What to drink?

[Red Mosquito]

There's so much out there it's hard to choose from. My concerns are cost, drinkability, and minimizing of questionable ingredients.

I'm this much of a dork but it's only part of the picture. Most of the threads on this are older, so I'm looking to get some recent points of view on who's drinking what and why.

 

[Arwen's Mom]

water

tea (black, green, or herbal depending on mood and what I am "craving")

sometimes orange juice.

one cup of FABULOUS coffee per day.

 

[Blair]

I'm interested in some opinions also. I use heed on all rides. but I've tried perpetuem and sustained energy and I don't think they made a difference as far as I could tell. I got them for free so I figured I'd try it. I haven't used anything else in your list. I figure the heed is better than just water so thats what I go with.

 

[Red Mosquito]

I should specify "while riding" 😀 Water doesn't cut it when you're out for 4 hours in this heat, you're not replacing everything you're sweating out.

Also I'm looking purely from a hydration standpoint, but chime in with your "endurance" opinions as well since I'm sure it will be of use to someone.

 

[Arwen's Mom]

LOL

still water for me. I nibble on granola bars or apples. They do have some salt and anything else like energy drinks, those chews or gels and such like that ALL upset my tummy. UGH they make me want to 😛uke: and they make my mouth water. Some of them make me feel funny in the head too.

So for me, its still the water. I make sure to eat a healthy meal a few hours ahead of time too for energy.

Note: I also do not sweat that much, so for me I sometimes need to use water to pour over my head just to cool my body down.

 

[Dr Superb]

I'll be keeping an eye on this as well...

currently I do:
1) fill water bottle half way and freeze. fill the rest before i ride.
-this kinda killed me yesterday...maybe i filled too high, which was frozen, and when i went to ride, it was near impossible to squeeze and get water out. So, be careful if you do this. It was so humid and i was dying without water...
2) eat Lemon lime GU
3) eat Stinger Waffles (these guys are delicious!)

 

[Norm]

The reason this is hard is because there's no answer that works. Rather, for most people they find that eventually, everything is going to suddenly not work. I've gone the rounds with a lot of different things. Accelerade was great for me for a while, then I had a bad experience in the high heat and I've been broken on it since then. Heed has been pretty good but when it gets hot, it also gets suspect.

Heat is the key in most of these equations. When it's really hot I have not found anything short of sitting in the AC to really work for very long. I've played around with some electrolyte replacement approaches but the full heat of the summer has not started yet.

Currently on GU Brew for my hydration needs, and a little Heed because I have some leftover.

 

[vlkslvr]

There's so much out there it's hard to choose from. My concerns are cost, drinkability, and minimizing of questionable ingredients.

I'm this much of a dork but it's only part of the picture. Most of the threads on this are older, so I'm looking to get some recent points of view on who's drinking what and why.

I can't see your spreadsheet (Probably blocked here at work) but I have using both dilutted Gatorade as well as NUUN Tablets and seem to have slightly better success with NUUN as I find that all the sugar and stuff in the Gatorade can cause some havoc on my stomach.

I'm certainly interested in hearing other options.

From a fuel standpoint on <2hr rides I've had good luck with 2oz of honey in some water as a GU replacement.

 

[ChrisRU]

The products that work for some don't work as well for others. Everyone seems to have their own idea of what works best for them. It takes some trial and error to find what will work for you.

I was using a lot of Hammer products, and have recently switched over to GU products. I have had similar results with both, but I like the GU stuff a better. For races, I'll mix up an extra bottle and down that while I warm up, usually finishing it atleast 20-30 minutes before the start. While riding I'll hydrate with GU's electrolyte drink mix. I eat a mix of gels and chomps, depending on the mood. I find gels easier to get down during higher intensity, but chomps are more enjoyable during logner rides. I find that the recommended serving sizes for the drink mixes are usually too much. Others that I have talked with usually feel the same way, so experiment with how much you are mixing in.

I have tried some of the "endurance" mixes, and don't really feel like they do anything for me, so even for longer rides I stick with the standard drink mixes.

Another thing that works well is mixing a gel in a water bottle instead of a drink mix. They dissolve well, and there are many more flavors of gels then drink mixes.

For shorter rides 1-1.5 hours I'll stick with just water and maybe 1 gel depending on how I'm feeling.

 

[1speed]

There's so much out there it's hard to choose from. My concerns are cost, drinkability, and minimizing of questionable ingredients.

It's odd that you don't mention what is probably the most important concern you'll have here -- tolerability (unless that's what you mean by drinkability, althoguh personally I differentiate the two.) Perhaps you're making the assumption that anyone will be smart enough to figure that that's assumed, but I assure you, sir, I for one have been told I challenge anyone's assumption of adult intelligence!

Seriously, though -- tolerability is the biggie for me. Drinkability is something different in my mind -- drinkability is how much I actually like it. Tolerability is whether it's going to make my stomach rebel nine hours into a 12 hour race. For example, I actually like the taste of Perpetuem's Caffe Latte mix, but if I drink just that in a long race, my stomach is going to explode about halfway through. I, personally, just can't tolerate the protein. Sustained Energy, which is unflavored, doesn't have that same protein component and I can exist almost exclusively on that for a 24 hour race (as long as I can supplement with water every few laps.)

