I have yet to find a thread on here talking about Supplements. I am wondering what some of you use before, during and after rides to aid in performance and recovery. Shakes, pills, gels, bars, etc... How has it changed your riding? What did you try that you really disliked? What has worked best for you? I have heard varying things about Cytomax, Sportslegs, and Endurathon formulas. Right now I dont do anything and have really never been much of a supplement taker. Thanks to Jose(Shinken) I now dont ride without the Clifbar Energy blocks (like gummy blocks) in my camelbak or pocket (Razzberry ones the best). At a few LBS I have asked around and seems a lot of riders have their camelbak filled with water but a water bottle in a cage containing some form of supplement. Could be a beneficial thread to all! If I missed an ongoing thread of this please point me in the right direction. Jordan
Any ride over an hour, which is just about every ride, I use CytoMax (tang orange flavor). I really notice a difference as the ride gets longer and longer. I'm less tired and less sore. Also use those Clif Bloks, they taste good too. Sometimes I only eat 3 bloks, sometimes the whole bag - just depends on how long and hard the ride is. The two major reasons some people like to use CytoMax in a bottle and not their camelbak is that 1) their stomach can't take it (or they like having regular water to drink) and 2) they're afraid they're camelback bladder will get funky. I just stick my bladder in the freezer after every ride and it's fine. Plus it leaves me with a cold bladder and some ice for the next ride. Recently I've started to use the Clif Recovery shake also. Fill a nalgene bottle with it and freeze it overnight. By the time the ride's over it's cold and sometimes like a slushy. Tastes OK and can take the place of a post ride meal/snack. Helps recovery time which is good if you want to work out two days in a row. I also take a regular centrum multi-vitamin everyday. Hard to say how much these "supplements" have helped because since I've been using them I've also been riding more, riding harder, and hitting the gym more often. But, I have definitely been getting stronger - just hard to say how much the shakes/cytomax/vitamin/bloks have really helped.
I use to use only water on my rides. As my rides got longer I started using Gatorade then eventually Cytomax. When my rides were over 2 hours Gatorade and water didnt cut it. The best stuff is Hammer Products. http://www.e-caps.com/za/ECP?PAGE=GETTING_STARTED I use their HEED in their camelback. This is a hydration drink. The taste is very weak so doesnt upset my stomach like Cytomax use to. On longer rides or endurance events I'd use Perpetuem in a bottle. This is more of nutrition drink. Its a little thicker but easier to get down. Some pro racers will do 24 hour race on only these two mixes. There is gel is also very good. I havnt tried there Endurolytes pills but Ive seen guys pop these pills like crazy on hot days. The best thing for you to do is try everything. You want to see what gives you most energy and works in your stomach. Try buying little packets of different brands instead of buying the whole buckets first.
I second the Hammer products. I usually will do a longer ride of 6 hours or more every other weekend and if it's going to be an exceptionally hard ride I'll mix up the Perpetuem. What's good about this is, you can mix it to whatever level you like. Thicker will give you more working calories. I've mixed it where I've had over 2500 calories in a single bottle. You can chase it with water. On double century rides where I'll be on the bike more then 12 hours, I can do the whole ride with this and Hammer Gel. Almost everyone who has tried the Hammer Gel say they feel a difference almost immediately with no crash afterwards.
As an energy drink i use Karo syrup and flat coke or green tea and honey... saves alot of money. and eat nutter butters in place of energy bars,yum.
agreed.... I buy Hammer Gel (Apple Cinnamon & Rasberry are my favorite) by the 20 oz container (about $17 each) and fill the 6 oz flask with it for most rides. For longer rides, I will fill up 2 of the hammer flasks. For electrolytes, I do 2 things. I use Elete mixed right in with the Camelback H20, but I double the recommended amount. I also always have a Hammer flask of Endurolytes "just in case". I also use perpeteum....mixed in a blender with almost no water added to make it super duper thick and use yet another Hammer flask for filling up.
i just tried using HydroBoom. Its a powder you mix with H20. useing that in my camel back. tastes great! (rasberry lemon flavor) BUt the first time I rode my bike on a decent ride I puked my guts out..or shall I say puked my hydro boom out. Not sure if the stuff made my stomach upset or if it was just that I worked myself to hard for my first time out. Anyone ever tried this stuff? I also got the cliff blocks...I hate the consistancy of them but the taste isnt all that bad and they actually seem to work. i just tried using HydroBoom. Its a powder you mix with H20. useing that in my camel back. tastes great! (rasberry lemon flavor) BUt the first time I rode my bike on a decent ride I puked my guts out..or shall I say puked my hydro boom out. Not sure if the stuff made my stomach upset or if it was just that I worked myself to hard for my first time out. Anyone ever tried this stuff? I also got the cliff blocks...I hate the consistancy of them but the taste isnt all that bad and they actually seem to work.
I started using (in addition to bloks) the banana flavored honey stinger gels and they're pretty good. Taste good and I think it made a difference.
what about your grahm crackers??? I use water in the camel and cyto or gatorade in a water bottle, for shorter rides the jelly belly sport beans taste REALLY good and break up the normal fueling products I second the try everything, just get small single serving sizes and find what works for you then go online and buy in bulk. I get most of my stuff at runner places, like Snail's Pace, they always have a great stock and always the newest stuff
Those Fruit Loops are so popular on our rides I know which Camelbak accessory I'll be buying you for Christmas.
