Electrolytes
 

I have rather a serious problem. When I ride I usually eat and drink nothing more than a pastry and a cup of coffee. The results of this are that I get extremely tired on long rides.

After reading physiological training books I'm informed that you should consume liquids with electrolytes in them - mainly slightly sweetened water with potassium and sodium in them. That is a type of cooking salt I believe.

Looking the drinks up that are replacement drinks the only one's I can see that aren't pure hype are Gatorade and Red Bull. The second one contains a little caffeine as well but only about 1/10th what you would get in a cup of coffee.

The "Sports Bars" and "Sports Drinks" in the stores upon reading the labels would scare the pants off of you. The amounts of sugar are so high that they cause your digestive process to freeze up and stop.

Does anyone have any good ideas about making your own sports drink since the cost of Gatorade or Red Bull are rediculous?

Electrolytes
 

On 6/20/2017 12:00 PM, wrote:
I have rather a serious problem. When I ride I usually eat and drink nothing more than a pastry and a cup of coffee. The results of this are that I get extremely tired on long rides.

After reading physiological training books I'm informed that you should consume liquids with electrolytes in them - mainly slightly sweetened water with potassium and sodium in them. That is a type of cooking salt I believe.

Looking the drinks up that are replacement drinks the only one's I can see that aren't pure hype are Gatorade and Red Bull. The second one contains a little caffeine as well but only about 1/10th what you would get in a cup of coffee.

The "Sports Bars" and "Sports Drinks" in the stores upon reading the labels would scare the pants off of you. The amounts of sugar are so high that they cause your digestive process to freeze up and stop.

Does anyone have any good ideas about making your own sports drink since the cost of Gatorade or Red Bull are rediculous?

First, my younger body seemed to be much more tolerant of exercising
without replenishment, except for water. But somehow over the years
I've gotten more sensitive. I now try to remember to replenish both
sugar and electrolytes, but I sometimes forget - as on last Friday's
very hot, hilly 40 mile ride. I was pretty flattened for hours
afterwards. But I think I was also fighting off some mild virus.

Anyway, I once suffered from what I was sure was hyponatremia. I was
maybe 2/3 through my only double century on a very hot day. I'd been
drinking very consistently all through the ride, but I began feeling
almost sick with thirst, yet I had a belly sloshing full of water and
water tasted terrible. When I realized what was happening, I got salt
packets from a fast food restaurant, ate a couple, and put some into my
water bottles. It helped tremendously, and I finished the 200 miles
feeling tired but otherwise fine.

Since then, especially on hot days, I sprinkle some "Cardia Salt" (TM)
into each water bottle. It's table salt plus potassium chloride,
magnesium sulfate and some other stuff. I think it really helps.

A friend told me V8 Juice works well for her. Works for me, too. It's
sold in lots of convenience stores, so you can often buy it as you need it.

The other thing I should replenish better is simple sugars. I had a bag
of raisins (as usual) in my handlebar bag during that ride last week. I
forgot to eat them (as usual).

--
- Frank Krygowski

Electrolytes
 

On 20-06-17 18:00, wrote:
I have rather a serious problem. When I ride I usually eat and drink nothing more than a pastry and a cup of coffee. The results of this are that I get extremely tired on long rides.

After reading physiological training books I'm informed that you should consume liquids with electrolytes in them - mainly slightly sweetened water with potassium and sodium in them. That is a type of cooking salt I believe.


Just to be clear, although sodium is a part of common salt (sodium
chloride), potassium is different and not found in cooking salt. Both
are absolutely required as salts, typically sodium chloride and
potassium chloride, for every kind of cell in your body to function
properly (sodium is mostly outside cells and potassium inside). You lose
both sodium and potassium when you sweat.

I don't usually ride more than 4 to max. 6 hours at a time, and stop for
lunch after a couple of hours. I assume that the lunch is what allows me
to go without taking any supplements.

Could part or all of your problem be low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) if
you exercise too much and don't eat enough?

Ned

Electrolytes
 

On 6/20/17 9:00 AM, wrote:
I have rather a serious problem. When I ride I usually eat and drink nothing more than a pastry and a cup of coffee. The results of this are that I get extremely tired on long rides.