When it comes to stuff like this, I don't consider cost at all. I just don't care -- if something works, I use it because I spend way too much time in the saddle to let the relative cost be an issue. But I understand that may not be the case for many other people. I just can't help you there.

Of the different mixes I have drank int he past (Cytomax, Perpetuem, Sustained Energy, Zym), I like the taste of the Zym the best. Very "fizzy". I don't like the Hammer Fizz (whcih is supposed to be the same) -- too chalky.

The way I put my "big three" (Sustained Energy, Water and Zym) together depends on the type of ride I'm doing -- it varies by distance and whether its a training ride or a race. Whenever I'm in doubt, though, I err on the side of simpler: water is the best option if I don't know which. After that, it's Sustained Energy and then Zym. I like the Zym the best, but it's effervescent, and after 6 hours on a bike in the heat, effervescence can wreak havoc on your stomach.

 

[Red Mosquito]

It's odd that you don't mention what is probably the most important concern you'll have here -- tolerability (unless that's what you mean by drinkability, althoguh personally I differentiate the two.) Perhaps you're making the assumption that anyone will be smart enough to figure that that's assumed, but I assure you, sir, I for one have been told I challenge anyone's assumption of adult intelligence!

😕 Let me break out the dictionary and get back to you on this one.

Anyway, in my mind the two aren't interchangeable but I do think tolerability is a sub-characteristic of drinkability, according to my flow chart. In the end if it wrecks your gut it's not too drinkable to me.

When it comes to stuff like this, I don't consider cost at all. I just don't care -- if something works, I use it because I spend way too much time in the saddle to let the relative cost be an issue. But I understand that may not be the case for many other people. I just can't help you there.

I agree to an extent but for example Heed is $8 to fill my camelbak based on the pricing on the Hammer website. If I can do the same thing for $4 I'm gonna do it.

Anyway, Gu Brew was one of my top picks on paper. And I guess it doesn't taste like dead babies since a few of you are drinking it, so that's a good start. I'm not looking for "it works for me so it must work for you", instead I find value in the reasons why things don't work for you, and to see if those reasons might apply to me.

 

[Red Mosquito]

Heat is the key in most of these equations. When it's really hot I have not found anything short of sitting in the AC to really work for very long

Maybe we can start the "bike AC thread" as a companion to all of the winter riding gear reading we have.

but the full heat of the summer has not started yet.

Have you been outside today?

 

[1speed]

The reason this is hard is because there's no answer that works. Rather, for most people they find that eventually, everything is going to suddenly not work. I've gone the rounds with a lot of different things. Accelerade was great for me for a while, then I had a bad experience in the high heat and I've been broken on it since then. Heed has been pretty good but when it gets hot, it also gets suspect.

Heat is the key in most of these equations. When it's really hot I have not found anything short of sitting in the AC to really work for very long. I've played around with some electrolyte replacement approaches but the full heat of the summer has not started yet.

Currently on GU Brew for my hydration needs, and a little Heed because I have some leftover.

Norm - for lap races, I found one thing that helps me keep the heat at bay is to have a wash cloth in ice water at the ready in my pit area. I wipe it on my wrists, neck and - most importantly - my eyes whenever I start getting too hot. This works in endurance races because I have time to pit, but for regular races perhaps someone could be there to hand up bottles and a cloth for you. Just one idea. Heat always hits me really hard, and the water keep me moving (balanced with the occasional Sustained Energy or Zym), but it's really a surface temp issue I'm struggling to manage on most days. The iced down towel works well enough to get me moving again. And if it's really humid, I'll stop and wipe myself with a dry towel to force the issue of evaporation. That usually gets my body temp back under control until the next lap or two.

 

[1speed]

according to my flow chart[/URL].

Now I feel foolish ... it's so clear. 😀

 

[ChrisRU]

Gu Brew is solid. I actually like the lemon lime flavor and the raspberry isn't too bad either. I find it much more drinkable than heed as it warms up as well.

The endurance drinks- perpetuem, sustained energy, etc.. are pretty nasty if they aren't really cold. And you don't ever want to open one of those bottles after its been left in your trunk/gear back a day or two too long :drooling:

 

[mattybfat]

Gu brew blueberry pomegranate is da bomb. Only thing left from hammer is the recovery mix and even that is losing to chocolate milk.

 

[vlkslvr]

Gu brew blueberry pomegranate is da bomb. Only thing left from hammer is the recovery mix and even that is losing to chocolate milk.

I've been getting up on the Chocolate milk as a recovery drink real hard recently. I like that it's a tasty indulgence that I don't have to feel too bad about after wrecking myself on the bike.

I don't drink it after every ride but it sure is a treat when I do have it.

 

[PatrickBrown]

I've been getting up on the Chocolate milk as a recovery drink real hard recently. I like that it's a tasty indulgence that I don't have to feel too bad about after wrecking myself on the bike.

I don't drink it after every ride but it sure is a treat when I do have it.

I am also on this...... It really does the trick for me.

 

[Red Mosquito]

Choc milk might work for me but in our house we have no milk (no kids?). Besides milk makes me bloat up faster than something that bloats fast. Though I might try it some day :hmmm:

 

[pedals]

I like Gu Brews In my camelback with a lot of ice when its hot. Also chomps on longer rides. I like gels for races. I also keep chocolate milk in the freezer in warm weather. It's sometimes a slushy treat.
I don't like to push it in the heat though and just take it slow ( slower )