Sports drinks

[Smokin Joe]

Many sportsmen & women have rotten teeth because of the high level of sweeteners in sports drinks. If you're not racing water is all you need.

 

[Flyboy]

Many sportsmen & women have rotten teeth because of the high level of sweeteners in sports drinks. If you're not racing water is all you need.

Is that a fact , first time I have ever heard that.

 

[NorthernDave]

SIS Hydro Cola with caffeine in water for me if I'm out on the road bike. (Or SIS Hydro Lemon if I'm out on the hybrid, which is likely to be mainly off road)
Haribo Tangfastic if I need a mid / late ride boost - I prefer them to an 'energy' bar.
Protein shake when I get in. Although some of them (SIS Rego) seem to make you a bit trumpy...

 

[dim]

I'm also not fussed about food on a longer ride,.... a snickers bar and I'm good for another 80km

when I get home after a long hard ride on a weekend , I have a glass of milk .... then I have a hot bath, then a snack such as olives, feta cheese, gherkins, 2 slices of artisan bread etc .... then after a while, a few beers, then dinner or BBQ

 

[Smokin Joe]

Is that a fact , first time I have ever heard that.

Reported in one of the broadsheets a while back.

 

[Philhh]

I use sis go hydro tablets- for me they work.I had pneumonia some years ago so I'm on a tablet called furososemide which rips daily the water out of you (to protect your lungs) and I hadn't realised how many salts go out with the water- the sis go hydro tablets seem to replace these especially when I'm riding -so yes I know rehydration tablets work well for me to the point where I'm asking my docs why when they put you on the furosemide don't they also put you on a rehydration tablet!
!

 

[Philhh]

Just further to my previous post I used to do some work on a very hot environment (40/45degrees C.) we found working in this the one thing that helped us to get the jobs done was to rehydrate regularly -we got the company to put sports drinks in our cabin as standard-their main employer (Bnfl)was monitoring our performance and commented that those using rehydration drinks got jobs done in the heat twice as fast as those just trying to plod on Through!

 

[Jody]

Anyone tried Red Bull? Does it give you wings?

Yes it does but only for about 1.5 hours and then you crash. I blame redbull for my caffine sensitivity (which I never had) and the problems I now have that are associated. I've even had to stop drinking tea :-(

 

[GuyBoden]

Plenty pubs have pints of "Sports" drinks on my cycle routes, they also have toilets and food.......

 

[Ajax Bay]

As an aside to this, most sensible people wash their bottles out after use. But if you use anything other than plain water in your bottles, it's even more important to clean out the bottle and the bottle top with the valve mechanism (even more) thoroughly, as otherwise, organisms will thrive therein, to the detriment of your health subsequently. I guess if you just use the mineral/vitamin tablets in solution this might not be so critical.

Everyone to their own on choice of drinks. I stick to water and food. But for long rides (more than 120km) I will additionally use High5 4:1 Carbohydrate/Protein drink mix
4:1 is the carbohydrate/protein proportion. The suggestion is that the protein helps digestion of the carbohydrate. In addition the carbohydrate is a 2:1 proportion of glucose to fructose which allegedly allows one to increase your carb uptake by up to 50%. On long (>5 hour) rides, this seems worth it. Also there’s an argument that protein is essential to facilitate muscle repair and recovery, ready for the next day so the ingested protein in this mix is beneficial if you’re riding day after day.The best way to buy this is at about half RRP in a big tub and measure out 50g into small sealable plastic bags, for a 500ml bottle's worth. Works out about 50p a bottle (which is partly why I stick to water most of the time).

 

[Fab Foodie]

I use SIS/nuun and if reqyired drop a couple dextrosol tabs in too.
Carry Dextosol too instead of nasty sticky gels and they're much cheaper too!

 

[nickyboy]

Many sportsmen & women have rotten teeth because of the high level of sweeteners in sports drinks. If you're not racing water is all you need.

I'd agree in the main. For 99% of the rides done by CCers water is absolutely fine. Particularly long and strenuous rides (and I'm talking about stuff like @ianrauk imperial centuries and the like) add a High 5 or whatever

I'll regularly do 60 mile very hilly rides and water or dilute cordial has been fine. I've only suffered cramps when the weather has been particularly warm and the ride has been particularly hard

 

[tyred]

Water is fine, Champagne if you can afford it.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Carry Dextosol too instead of nasty sticky gels and they're much cheaper too!

Those Dextrosol tablets cost about 5p each (tube of 14) and contain about 10 kcal. Expensive compared to a jelly baby: has 20kcal and in a 460g box @ RRP of £3 (often @ £2) cost 4p each. Don't dissolve in water, though, but the stomach's a good mixing container. Fab Foodie and Dextrosol - don't sound consistent.

 

[wonderloaf]

I'd agree in the main. For 99% of the rides done by CCers water is absolutely fine. Particularly long and strenuous rides (and I'm talking about stuff like @ianrauk imperial centuries and the like) add a High 5 or whatever

I'll regularly do 60 mile very hilly rides and water or dilute cordial has been fine. I've only suffered cramps when the weather has been particularly warm and the ride has been particularly hard

I always use High 5 or SIS tablets and my average ride length is 30 - 35 miles, if I don't I find that I get cramps. Plain water doesn't cut it for me so I always stick a tablet in my water bottle.