Panorama Now - truth about sports products

[snorri]

Graham O'bree recommends jam sarnies

Jammy pieces shurely?

 

[Over The Hill]

I thought that was the whole crux of the matter, the vast majority of people who buy this stuff don't need it, I see people drinking it while walking round the shops for goodness sake, or doing a half hour session in the gym.
Graham Obree made me smile as did the bit where they had to do a couple of takes because the scientist kept laughing (can't remember why)

Good point. The stuff may have some use if you are doing serious sport where peak performance is needed or there is a bit of endurance involved where you need to keep going (but as post above points out a bit of cake may do the same thing).
It is rather odd when people go to the gym to burn up calories but then shove calories inside them as they are exercising.

Years ago we were all told to drink milk and the marathon was "the milk race". Milk seems to have been replaced by stuff you only used to drink when you were ill.

 

[Dave Davenport]

The only thing I ever use is some flavourless electrolyte tablets if it's very hot. Apart from that it's water or diluted fruit juice and real food (bananas, bread pudding, fig rolls, pasties etc.).
I can see how gels & stuff are usefull if you're racing up a 2000m col, but it amazes me how many people use them on a club run when we're having a cake stop anyway.

 

[psmiffy]

Read the labels and see what is in them - the off the shelf ones contain nothing you cant get better from eating real food - and i dont understand why some make a virtue about being "Zero"

if im short of energy - cake shop - chocolate eclairs seem to work for me

 

[Dave Davenport]

Good point. The stuff may have some use if you are doing serious sport where peak performance is needed or there is a bit of endurance involved where you need to keep going (but as post above points out a bit of cake may do the same thing).
It is rather odd when people go to the gym to burn up calories but then shove calories inside them as they are exercising.

Years ago we were all told to drink milk and the marathon was "the milk race". Milk seems to have been replaced by stuff you only used to drink when you were ill.

I quite often have a glass of skimmed milk after a ride. Mind you, I quite often have a couple of pints of Ringwood fortyniner instead.

 

[Hacienda71]

I used to have the odd gel but now the only sports orientated product I use is electrolyte tabs in my bidon on longer runs in hot weather. I find having a good breakfast (for me oats, skimmed milk and honey) will set me up for 50 plus fast miles without any noticeable drop in energy. Longer than this then I would go for bannanas, fig roles or malt loaf. On more sociable rides a cafe stop means there is little chance of any lack of energy issues.

 

[Powely]

I missed this but .....http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01l1yxk/Panorama_The_Truth_About_Sports_Products/

 

[Linford]

Did a holiday in Florida last year -a and a few parks. The first we were just drinking normally and all of us got blindingly dehydrated with huge headaches as you walk for miles in these places in high temps and very high humidity, and felt very ill.
Then went and bought some Gatorade for the rest of the parks.Tasted vile, but did the trick perfectly.

 

[swee'pea99]

One thing they didn't mention is that the gels are absolutely foul. A friend of mine recently got into serious trouble on a long ride, and I think one of the main reasons is that he started out trying (as per the instructions) to consume one gel every 20 minutes. By the time he got half way thru' he was so nauseous he couldn't bring himself to consume anything more, so he ended up doing the second half of the route 'running on empty' - really bad idea. I had a handful of gels, but mostly bananas, raisins, flapjacky type bars and a couple of snickers, and I was fine.

 

[GBC]

I use Zero tablets in water for both cycling and hillwalking; I can't say that they give me extra energy or endurance, but they certainly stop the cramp in my legs that I used to suffer from. That alone makes them worthwhile.

 

[PaulB]

One inescapable fact that was shown, if there's any sense out there, will be like a torpedo hitting these charlatans below the waterline. Dehydration is bad so drink, drink, drink, and since you have to drink, drink our product, they say but as was pointed out, cases of people dying from dehydration are almost unheard of while there is ample evidence to show that 16 people indulging in exercise pursuits have died of OVER hydration.

Dehydration is uncomfortable and has a negative effect on performance but over-hydration is downright dangerous and most of this over-hydration has been brought on by the big pharma/soft drinks companies. You see athletes and footballers/rugby players handed bottles of liquid during their strenuous activities and, by and large, they are needed. But you can't sell these bottles to such sports stars. You actually have to pay them to take the drinks so who is going to pay the companies the profits they are in this for? The wide-eyed spectator who thinks, 'If that's good enough for my favourite sportsman, it's good enough for me', despite the fact it's not remotely near being needed by the spectator is the target of the largesse distributed by the charlatans.

 

[asterix]

I overhydrated at The Oval yesterday and in consequence couldn't do the FNRttC last night.

Something in the water?

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Gels are great for hangover recovery

 

[tyred]

Fish and chips and a glass of Coke

 

[Dave Davenport]

Just been out for a couple of hours and me and mrs d are now re-hydrating with Badger Fursty Ferret, shortly to be followed by a couple of bottles of Rioja.