performance drink and I’ve been with it since. It does what it says. Only issue I have with it is it gets sticky in the throat so I just drink a shot of water after taking a shot of it. Water in my hydration pack and Cyto in my water bottle.

ODN

[WestVirginiaMTBR]

I’m a big fan of Gatorade Propel. It’s a very low-calorie alternative to the sugar/calorie filled sports drinks. Of course if you’re looking for an energy boost, there isn’t a whole lot of substance here. Just mainly for hydration. Kiwi-Strawberry and Grape rawk!!!

[Author]

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