Health issues with high calorie energy gels/drinks?

[Banjo]

The general advice seem,s to be to keep your blood sugar on an even line with no massive spikes or lows replacing calories used with foods that release energy gradually .

Feeling the bonk coming then downing a massive energy hit to keep going flies in the face of that.

Is there any evidence of long term harm being done?

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

<surmising>
If you're working hard enough that eating true solids isn't an option (or are taking an emergency gel) the GI is important, but only because it will be high - thus rapid energy release ASAP/when you need it. Otherwise the point of a gel is kinda lost<surmise>

Never heard or seen any evidence. Teeth may well take a battering though.

EDIT: Interestingly low GI gels exist http://www.chocolateenergygel.com/

 

[Upstream]

From my understanding (and I'm certainly no expert) the books I've read all seem to say that once you feel the bonk coming on, it's too late to do anything about it and taking a gel or food at that point won't help. They say that the key is ensuring that you take adequate food and drink throughout the activity and definately before you feel any negative effects.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

From my understanding (and I'm certainly no expert) the books I've read all seem to say that once you feel the bonk coming on, it's too late to do anything about it and taking a gel or food at that point won't help. They say that the key is ensuring that you take adequate food and drink throughout the activity and definately before you feel any negative effects.

People recover from bonking all of the time. But yes, consume to prevent.

 

[ColinJ]

From my understanding (and I'm certainly no expert) the books I've read all seem to say that once you feel the bonk coming on, it's too late to do anything about it and taking a gel or food at that point won't help. They say that the key is ensuring that you take adequate food and drink throughout the activity and definately before you feel any negative effects.

Prevention is better than a cure, but the cure is possible.

I bonked on one ride when I was coming to a crossroads. In about 50 metres of cycling, I went from feeling okay to being unable to even work out how to cross the junction safely. I was with a riding partner and we were very close to a supermarket so he went in and bought a sandwich and a can of Coke for me. The Coke got my blood sugar back up pretty quickly but I still felt wobbly so I ate the sandwich and stood and chatted for 10 minutes or so. After that, I felt well enough to continue, but It took 60 - 75 minutes before I really felt back to normal.

 

[Licramite]

well red bull really does give you wings - several deaths related to red bull recently. - it carries an ingredient that makes the blood sticky. - if your about to do high energy activity the body can process it , but lots of people drink it like pop. - and climb the walls afterwards - my daughter who is a primary school teacher has just got the local shop to agree to not sell it to her kids - 7-9 year olds before school. her first lesson of the day was PE as the kids were all hyper.

I always carry food (mars bars) with me as I had a few occasions after work were with 10-15miles to go I bonked big time. - fainting at one point. - It is really hard when you suddenly run out of fuel. as colin said - your brain stops working.
It's particulary dangerous if its wet and cold as you can go down with hyperheria very quickly. - people have died in mild conditions within an hour from it,

 

[Rob3rt]

From my understanding (and I'm certainly no expert) the books I've read all seem to say that once you feel the bonk coming on, it's too late to do anything about it and taking a gel or food at that point won't help. They say that the key is ensuring that you take adequate food and drink throughout the activity and definately before you feel any negative effects.

You most likely won't stop it in its tracks by necking a gel, but you will get over it quicker than if you don't suck a gel down.

 

[Ningishzidda]

Remember. Only put in your stomach as much as you NEED. Any extra will be stored as fat.

 

[SquareDaff]

Anything longer than an hour then work out the calories you'll be consuming and eat continually over the timeframe. Putting in as many calories (or slighly less) as you'll use will stop "bonking" occuring!

 

[Linford]

well red bull really does give you wings - several deaths related to red bull recently. - it carries an ingredient that makes the blood sticky. - if your about to do high energy activity the body can process it , but lots of people drink it like pop. - and climb the walls afterwards - my daughter who is a primary school teacher has just got the local shop to agree to not sell it to her kids - 7-9 year olds before school. her first lesson of the day was PE as the kids were all hyper.

