My husband and I use Accelerade for training rides and races.  For shorter rides, Gatorade.  I'm a big fan of Cliff Blocks, especially when running.  I like Cliff bars for longer rides (but, not runs).  I have used Heed because I won some in a race and it was fine for the shorter rides I used it for.  Never used it for anything long or hard though.  I've had good experience with most Gels and use them during races.  After any substantial effort, I find the nearest diner and get a bowl of oatmeal with a side of scrambled egg whites.  Tom (my husband) goes for pancakes and a side of egg whites and he'll eat a Cliff bar on the way to the diner.  Tom has inexhaustible power and speed on the bike so maybe there's something to learned there.  I just can't eat that much.

----- Original Message ----
From: Katie Marshall <kttrue@gmail. com>
To: WCCChat@yahoogroups .com
Sent: Tuesday, September 9, 2008 6:33:06 AM
Subject: Re: [WCCChat] Re: Electrolyte and Recovery Drinks/Products

In training for the half iron, I have discovered that nutrition is hugely important.  After the body uses up its store of sugar, you have to refuel or you bonk.  It's just like a car running out of gas.  I have been using Accelerade, but I am going to try Heed because that's what they have in the water bottle exchange.  It is a Hammer product, and I like the Hammer gel. I hate Amino Vital (gives me a stomach ache) and won a container, so if anyone likes it and wants it, let me know.  Gels are good as they digest well, but I put them in a squeeze bottle rather than opening little packets. I sweat out a lot of salt, so I need to take Endurolite tabs.  Nunn tabs in water work well for shorter rides when I don't need the sugar.  I have talked to lots of people about nutrition, and it turns out a lot of pros use candy and coke!  Basically, I think the message is, for long periods of moderate to high exertion, you need water, sugar, electrolytes and, if you want to perform a bit better, caffeine.  How you choose to get all that depends on your body and tastes.  300 cal per hour of sugar seems to be the minimum recommended.  But, it has to be digestible.  I tried Milky Way bars last weekend but they were too hard to chew and didn't digest quick enough.  Oh, and almost everyone I speak with uses ibuprofen in fairly large doses.  It kills pain, obviously, but also controls inflammation. I think you have to be careful about that because it can inhibit kidney function so you have to make sure you have enough water and electrolytes.  But, I take up to 800mg over the course of 6 hours or so.
 
Afterward the key seems to be building back up your muscles, and protein is the way to do that.  Also, if you have lost electrolytes in spite of your efforts, you need to get them back in your system.  They were giving away Zino, which is coconut juice, at a race and I discovered I love it.  It has lots of potassium, so it's good after a race or hard workout.  Endurance r4, which you mix with milk for a chocolate milkshake taste, is delicious and seems to work well.  But, my favorite recovery drink is beer.  Add a banana split and I'm good to go.

I'm looking forward to the hearing about nutrition at the next club meeting.  One thing I have learned about food, and this is more from being a mom and teacher for over 20 years, everyone has a different opinion and most think theirs is the right opinion.  Taking in information and deciding for yourself is the smart way to go, in my opinion!

On Mon, Sep 8, 2008 at 11:33 PM, Avram Karel <avram53@optonline. net> wrote:

Everyone, Thanks for the feedback! I welcome additional comments. Ave

--- In WCCChat@yahoogroups .com, "Hagen" <hagen@...> wrote:
>
> When it comes to drinking I am following the advice of the sport and
> nutrition professor back at the University of Heidelberg ...:
> Sufficient water. And if you want to go crazy: Mix water with apple
> juice ... This can get fancy as a recovery drink: Mix the apple juice
> with sparkling water :-) ("Schorle")
>
> Eating on the bike is for me normally not much of a problem. Found
> that the Trader Joe's cereal bars work great (except that they are
> hard to open with one hand and mouth...). Or a banana (same problem).
> For running: I am still searching for a replacement of my 40 cents
> whey-based bars from Germany. Taste and texture works better for me
> than gels and they are easy enough to chew and swallow (better than
> powerbars), even when you don't have water around. One per hour (150
> cal) when I go longer than 2.5 hrs is ok, incl. a marathon. For
> anything less I don't eat.
>
> All these suggestions do however not really support the nutrition
> supplements industry ;-)
>
> Hagen
>