After reading physiological training books I'm informed that you should consume liquids with electrolytes in them - mainly slightly sweetened water with potassium and sodium in them. That is a type of cooking salt I believe.

Looking the drinks up that are replacement drinks the only one's I can see that aren't pure hype are Gatorade and Red Bull. The second one contains a little caffeine as well but only about 1/10th what you would get in a cup of coffee.

The "Sports Bars" and "Sports Drinks" in the stores upon reading the labels would scare the pants off of you. The amounts of sugar are so high that they cause your digestive process to freeze up and stop.

Does anyone have any good ideas about making your own sports drink since the cost of Gatorade or Red Bull are rediculous?

Look into Brawndo, The Thirst Mutilator. It's got electrolytes, and it's
what plants crave.

Seriously though, you can buy a 4 pound container of Gatorade powder,
which makes 36 quarts, for less than $11 at Costco
https://www.costcobusinessdelivery.com/Gatorade-Perform-Drink-Mix%2C-Frost-Glacier-Freeze%2C-4-lbs.product.11980343.html.
That's about 30¢ per quart, or about 19¢ to fill a standard 20 ounce
bicycle water bottle.

There's a bunch of homemade "Gatorade" recipes but since they tend to
use natural ingredients (juice, water, sea salt, honey) they're much
more expensive than buying the Gatorade powder which doesn't have the
expense of real juice or honey or sea salt, and is mostly just sugar,
citric acid, artificial flavors, and salt.

Electrolytes
 

On Tuesday, June 20, 2017 at 12:09:07 PM UTC-7, sms wrote:
On 6/20/17 9:00 AM, wrote:
I have rather a serious problem. When I ride I usually eat and drink nothing more than a pastry and a cup of coffee. The results of this are that I get extremely tired on long rides.

After reading physiological training books I'm informed that you should consume liquids with electrolytes in them - mainly slightly sweetened water with potassium and sodium in them. That is a type of cooking salt I believe.

Looking the drinks up that are replacement drinks the only one's I can see that aren't pure hype are Gatorade and Red Bull. The second one contains a little caffeine as well but only about 1/10th what you would get in a cup of coffee.

The "Sports Bars" and "Sports Drinks" in the stores upon reading the labels would scare the pants off of you. The amounts of sugar are so high that they cause your digestive process to freeze up and stop.

Does anyone have any good ideas about making your own sports drink since the cost of Gatorade or Red Bull are rediculous?

Look into Brawndo, The Thirst Mutilator. It's got electrolytes, and it's
what plants crave.

Seriously though, you can buy a 4 pound container of Gatorade powder,
which makes 36 quarts, for less than $11 at Costco
https://www.costcobusinessdelivery.com/Gatorade-Perform-Drink-Mix%2C-Frost-Glacier-Freeze%2C-4-lbs.product.11980343.html.
That's about 30¢ per quart, or about 19¢ to fill a standard 20 ounce
bicycle water bottle.

There's a bunch of homemade "Gatorade" recipes but since they tend to
use natural ingredients (juice, water, sea salt, honey) they're much
more expensive than buying the Gatorade powder which doesn't have the
expense of real juice or honey or sea salt, and is mostly just sugar,
citric acid, artificial flavors, and salt.

carrot juice
it turns the bottles orange tho

Electrolytes
 

On Tuesday, June 20, 2017 at 10:23:04 AM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 6/20/2017 12:00 PM, wrote:
I have rather a serious problem. When I ride I usually eat and drink nothing more than a pastry and a cup of coffee. The results of this are that I get extremely tired on long rides.

After reading physiological training books I'm informed that you should consume liquids with electrolytes in them - mainly slightly sweetened water with potassium and sodium in them. That is a type of cooking salt I believe.

Looking the drinks up that are replacement drinks the only one's I can see that aren't pure hype are Gatorade and Red Bull. The second one contains a little caffeine as well but only about 1/10th what you would get in a cup of coffee.

The "Sports Bars" and "Sports Drinks" in the stores upon reading the labels would scare the pants off of you. The amounts of sugar are so high that they cause your digestive process to freeze up and stop.

