Recovery drinks, gels, etc. without corn starch?

[Parrot23]

Anyone know any brands that don't have corn starch in them? I'm allergic to it--will wipe me out.

Corn starch is in just about everything these days, including frozen foods, frozen peas, rice crispies, you name it. It's dirt cheap, and the farm lobby has done a huge lobbying effort to get it included in everything--cycling recovery products included. I just see these products and I know they're filled with dirt cheap corn starch=sugar, even if the label omits it.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[ElChingon]

Hummm... haven't looked into that but I've converted to the old school of just H2O as of late.

 

[lostintime]

Eat real food .... like fruit and whatever other non highly processed foods you like. It was not long ago riders at real food after a ride ... then came along the man made stuff and many went gaga over it .... lol... hook, line and sinker. marketing 101. Get the pros to eat it, strike gold.... human see, human copy ... be just like the pros ....

I'll never buy that man made gels and bars are better than simple, real food.

 

[Aapjes]

Chocolate milk is a very good recovery drink. Carbs, whey and good taste. Otherwise just eat real food afterwards, you'll survive. On the bike, just skip the gels. I put a selfmade carb drink in one bidon: 70/30 maltodextrin/fructose with salt and citron juice. Not the crap from one of those premixed "Almost Doping Ultra Power Crazy Batman" jars (a lot of powder mixes have these crazy names) and I can adjust the salt amount depending on the temperatures and ride intensity.

Then I eat low fat, high carb food on the bike: bananas, muesli bars, currant buns, ontbijtkoek with raisins (dutch spiced cake), etc. Nothing marketed to cyclists, just good tasting food which digests easily and provides the carbs. If you can't find corn-free bars anywhere or don't want to run the risk, just google "homemade energy bars". Plenty of recipes to be found and you can make the perfect bar for your own taste.

 

[ElChingon]

The problem with those simple foods is someone has to go out and buy it, cut it up/process it, store it, package it up for the ride, which leads to buying the commercial/pro bars/gels. I've seen the aftermath of poorly packaged simple foods, sometimes it never reaches the rider and goes straight to the washer.

 

[lostintime]

It's only a "problem" if you choose to see it as one

We're talking about a non professional rider here ... but the same applies to professionals. Not long ago they all ate real food.. and manged just fine. Even Garmin today , makes their own rice based savory and sweet bars from scratch in addition to offering pre-packaged stuff.

Myself I like to carry fresh dates or dried organic figs and apricots. The best ones are always soft and literally melt in your mouth. An awesome after ride "drink" for me in season is a cantaloupe with bananas and sometimes some goats milk in a high speed blender. Comparing this to any packaged stuff is not even worth speaking of

 

[ElChingon]

Let us know when we can come over for that

 

[Parrot23]

Thanks, everybody.

Hard to see how gels etc. can beat a plain banana (27g of carbohydrate, and potassium for sweating, etc.). Read that bananas contain three of the sugars naturally--sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. So much for all of these gel makers claiming optimum combos of these for rapid absorption. Also when you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. Cheap too--but very fattening for anybody not exercising.

Seen Alberto in the peloton with a banana, LOL! think that's good enough for me, too. Ha, ha!

Puzzled by Garmin and rice cakes for quite a while, but I see one rice cake has 8g of carbo vs. 11g of carbo in one Fig Newton. Been using the latter. Seem to work well. (Rice cakes are quite a lot of volume--wondering what they do to cyclists' stomachs on the bike. Maybe they help with absorption of other stuff??)

Will try some of your good ideas. Just looking at the ingredients of most of these gels and energy products=high fructose corn syrup and multiple chemicals=pure poison, really. Great for energy on the bike, but enough to kill a diabetic in a week (and I'm not one) or any other person over the years. As you mention, this ain't food. It's something else.

 

[lostintime]

About Garmin and their rice bars, they aren't the puffed "rice cakes" like those you'd buy in a market. They are home made from cooked rice ... tons of carbs in these. Here's some of their recipes and what they may eat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcjhlpv4wWk
http://gearjunkie.com/bike-team-race-food

Bananas ... yeah. In the 70's and 80's bananas were THE cycling food. Local races and rides featured bananas and other fruits for the riders. Funny how things comes full circle with even pros wanting "real food" once again

 

[simo1733]

Honey Stinger doesn't have corn starch according to the ingredients.

 

[JayKosta]

My 'after exercise' RECOVERY DRINK is a mixture of whey protein powder (about 20 grams protein) with Gatorade powder for carbs.
The gatorade contains 'modified food starch', so I don't know whether that includes corn starch.

Low-fat / non-fat chocolate milk is also good, as is ANY food or drink that gives you a quantity of easily digested protein and carbs.

I use the whey & gatorade combination because it is convenient and inexpensive.
Mix in a sealable plastic jar, dirnk from the jar, rinse the jar using a few drops of dishwashing detergent, and let the jar & lid air-dry.

I get a 2 pound jug of whey protein from Walmart - about $15 and gives me 30+ servings, also a large 'coffee can' sized tub of Gatorade powder from Walmart - $10 for lots & lots of servings.

Just find something that you WILL USE regularly, and which meets your needs for expense & convenience.

Jay Kosta
Endwell NY USA

 

[durianrider]

I rock the organic fruit juice. Keeps you way lean with no whey protein 'gut bloat' that hampers diaphragm contractions.