Yep!! I'm bringing it back from the dead (Gu, PowerBars, Clif, etc.)

Is any of these drinks, bars, stuff good for you/body/etc.? I only ask because my gf has been on my case about me taking gu. I only taken it twice and I feel great when I ride but she doesn't like anything that ain't natural. I read some reviews and past postings but didn't really get the answers I wanted.

I was reading some things on gu and it said it maintains optimal sugar levels. When I read that, I felt a little uneasy. Any opinions on the products?

Right now I ride with: Camelbak full of water, a 20 oz bottle of gatorade, a few nature valley bars, and gu to start my rides

 

Clif bars and Gatorade is all the potassium I need for a ride.

 

You can eat food and drink water and ride a MTB just fine. Gels are for people who want to keep riding while they "eat" (like racers). Sports drinks are for rides over 2 hours (according to Joe Friel--author MTB Training Bible--not according to the manufacturers!)

Sugar is the fuel you body uses. But you can get it from complex-carbohydrates as well as from sugar. And complex-carbs are better for you. Most sports drinks that you can't get at the grocery store have little sugar. If you can buy it at Target, it has lots of sugar.

If you live in America, you are probably not going to run out of sodium unless you ride for 24 hours in the desert or something. If you eat fresh fruit or drink orange juice, you will probably not run out of potassium.

Personally, I like Clif bars for the organic ingredients, the lack of saturated fat, the fact that they are easy to carry, and they taste good. I think it's a good choice.

I drink Gatorade. I think it's a bad choice, but it sure is cheaper than the good stuff.

 

I too like the Cliff products, bars and Blocks because of the organic factor. You can pick up Cliff bars at TJs for real cheap. I also have been on an Odwala bar kick lately. They taste great and refuel me well when I cannot stomach another block.

I will say that after long days in the saddle blocks and gels play havoc on my system. It gets real windy. For this reason I have been adding the Odwala to get more solid food in the stomach on rides.

 

Why does the gel create havoc on your system? It seems you are implying from the lack of solid food? Just curious more than anything.

I have a super sensitive stomach -- If I eat any number of things before or during a ride (such as bananas, which is the electrolyte cure-all as far as I am concerned), it is a half hour of intense nausea.

 

The last time I had Gu, I crashed at home. Went to bed at like 1030p on a sat night. I think its the sugars effecting the body. Same effect when I drink monster or rockstar. Redbull I'm good...but only with alky! :beer:

 

I prefer Hammer Gel, for that very reason--I get a serious up and down with any sugar gel. The Hammer gels seem to stabilize my BS and are more natural than others.

For bars, I prefer Odwalla or Chex bars (yes, Chex, like Chex mix--it has sugar, caffeine, carbs--chocolate, pretzel and cereal bits). The Chex bars are cheaper than ANY of the "sports" bars and have suited me just fine on all of my rides (even the longer road rides of 4+hrs).

But, you really have to just try it and see how it affects you. Everyone is different. There are some do-it-yourself gels with Honey if you prefer your own natural stuff; google it (I'm too lazy).

 

Look at the nutrition label for the GU, look at the ingredients and try to have the same effect using foods if you are concerned about the artifical ingredients.
I'd be more worried about the price!
Recently, I have taken some cashews to eat. I will probably start taking some pure carbohydrates on longer rides soon. Something like waxy maize is good to increase your blood sugar quickly however, it is more complex than dextrose or a simple sugar.
Waxy maize is a corn derived product used by many body builders

 

When you participate in endurance sports like mt biking, you lose a lot of essentials, like fluid and electrolytes. As long as you're grinding it, you're going to keep losing it. Unfortunately, it's physiologically impossible to replenish as fast as you expend. So you need enough hydration and nourishment during the ride to help slow it down...so you can last the race/ride/trip.

Gels and drinks, like Cytomax, quickly absorb into your system. They're designed to replenish exactly what you need, with the correct ratio of electrolytes, unlike Gatorade. I've tried a dozen gels but prefer Accel Gel because of its taste...others are too thick and gooey. Sick. If your ride is over 2 hours, then you'll need the calories too, that's when you go for some solid foods. Keep them natural and you won't get an upset stomach. Otherwise, crippling cramps and straight-out bonking will occur...you climbers know what I mean.

 

Do you always do what your girlfriend tell you to do? Douse she have to know your taking Gu. Put it to her like this I could be taking herion, coke, pot, speed, or x. What she will not know will not hurt her. Man up and tell her to mind her own beez wax

 

All I have ever used is water, clif bars, accelerade during and right after my ride to replenish my body. Before any ride I always eat something to help get me going. My fiance got me a case of GU gels but I haven't used them on enough rides or runs to see if I like them or not.

 

For me it is a lack of solid food in my system on 5+ hour rides. I also take a v8 with me on rides that is full of sodium. It seems to do the trick.

 

I use Perpetuem and HEED on all my rides that last more than an hour. I use Clif Shot Blox and Hammer Gel for edibles.

 

I usually carry my Camelback with the appropriate about of water for the ride, a water bottle with Gatorade, anywhere from 2-6 GU gels, and sometimes a clif bar.

When it says it maintains optimal sugar levels, that means the optimal amount your body needs during a high intensity activity like mountain biking. Remember, optimal doesn't mean highest possible, it means the best for intense activity. If you don't maintain that sugar level, then you will crash after a certain amount of time.

Also, it is perfectly fine for your body.

 

The hammer products are natural, and I think organic.

 

I've used GU while running and so far it seems like it works. I haven't really tried the other gels out there other than the Powerbar gels, but I prefer GU. During PT i've seen some people actually take salt packets and they swear by it. Cliff bars are great during and after rides and I've been eating Powerbar harvest bars before the ride.

Going to try out the Cliff shots and maybe the energy jelly beans. Anyone try the energy chews endorsed by Lance?

 

that gatorade is probably worse for you than the gu.
i would get a 4-pack of pedialyte apple juice flavor. they'll replenish your electrolytes without all the additives gatorade has, plus they taste great and are easy to pack in a 'back.

 

+1 for pedialyte...but to save money you can get the generic stuff too...oh it taste way better cold than room temp

 

Black coffee and donuts. A classic combo. Delish!

I have no idea what GU is????

 

I have actually made a practice of getting gatorade packets and mixing 1/3 of one (each packet is used to make gatorade in a small size water bottle) in about a liter of water in my camelback. I do it mainly to mask the camelback taste, but I think it also gives you a pretty steady stream of electrolytes and sugar in very small concentration. (BTW - you should thorougly rinse and dry the CB so it doesn't grow bacteria and other "stuff" if you mix anything in it).

I noticed a difference mostly during the summer in terms of absorbption of water. If I go too long without electrolytes, water just passes through and isn't absorbed as efficiently, leaving me thirsty even after drinking.

I don't like most power/cliff bars. I think they taste like carboard and chew like really thick mud. Gu usually does the trick for me, but I bring them along only for when I start to get the first inkling of bonking out. Other than that, I am a proponent of high doeses of complex carbs the meal before a ride (potatoes/pasta/toast with PB and honey). I have also tried the electolyte fruit snacks... they are ok.

But then again, I am not the most nutritionally minded of us out here.