Does anyone have any good ideas about making your own sports drink since the cost of Gatorade or Red Bull are rediculous?

First, my younger body seemed to be much more tolerant of exercising
without replenishment, except for water. But somehow over the years
I've gotten more sensitive. I now try to remember to replenish both
sugar and electrolytes, but I sometimes forget - as on last Friday's
very hot, hilly 40 mile ride. I was pretty flattened for hours
afterwards. But I think I was also fighting off some mild virus.

Anyway, I once suffered from what I was sure was hyponatremia. I was
maybe 2/3 through my only double century on a very hot day. I'd been
drinking very consistently all through the ride, but I began feeling
almost sick with thirst, yet I had a belly sloshing full of water and
water tasted terrible. When I realized what was happening, I got salt
packets from a fast food restaurant, ate a couple, and put some into my
water bottles. It helped tremendously, and I finished the 200 miles
feeling tired but otherwise fine.

Since then, especially on hot days, I sprinkle some "Cardia Salt" (TM)
into each water bottle. It's table salt plus potassium chloride,
magnesium sulfate and some other stuff. I think it really helps.

A friend told me V8 Juice works well for her. Works for me, too. It's
sold in lots of convenience stores, so you can often buy it as you need it.

The other thing I should replenish better is simple sugars. I had a bag
of raisins (as usual) in my handlebar bag during that ride last week. I
forgot to eat them (as usual).

Salt Mineral Content: Himalayan and Celtic salts are cheaper than Cardia Salt and contain the same things.

Electrolytes
 

On Tuesday, June 20, 2017 at 11:54:31 AM UTC-7, Ned Mantei wrote:
On 20-06-17 18:00, wrote:
I have rather a serious problem. When I ride I usually eat and drink nothing more than a pastry and a cup of coffee. The results of this are that I get extremely tired on long rides.

After reading physiological training books I'm informed that you should consume liquids with electrolytes in them - mainly slightly sweetened water with potassium and sodium in them. That is a type of cooking salt I believe.


Just to be clear, although sodium is a part of common salt (sodium
chloride), potassium is different and not found in cooking salt. Both
are absolutely required as salts, typically sodium chloride and
potassium chloride, for every kind of cell in your body to function
properly (sodium is mostly outside cells and potassium inside). You lose
both sodium and potassium when you sweat.

I don't usually ride more than 4 to max. 6 hours at a time, and stop for
lunch after a couple of hours. I assume that the lunch is what allows me
to go without taking any supplements.

Could part or all of your problem be low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) if
you exercise too much and don't eat enough?

Ned

Most of the "suppliments" I've seen advertised for bicycling are nothing more than sugar.

Electrolytes
 

On Tuesday, June 20, 2017 at 12:09:07 PM UTC-7, sms wrote:
On 6/20/17 9:00 AM, wrote:
I have rather a serious problem. When I ride I usually eat and drink nothing more than a pastry and a cup of coffee. The results of this are that I get extremely tired on long rides.

After reading physiological training books I'm informed that you should consume liquids with electrolytes in them - mainly slightly sweetened water with potassium and sodium in them. That is a type of cooking salt I believe.

Looking the drinks up that are replacement drinks the only one's I can see that aren't pure hype are Gatorade and Red Bull. The second one contains a little caffeine as well but only about 1/10th what you would get in a cup of coffee.

The "Sports Bars" and "Sports Drinks" in the stores upon reading the labels would scare the pants off of you. The amounts of sugar are so high that they cause your digestive process to freeze up and stop.

Does anyone have any good ideas about making your own sports drink since the cost of Gatorade or Red Bull are rediculous?

Look into Brawndo, The Thirst Mutilator. It's got electrolytes, and it's
what plants crave.

Seriously though, you can buy a 4 pound container of Gatorade powder,
which makes 36 quarts, for less than $11 at Costco
https://www.costcobusinessdelivery.com/Gatorade-Perform-Drink-Mix%2C-Frost-Glacier-Freeze%2C-4-lbs.product.11980343.html.
That's about 30¢ per quart, or about 19¢ to fill a standard 20 ounce
bicycle water bottle.

