HEED, Cytomax and Gatorade Oh MY!

Ok... I'm seriously in a debacle here. While I KNOW that no "drink" is going to make me more powerful or faster... I do know I need to suck in calories at about 2-300 an hour... that's all I'm concerned with really... simply postponing a Bonk as long as possible. I'm pretty darn new to the sport and am COMPLETELY confused about what to drink for calories on the Traverse. I've been working on different things the last two months to see what works and to see what my stomach can handle... I really only came up with two things. 1. I can't stand chewing anything past 3-4 hours on the trail, and 2. My stomach has taken just about everything I've thrown at it... so I guess I'm blessed there.

My question is... I like the taste of HEED the best (EFS the worst, OMG that stuff tastes like shit) Cytomax comes in a close second... and I've decided on a few flavors of HammerGel that I can stomach.

My question is this... I like the HEED's taste the best, but now someone said to me at a bike shop that HEED doesn't provide the boost of energy the others do because of it's lack of "sugars" HEED has 2g and most of the others have 12+g. Is there really a difference? I'd think HEED would provide the same energy, just in more healthy ways maybe? Not to mention, HEED "seems" to have the largest fan base that I can tell so far. Meaning it's more widely used in my observation. But then again... this can apply to Coke vs. Pepsi... which is fairly invalid.

What is your take on what electrolyte drinks do for you? And do you have an opinion as to WHY it does what it does?

I will be taking some solid food with me, but only as a reward or last resort or something to have once I've made or... ahem... IF I make the cutoffs.

Thanks all for your opinions.

 

The lack of a "hit" with HEED is exactly why I like it. It just this steady energy with no major let down. I say atick with the HEED.
Same goes with the hammer gels. If you like the taste and it sits well, then ride and be happy.

 

You know... I really do notice that with the others. They really do give a boost of energy that I REALLY have noticed big time. It really didn't last long and almost like a drug, I found myself chugging more to get that "high" back again.

The EFS had the most significant "kick". It really does work well for that... but man does it taste awful. It does have a fruity taste, but it smells bad and at first swig gives you the taste of chemicals or maybe that's the "salts" or electrolytes I'm tasting.

 

Here is Hammer's take on it:

http://www.hammernutrition.com/za/HNT?PAGE=ARTICLE&CAT=VEGGIE&ARTICLE.ID=1252

For something like the Traverse, I personally would use either (a) Perpetuem instead of Heed or (b) Heed + your favorite energy gel. I don't find that Heed/Perpetuem/Accelerade/Cytomax do much for me on short rides (less than 1-1.5 hours), but I need more fuel for the longer rides. If there is a lot of climbing, I do "feel" like Perpetuem and Cytomax work better for _me_, with the longer rides favoring Perpetuem more. It could be psychological. Or it could be the sodium phosphate in Perpetuem. Dunno. YMMV. If Heed has been working for you - and you can get a bit of protein along the way - stick with it. No need to torture your palate and digestive system along with your legs, lungs and heart.

On short rides, I just go with water and recover with a carb/protein drink. Like milk with a beer chaser.

 

I've used Perpetuem on long rides like CC and Traverse and found it to work well. I have a bottle of that and some watered down Gatorade or other hydrating liquid. While it never gave me boost of energy like a gel, it kept me going longer between food. I also have probs eating much after a few hours on the bike and found this to work well with some gels and a couple frozen girl scout cookies. Good luck!

 

I've been using the Elixir electrolyte tabs made by Camelbak-- they've worked very well for me and it doesn't leave any sugary residue inside the Camelbak's bladder.

 

I'm a cytomax person myself. I usually have 2 flavors at my disposal, tropical fruit and tangy orange. The tangy orange has something called herbal lift that seems go get me going even more.

If you're looking at added carbs, Cytosport (the company that makes cytomax) has a flavorless carb additive called cytocarb. I use it on road rides when I don't really have a pack to carry shotblocks, gel, or a snack.

 

DIY.

 

HEED and Perp = good for me. I can ride as long as I have it.

 

For a longer ride like The Traverse, I use Perpetuem. You can add a scoop of HEED, or energy gel in the perpetuem to enhance the taste. I also recommend the Hammer electrolyte capsules, especially if its warm. They saved my during last years Traverse. I take 2 per hour (more if its really warm like last year) to keep the leg cramps away.

 

Like Hammer says, you need to think about the gastric distress that the sugars cause.

 

Another way just slightly less DIY

http://www.infinitnutrition.us/

 

While I actually respect the DIY type of ideas, I'm a dunce in the kitchen and can't stand to "assemble" recipes.... I love "real food" though, but want to keep it simple when it comes to riding... Don't want to wonder if I "got it right". I actually prefer the ease and peace of mind that comes with knowing that x-scoops equals x-calories and carbs etc.

So you can combine Perp and Heed? So the best of both worlds in one bottle?

 

Yes, one is your fuel and sustained energy(Perpetuem), the other is your electrolyte(Heed). I used both during the VQ in seperate bottles. Word of advice though, if you're not used to it, don't try it the day of the race if you don't know the affects it does to your stomach. #-oTraining rides aren't just for the conditioning before a race but also gives you a chance to know how much water to bring or what works for you during the length of the ride or at least to the first aid station where you could refill.

 

you might try these guys. we got sample packs from them at the US Cup races and i liked it alot!

http://www.e2performance.net/news.html

 

YES!! That's why I'm really trying to figure out as many opinions as I can as early as I can. I've tried lots of things, but the Perpetuem is one thing I haven't tried. I will be doing ONE more 3+ hr ride this week... I will mix some perp and see how it tastes and settles in the stomach after that long of a ride.... I pretty much have my electrolyte figured out with some calorie knowledge mixed in here and there... but I hope my decisions will come through for me at the 4, 5, 6 and.... ahem 10th hour of the Traverse.
This will be quite an adventure.

 

I use to use gatorade, before I used cytomax. I don't use either anymore. I did some reading, cycling magazines, hammer's nutrition bible, and men's health magazine. I came to the conclusion that each agreed that products supporting lots of sugar will give you a boost yes, but it will wear out fast and cause you to crash sooner. And one of the worst things I discovered was that once the sugar is burned up, depending on how long you're riding it will go after you muscle next, rather than carbs in the sport drink. The reason, (if I'm telling this right) is that while consuming the sugar, the carbs are being stored, therefore, muscles are the first to be attacked. Weakening your riding ability, IE, bonking. Hum, that creeping feeling of leg fatigue. I found the hammer products, not just heed along or perpetuem will save you. It all depends on your riding distance. I use a combination of products and even food. Here’s how my structure works.

Short rides (under 2 hours) Heed, one hammer gel
Long riders (under 5 hours) some kind of food, (avoid a bagle), you need something’s with more value, I would take about 2-3 bottles worth of perpetuem, 2-4 hammer gels, and endurolytes
Long rides, exceeding (5 hours)Food, 4-5 bottles worth of perpetuem, 4-5 hammer gels, and endurolytes

 

Thanks! Awesome info... yes, I'm really seriously looking at sticking with the Hammer products on this run. It is what I've worked with the most, and it "seems" to work. No, I don't get the hit like the others... but just like previously said... that's not a good thing anyway on long distance rides.

I hit Beeks today in 1:10 pushing it.... so I know I can push it, but now I know I can slow down a bit and still make it. Now I need to heal, recover, spin a little and think about how I'm to pace myself properly and what amount of Hammer products I'm going to use per hour. I'm still going to bring a few bananas, simply because they taste sooooo good on the trail... but I'm going to focus most of my attention on liquid and gooey suplements to keep me going.