I always carry food (mars bars) with me as I had a few occasions after work were with 10-15miles to go I bonked big time. - fainting at one point. - It is really hard when you suddenly run out of fuel. as colin said - your brain stops working.
It's particulary dangerous if its wet and cold as you can go down with hyperheria very quickly. - people have died in mild conditions within an hour from it,

A colleague of mine (was 42 at the time), not particularly overweight, but had a real thing for minstrels.
He sat down to watch a video, and managed to consume 2 family sized bags of these sweets.
1 hour later, he was having a heart attack...which was brought on by it.

He was an undiagnosed T2 diabetic, and they put him straight onto insulin which saved his life.
He subesquently had a triple bypass op to repair the damage. He is now on pills, to control it, and seems to have better sugar control than I do ATM

When people refer to 'The Bonk', they are actually refering to Hypoglycaemia...or low blood sugar (below 4.0 on the meter), and anyone can go down with this if exercising hard enough...diabetics have much poorer control, and are more at risk of it though..
Better to carry a flapjack than gel drinks as high sugars can be as damaging as low if the person is an undiagnosed diabetic. There is nothing to back up that big hit in a gel drink, and the body struggles to absorb it into the tissue, so the risk of bonking is again fairly high if not backed up with food. If I want to ride 20 miles, I have to eat properly beforehand with lower GI foods or risk going hypo within 10 miles.

 

[Licramite]

This thread has been quite good, it's made me go on line and check out energy drinks/food recommendations - some things I've been doing right and some wrong.

It's recommended you drink energy drinks over water but to check out which agrees with you before commiting it to a ride. - I don't I only take water, so may be orange squash might be worth taking. - all the high energy sportive drinks i've tried are disgusting and leave a strange aftertaste. - and dont quench your thirst. - Oh and you absorb it quicker if its cold so stick an ice cube in it. (not needed right now)
Food, I've got right I take yogute covered flap jacks, nice and moist and just the right stuff - mars bars are ok but when your dehydrated can be a bit cloying to eat.
My big mistake is I don't stop to eat/drink often enough , every 20-30minutes is recommended to keep topped up, I tend to battle on till hungry or thirsty and its to late by then.

 

[Linford]

This thread has been quite good, it's made me go on line and check out energy drinks/food recommendations - some things I've been doing right and some wrong.

It's recommended you drink energy drinks over water but to check out which agrees with you before commiting it to a ride. - I don't I only take water, so may be orange squash might be worth taking. - all the high energy sportive drinks i've tried are disgusting and leave a strange aftertaste. - and dont quench your thirst. - Oh and you absorb it quicker if its cold so stick an ice cube in it. (not needed right now)
Food, I've got right I take yogute covered flap jacks, nice and moist and just the right stuff - mars bars are ok but when your dehydrated can be a bit cloying to eat.
My big mistake is I don't stop to eat/drink often enough , every 20-30minutes is recommended to keep topped up, I tend to battle on till hungry or thirsty and its to late by then.

I went to Florida a couple of years ago at the beginning of July. Dehydration was a real issue in the theme parks. The first day out we just bought drinks as and when, and all got very dehydrated, blinding headaches, very dark wee etc.
The next park we did, we used Gatorade,. It was just as hot, and the drink wasn't that nice, but it did work very well. It isn't just about the water, it is also about the salts you need to replace (electrolytes)

Dehydration also increases blood sugar levels as well BTW.

 

[fossyant]

I would avoid using gels and energy drinks too often - save them for longer rides or 'events' where stopping to eat isn't on the cards. More for your teeth than anything.

 

[ayceejay]

The most efficient way to recover from 'the bonk' or hypoglycemia is simple carbohydrate (sugar) in the form of glucose tablets (and a tube fits in the pocket nicely) orange juice also works but the source is fructose and not glucose (but is easy to get down). At this time you should NOT take any complex carbohydrate (or any other food source) as this will slow the absorption of the sugar, when you start to feel better (20 minutes maybe) then reload with complex carbohydrates.

 

[Licramite]

when I did the welsh 3000 - many many years ago, we lived on them, (and jam sandwiches) the really good bit is they foam in your mouth and as we were normally out of water and dry as hell we could get them down.
It would have been that really hot summer of 78? - lots of reservoirs dried up.