Gels

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rsvdaz

New Member
Location
Devon
been reading on the forum that gels should to be used as an energy "injection" ie. on the approach to a hill climb....how far before the hill should these be consumed to actually get the energy?
 

mr Mag00

rising member
Location
Deepest Dorset
its not a fuel injection . ime it is not someting which you can feel. expensive way of getting up a hill. develop strength and use gels for long rides where you may not wish to stop for a lunch break
 

gavintc

Guru
Location
Southsea
I did a gran fondo at the weekend with some long hills. I took a gel as I arrived at the foot of each climb and felt the difference a few minutes (5-10 mins) later. One of the hills was 25 km in length and I was in need of more by the top. Thankfully, I was handed a 1/2 banana as I went over the summit and consumed an energy bar on the descent. So, to answer your question - a short delay, but a noticeable increase in perkiness in your legs. You are able to pull away from the group and make a gap.
 

amaferanga

Veteran
Location
Bolton
I think the immediate effect is a placebo related to having something on your tongue. Probably a good 20 minutes before you see any real effect.
 

Rohloff_Brompton_Rider

Formerly just_fixed
if you bonk, they seem to be quite ineffective. i use them on very long rides (long to me anyway ,60+ miles) i couple them with small bits of food often. they do work, but can lead you into a false sense of feeling great and pushing too hard. this in turn can lead to the dreaded bonk. if taken before the bonk, i reckon about 10 to 15 mins before that invincible feeling kicks in.
 

Banjo

Fuelled with Jelly Babies
Location
South Wales
Instead of a big energy hit from a sports gel could you achieve a more spread out boost by nibbling sugary sweets as you ride? Preferably jelly babies :-)
 

lukesdad

Guest
In answer to the question, depends how long the climb is. You are probably going to need something extra towards the top. If its a long one this presents a problem. I would say about 10 mins before but, if it takes you 25 mins to climb, you would be taking it on the climb. Thats a waste of energy. Far better to have consumed solid food throughout the ride.
 

Rohloff_Brompton_Rider

Formerly just_fixed
it's also a bloody expensive way to get uphills.
 

navrat_biker

New Member
Location
UK
gels work within about 5-10 mins so should be timed for when you are feelin the lag in pace. there are gels with or without caffeine so depends on which you would prefer.
One of the best sellers is SiS gel and high 5. if you want any further advice/info you can PM me if you like or email at contact@bodymaxsupplements.co.uk
 

jimboalee

New Member
Location
Solihull
mr Mag00 said:
its not a fuel injection . ime it is not someting which you can feel. expensive way of getting up a hill. develop strength and use gels for long rides where you may not wish to stop for a lunch break

I can feel an increase in 'get up and go' after swigging back a can of full sugar Coke.

I used to mix up Glucose powder in Water with salt and Ribena. I certainly felt the effects of a couple of mouthfuls of that.
 

Fiona N

Veteran
I agree with Gavintc - the gels I occasionally use (SiS) definitely give a short-lived but marked 'perkiness' (great word, that, describes the feeling precisely :smile:) in the legs.
I certainly wouldn't want to use them for a whole long outing (>100km, say) when I can stop at cafes etc. and I don't get that knackered on a short ride that I need them.
But facing Black Horse hill from Sedbergh to Kendal at the back end of 200km through the Dales and a gel is just the boost for those 18% ramps on the mile-long climb
 

Fiona N

Veteran
jimboalee said:
I can feel an increase in 'get up and go' after swigging back a can of full sugar Coke.

I've fairly often used a can of coke - warm is best as the CO2 gas is lost quicker but it's rather unpalatable - at the end of a long hard ride to get me back the last 30km or so. I reckon the combo of sugar and caffeine gives a more sustained energy peak than a gel (10-15mins for a small gel v. 1 hour per 330ml can). The problem is the time to drink the stuff (which I don't like) with all that fizz... not a pleasant experience :smile:
 
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