Keeping the Energy level up.

[MRcyclist]

What are some supplements or methods you guys use to maintain a steady energy level through a ride?

Although I am some what new cylcing, I am no stranger to fitness and working out. But, their is one thing that continues to challenge me which is trying to keep my energy level and concentration level steady through a ride.

While I am consuming an a decent amount of protien and calories before and after a ride, I a have been trying to figure out way to keep my energy level steady during the middle and end of a ride which can get difficult on a long track.

Do you guys have any suggestions?

 

[forty four]

i use good old cytomax works for me when i can afford it i add various select aminos or a complete other product to the cytomax to make for an even better concoction.

 

[Sheltowee]

Being "somewhat new" to the sport, I would suggest you not worry about supplements yet. Just ride. Eat a good balanced diet and ride, ride, ride.

 

[daviel]

Eat plenty of fruit (especially bananas) - drink a coke about the last 20 or so miles

 

[MRcyclist]

i use good old cytomax works for me when i can afford it i add various select aminos or a complete other product to the cytomax to make for an even better concoction.

Thanks for the tip. I have used cytomax before. Have you tried Amino Vital? and I have heard some good feedback about this product. And I am planning to give it a shot.

 

[elapid]

While I am consuming an a decent amount of protien and calories before and after a ride, I a have been trying to figure out way to keep my energy level steady during the middle and end of a ride which can get difficult on a long track.

Do you guys have any suggestions?

What about carbohydrates? Carbohydrates are essential for endurance sports like cycling. High protein meals are good for weight loss, but can make you feel sluggish on the bike.

 

[egtalbot]

I guess I am wondering what you mean by "keeping the energy level up" and also how long a ride you are talking about. You are supposed to feel "different" 3-4 hours into a ride than you do at the beginning, although if you are refueling well and are well-trained, you shouldn't feel all that much worse. Despite the claims of various different manufacturers, it seriously doesn't matter much exactly what food or supplement you take as long as you regularly refuel. Not to dismiss their value, just that many are good.

If you have energy problems, you're not going to solve them by finding the right supplement. How often/how much you take in is far more important than exactly what you take in (within reason).

My first suggestion would be try slowing down. You'd be amazed at how much more energy you have going 1-3 mph slower. Once you can do the desired distance with good energy, THEN worry about pace. I'm not talking about abandoning harder rides, but those should be your shorter rides until you sort out this problem. And if you're having energy problems on the shorter rides of 1-2 hours, you're either going way too hard, not recovering from previous days, or you just need more time on the bike to build fitness.

 

[runninboy]

If you have energy problems, you're not going to solve them by finding the right supplement. How often/how much you take in is far more important than exactly what you take in (within reason).

QUOTE]

it is amazing, at least for me, how different fuel is absorbed. I did my own series of tests with a blood glucose meter, my trainer, a diary and a variety of fuels. I found i was not eating enough to keep a steady blood sugar level. I was eating every 20-30 minutes but by 15minutes the amount of fuel i was using was not keeping up with the effort. My blood sugar level was dropping from 100 to high 70sYou don't want to eat too much at once though as it can spike your blood sugar too high.
Anyway sports drinks alone((i have to water the sports drink for me it is unpalatable at full strength) didn't help me, energy bars w sports drinks worked good. Energy gels not as good( too sweet couldn't use them as often as needed) snickers bars actually kept my sugar more stable than the energy bars.

But the HUGE surprise was fig newtons. just 2 fig newtons spiked my sugar to 140 in a matter of minutes. I tried it over a series of days with a variety of other foods preceding it, everytime just two fig newtons would raise my sugar quicker and much higher than a full size snickers or anything else i tried. As they were quite palatable for me i worked out if i could eat just one every 10-15 minutes with plenty of liquid to last me during a long ride or race. so ten in my pocket would last me for most of my road races.

btw you can find a blood glucose meter & 50 test strips on sale for maybe 25 bucks a great investment.

the point is every body absorbs things differently, my sister is diabetic and in her experience the carbohydrate count on packaging is a good start but you need to find how it works in your body. For her if she has a large flour tortilla 28 grams of carbs & a 28 gram corn tortilla she needs more insulin if she eats the corn tortilla. They are supposed to be the same but her body seems to absorb the corn at a greater rate.

 

[quadsRme]

Methyl B12 5000 Mcg look for a dissolvable tab. You will feel like a locomotive

 

[Coach Hawk]

But the HUGE surprise was fig newtons. just 2 fig newtons spiked my sugar to 140 in a matter of minutes. I tried it over a series of days with a variety of other foods preceding it, everytime just two fig newtons would raise my sugar quicker and much higher than a full size snickers or anything else i tried. As they were quite palatable for me i worked out if i could eat just one every 10-15 minutes with plenty of liquid to last me during a long ride or race. so ten in my pocket would last me for most of my road races.

That's old school (and there's no school like old school!) If memory serves (and it often doesn't) fig newtons were a staple for cyclists and triathletes in the 80's. Sometimes "new and improved" stuff just costs more but isn't really any more effective.

 

[runninboy]

That's old school (and there's no school like old school!) If memory serves (and it often doesn't) fig newtons were a staple for cyclists and triathletes in the 80's. Sometimes "new and improved" stuff just costs more but isn't really any more effective.

