What does everyone eat/drink while riding?

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
I have been starting to do some longer rides than my normal hour or 1.5. Last week I did 40 miles (2.25 hours) and I had a power bar before the ride, and another around an hour and I felt pretty good. The second power bar was hard to stomach during the ride but it stayed down.

What are eveyones intervals for eatting during a ride. I plan to get some gels, how often do I use them?
 

NJ-XC-Justin

KY-DH-Freddy
After reading a bit on the MTBR training boards, I've switched from Gatorade to Cytomax because of the different kinds of sugars and the body's ability to process those (sucrose v complex) sugars. For longer rides I'll also throw a granola bar in my bag or jersey for the halfway point. Prior (2-3 hrs) to races and long rides I'll down a double bowl of oatmeal with banana and juice.
 

elzoller

El Guac-Oh
Cliff bars...sometimes dried fruit.
only water on my camelback, I've only used Gatorade on the 24hr races.

I hate the gel packs.
 

idbrian

Crotch Rot
Think i first read about them on MTBR somewhere, but Nuun tablets are awesome for throwing in the camelbak. I large camelbak takes about 4 tablets. But the tablets are basically electrolytes and sodium and are sugar free. I'm not a fan of sugar free products but i have to say these things taste pretty good. They are like 10 calories a tablet and are very easy on your camelbak unlike water downed gatorade. They have a mild and carbonated taste. The taste causes me to drink more.
 

xc62701

Well-Known Member
Short races:
Gu
Water
Accelerade

Longer races:
Water
Accelerade
Gu
Clif Shot Blocks
Bananas
PB&J
 

MEAN IRISH GUY

Horse-faced space dog
i like to have a good oatmeal breakfast and a banana before going out. during i usually have a couple of those Gu packs with me. i just started using em. seem to do the job for a bit of energy.
 

MTB Aussie

Member
Longer rides:
Clif Shot Bloks and Clif Electrolyte Replacement drink in one bottle and Ultima replenisher in the second bottle.
The Clif drink has fuel and electrolytes, Ultima has no fuel but vitamins and full spectrum of electrolytes.

The Clif bloks are a good alternative to gels since they are easier to handle, and once you open the bag you don't have to down them all at once like gels and there is no mess, including a gooey wrapper.
 

743power

Shop: Bicycle Pro
Shop Keep
I've been using HEED and I am liking it. Apparently perpetuem is the long ride equivalent of heed.

I pop a couple of clif gels in my jersey, but usually use only 1 mid ride during a 2-3 hour ride.

Pre-ride I try to eat real food, like fruits, oatmeal or cereal, bagel, or pb&j. Post-ride I usually grab a power/clif/lara/kashi/whatever bar.

Oh yea, don't forget your multi vitamins at night!
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
For a 40 mile road ride, 2 bottles of half-strength Accelerade, or Heed, or Perpetuem. Really doesn't matter just so long as I get some calories in plus the liquid. I avoid solid food on anything that short.

How long are you looking to ride? How hard are you going?
 

Steve Vai

Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
For a 40 mile road ride, 2 bottles of half-strength Accelerade, or Heed, or Perpetuem. Really doesn't matter just so long as I get some calories in plus the liquid. I avoid solid food on anything that short.

True that son. 2-2.5 hours isn't long enough to need food. I use Cytomax personally. Between 1-2 scoops per bottle depending on the intensity that day. 1 bottle per hour to hour and a half. I don't feel regular drinking intervals are 100% needed, example, every 15 minutes on the nose. I find it's more important to drink just AFTER a hard effort when your body needs it and can absorb it easier, rather than going into a hard effort where it just sits in your stomach. Also, I don't eat 3 hours prior to a ride, that way you train using muscle Glycogen, which is the system you want to work for racing. That's all I have, everyone has their own take on this stuff, peep the Hammer nutrition site, there's some great stuff on there. There's also a Hammer Nutrition and a CTS podcast if you're like me and don't like to read:D


-Jim.
 

Kmoodymz3

New Member
...I find it's more important to drink just AFTER a hard effort when your body needs it and can absorb it easier, rather than going into a hard effort where it just sits in your stomach. Also, I don't eat 3 hours prior to a ride, that way you train using muscle Glycogen, which is the system you want to work for racing...

-Jim.

Excellent advise and something most of us forget. Just to add, anything longer than 2 hours and I take in some protein too. Can't be tearing up those muscles that I need so badly. Used to be a Hammer Perpetum person but switched to InfinIT Nutrition. Tastes better to me, and the protein comes from whey which seems to digest better for me than the soy protein in Perpetum.

I'm an all liquid nutrition person. Can't eat solid food when riding. I've even done 24 solo on liquid only. Find what works for you and stick with it.
 

ArmyOfNone

Well-Known Member
Me So Hungry!

I need to eat. I normally am shoving something my mouth every hour. Gels normally are the ticket for shorter rides. After 2 hours some shot blocks or sport beans are good. After that I need something solid like a bar or pbj. mmmm
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
True that son. 2-2.5 hours isn't long enough to need food. I use Cytomax personally. Between 1-2 scoops per bottle depending on the intensity that day. 1 bottle per hour to hour and a half. I don't feel regular drinking intervals are 100% needed, example, every 15 minutes on the nose. I find it's more important to drink just AFTER a hard effort when your body needs it and can absorb it easier, rather than going into a hard effort where it just sits in your stomach. Also, I don't eat 3 hours prior to a ride, that way you train using muscle Glycogen, which is the system you want to work for racing. That's all I have, everyone has their own take on this stuff, peep the Hammer nutrition site, there's some great stuff on there. There's also a Hammer Nutrition and a CTS podcast if you're like me and don't like to read:D


-Jim.


I typically don't eat anything before an hour ride but I will try your recommendations, especially for some longer rides.
 
D

DANSPANK

Guest
I'm not a racer so I don't know if this helps but I do tend to ride between 17-20miles on the Mtb when I head out.

I just use Accelerade. It's tasty to me and I don't have issues with dodgy gut.

On longer rides then I'll chomp a cliff bar or two.
 

CrossAddict

New Member
Food ! Mmmmmm

I like to eat a clif bar and banana a half hour before I ride (on non-racedays). If the ride is less then two hours I just use HEED in one bottle and water in another. More than two calls for more clif bars and bananas. I don't like to use gels unless I'm racing since they seem to make my energy levels inconsistant. Duing the summer months at the VERNON TRAINING CAMP we stop at swimming holes (MTBing) and Cafes (road riding) to fill up.:cool:

-rf
 

EABODS

Member
Vernon training camp in da his-ouse

S a D

Waway on Sunday

Yay Yay Waway

CS

LWD IN da H CS:getsome:
 
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