There's a bunch of homemade "Gatorade" recipes but since they tend to
use natural ingredients (juice, water, sea salt, honey) they're much
more expensive than buying the Gatorade powder which doesn't have the
expense of real juice or honey or sea salt, and is mostly just sugar,
citric acid, artificial flavors, and salt.

I could never stomach Gatorade for some reason. I think it was the cost of the original stuff. Buying salty water with sugar in it always made me nauseous.

Electrolytes
 

On Tuesday, June 20, 2017 at 11:54:31 AM UTC-7, Ned Mantei wrote:
On 20-06-17 18:00, wrote:
I have rather a serious problem. When I ride I usually eat and drink nothing more than a pastry and a cup of coffee. The results of this are that I get extremely tired on long rides.

After reading physiological training books I'm informed that you should consume liquids with electrolytes in them - mainly slightly sweetened water with potassium and sodium in them. That is a type of cooking salt I believe.


Just to be clear, although sodium is a part of common salt (sodium
chloride), potassium is different and not found in cooking salt. Both
are absolutely required as salts, typically sodium chloride and
potassium chloride, for every kind of cell in your body to function
properly (sodium is mostly outside cells and potassium inside). You lose
both sodium and potassium when you sweat.

I don't usually ride more than 4 to max. 6 hours at a time, and stop for
lunch after a couple of hours. I assume that the lunch is what allows me
to go without taking any supplements.

Could part or all of your problem be low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) if
you exercise too much and don't eat enough?

Ned

Well certainly I must have low blood sugar but you recover from that pretty fast with a candy bar. I like to pack a PayDay Bar when I remember it. Nothing more than sugar covered in peanuts.

But that isn't the same problem as having your legs go completely dead.

Electrolytes
 

On Tuesday, June 20, 2017 at 12:09:07 PM UTC-7, sms wrote:
On 6/20/17 9:00 AM, wrote:
I have rather a serious problem. When I ride I usually eat and drink nothing more than a pastry and a cup of coffee. The results of this are that I get extremely tired on long rides.

After reading physiological training books I'm informed that you should consume liquids with electrolytes in them - mainly slightly sweetened water with potassium and sodium in them. That is a type of cooking salt I believe.

Looking the drinks up that are replacement drinks the only one's I can see that aren't pure hype are Gatorade and Red Bull. The second one contains a little caffeine as well but only about 1/10th what you would get in a cup of coffee.

The "Sports Bars" and "Sports Drinks" in the stores upon reading the labels would scare the pants off of you. The amounts of sugar are so high that they cause your digestive process to freeze up and stop.

Does anyone have any good ideas about making your own sports drink since the cost of Gatorade or Red Bull are rediculous?

Look into Brawndo, The Thirst Mutilator. It's got electrolytes, and it's
what plants crave.

Seriously though, you can buy a 4 pound container of Gatorade powder,
which makes 36 quarts, for less than $11 at Costco
https://www.costcobusinessdelivery.com/Gatorade-Perform-Drink-Mix%2C-Frost-Glacier-Freeze%2C-4-lbs.product.11980343.html.
That's about 30¢ per quart, or about 19¢ to fill a standard 20 ounce
bicycle water bottle.


Welcome to Costco. I love you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8zNsUTWsOc

Just buy practically any reputable sports-drink concentrate -- Hammer Heed, Cytomax, Accelerade etc. Buy whatever your stomach tolerates. I like the Hammer products, but there are about a million options on the market.

For longer rides also take something solid like a Cliff Bar(s) and then a quick-jolt product like a GU pack or Hammer Gel or Cliff Gel, etc. My son makes his own bars and likes banana/PB sandwiches cut into squares. I like Cliff Bars because I can get them reasonably cheap at Costco, and they're edible and convenient and don't make a mess out of your jersey.

I'm not a fan of cookies because, if my nose is stuffy, trying to breathe with crumbs in my mouth can be fatal. I was eating cookies riding down Mt. Bachelor on Saturday and nearly choked to death. https://kimberleyturner.files.wordpr...7/img_3280.jpg

-- Jay Beattie.