Yes 1980s tech. I was digging through the house looking to test different foods I tried different gels, blocks, energy bars, fruit, and one morning i was hunting for something else to try. I found the fig newtons and could not believe how quickly they raised the blood sugar. the second best food for me was my old staple peanut butter & honey sandwich on 7 grain bread. Not as high of spike but much longer lasting. Unfortunately too messy for racing but perfect for long training rides. I could do a century on one large sandwich, a couple bananas and one energy bar.

 

[MRcyclist]

Yes 1980s tech. I was digging through the house looking to test different foods I tried different gels, blocks, energy bars, fruit, and one morning i was hunting for something else to try. I found the fig newtons and could not believe how quickly they raised the blood sugar. the second best food for me was my old staple peanut butter & honey sandwich on 7 grain bread. Not as high of spike but much longer lasting. Unfortunately too messy for racing but perfect for long training rides. I could do a century on one large sandwich, a couple bananas and one energy bar.

Thanks for the peanut butter sandwich tip. I used the fig newtons and yea they are actually pretty good. I do feel more energized through my ride. I will give a shot at the peanut butter sandwich though and see how that works.

by the way, what do you think about supplements like amino vital that are suppose to sustain endurance levels through a ride?

 

[elapid]

What kind of rides are you doing? How long? How far? Short-term fixes on the bike are great, whether they be gels, bars, fig newtons or PBJ sandwiches. But if you are constantly bonking on longer rides or need these supplements on shorter rides, then there is something wrong with your preparation. While everyone bonks at one time or another, it should happen rarely and there is usually a cause.

So can you give us more information by what you mean by "rides"? Length, duration, intensity, intervals? What is your diet like (% carbohydrates, proteins, fats)? Are you overweight? Do you have anemia or an iron deficiency? Any other health problems, like heart conditions?

 

[MRcyclist]

What kind of rides are you doing? How long? How far? Short-term fixes on the bike are great, whether they be gels, bars, fig newtons or PBJ sandwiches. But if you are constantly bonking on longer rides or need these supplements on shorter rides, then there is something wrong with your preparation. While everyone bonks at one time or another, it should happen rarely and there is usually a cause.

So can you give us more information by what you mean by "rides"? Length, duration, intensity, intervals? What is your diet like (% carbohydrates, proteins, fats)? Are you overweight? Do you have anemia or an iron deficiency? Any other health problems, like heart conditions?

Well its usually on the longer rides, towards the final stretch that I begin to see my energy level and concentration level going down. So in terms of time, about an hour to half and hour ride; and its towards that final 20 mins that I seem to have a tough time keeping up. That was basically my question: what supplements might be helpful in keeping up your energy and concentration towards that last stretch of the ride. The supplement that I have been using thus far is Amino Vital and I was wondering what supplements to other riders rely on.

 

[elapid]

Well its usually on the longer rides, towards the final stretch that I begin to see my energy level and concentration level going down. So in terms of time, about an hour to half and hour ride; and its towards that final 20 mins that I seem to have a tough time keeping up. That was basically my question: what supplements might be helpful in keeping up your energy and concentration towards that last stretch of the ride. The supplement that I have been using thus far is Amino Vital and I was wondering what supplements to other riders rely on.

In terms of road cycling, 1.0-1.5 hours is not a long ride. My point is basically that I think you are looking at this the wrong way around. You're looking for a quick fix, which probably will not work, but what you more than likely need is a good base and fitness level, a sensible training plan with rest days and/or recovery rides at low speed and power, and good nutrition. If you are tiring 40-70 minutes into a 60-90 minute ride, then this is probably a reflection of your fitness level more than anything. How hard are you riding during these sessions? Are they interval sessions, are you just hammering, or are you riding on hilly terrain? The fact that you are consistently tiring over such short distances suggests that there is something more than just a need for supplements: diet, base and fitness, medical problem, etc.

To answer your question, you can try supplements but I doubt that they will work for you. Most studies show that an energy-type drink (Cytomax or e-Load are my personal preferences) is not needed for rides less than 1.0-1.5 hours because it provides no additional benefits compared to water alone. The same is true for on-the-bike nutrition: bars and gels, with a 3-to-1 carb-to-protein ratio, or homemade food like baked potatoes are ideal, but they only make a difference for rides over 2 hours.

My recommendations are:
1. Visit your doctor. Make sure you are not anemic, have an iron deficiency, or some other problem like heart disease.
2. Get a nutritional consult and make sure you are consuming enough carbohydrates, which are essential for cyclists because cycling is an endurance sport. Too much protein will cause you to tire, and no supplements are going to fix this.
3. Develop a strong base and fitness level so you can do longer rides comfortably. This will take a while. Think about a coach or contacting someone at your local bike club to develop a good structured program for you that increases your fitness levels and provides sufficient rest and/or recovery days. One of the hardest things for a recreational rider is to know when to slow down. Rest is important for recovery.

I hope this helps and that you stick with cycling. I know it isn't the answer you were looking for, but you really should not be consistently tiring after 40-70 minutes of riding (unless you are hammering!).

 

[pauloz]

What are you eating before a ride? How long before a ride is your last meal? What do you consume while riding? What are you doing for recovery after the ride? Are you eating a healthy diet rich in vegetables, fruits, grains, etc or do you do the fast food type of diet?

Let me know what you are currently doing and I can advise what to change.