[0-0]

A few questions before bedtime.

I bought my first ever Energy Gel (SIS) from the supermarket today on a whim.
But I don’t know when I should use it. All I know is it gives you an energy boost, but I can’t find any info about the following:

When should you use it?
Do you wait until you nearly “bonk”, making it more of an emergency use product?
Take it at X amount of minutes before a hard climb for example?
Keep taking “sip” every 30 minutes on a long ride?

Do you use the full contents of the sachet in one gulp, or can you use 1/2 one day and use the remaining a few days later?

How long does it take to feel the energy hit and how long does it last?

I usually use the Soreen Banana Loaf in pieces as my fuel.
Thank you.

Topic

[0-0]

Thank you very much ?
Thank you very much ?

[Pilot Pete]

I’ve only ever used them when

I’ve only ever used them when racing. If you are not racing, then you can usually find the time to eat proper food at a fraction of the cost. One could be handy for emergency use if you feel the dreaded knock, but I just stop at a convenience store and buy a can of coke and a Mars bar if that happens.

I much prefer to use an energy drink mix in one bottle and water in the other. I carry an extra portion of energy drink powder to top up a bottle if I stop for more water. I can do 70-80 miles at a fairly hard pace just on that. However, I usually will have a cafe stop and eat real food and have a tea or coffee etc. The groups I ride with during the week always do a cafe stop. I don’t carry any food for them, just energy drink and water.

I will carry extra food when I go 100+ miles. Usually in the form of a few Nākd bars and probably two sachets of energy drink powder. As the mileage ups, I plan refuel stops as I certainly wouldn’t want to be just consuming energy gels the whole ride.

Last month I did a 250 mile unsupported ride. There is no way I could carry enough food without a large bag of some sort! So I planned 3x cafe stops with two or three convenience stores/ petrol stations in between which I knew would be open, especially in the evening towards the end of the ride. I also carried 4 sachets of energy drink mix.

I consumed 4500cals on that ride, drank 6lts of fluids and burnt roughly 9-10000cals, losing 2lbs in weight by the end of the day. No gels whatsoever, but the final 80 miles saw me stopping every 20-25miles for more fluids. Pee remained straw colour, so I wasn’t dehydrated, but my fluid intake does increase when I get above 150 miles.

So, gels can be useful, but unless you are riding somewhere remote you can usually just buy something cheaper. Personally I find the 60-90g of carbs an hour too much – that figure seems to have come from the pro-race world. I might be riding hard but there’s no way I’m putting out anything like the power output sustained over 4hrs that those guys are, and I don’t need to try to eat with a heart rate above 170bpm either!

On the energy drink front I use Bulk Powders Complete Hydration mix. You can always get a big discount, I usually buy it at 50% off. That works out at less than 30p per bidon, best offer I’ve had was only 20p per bidon. That’s pretty darn cheap. It has the right balance of electrolytes as well as the glucose/ fructose sugars. Doesn’t clump, so mixes easily and tastes pleasant enough.

[Secret_squirrel]

0-0 wrote:

0-0 wrote:

”can you use 1/2 one day and use the remaining a few days later?”

Nope too much hassle. They tend to ooze over the outer and then nothing will stick to reseal it.. Even with sucked dry packets they slime whichever jersey pocket you put them in. 

[0-0]

Thank you.
Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Sis gels don’t have hardly
Sis gels contain hardly any sugar content, being mainly maltodextrin with added sweeteners and preservatives.

In fact, a quick look at the back of the packet shows 100ml contains 36g carbs with only 1g of that coming from sugar.

[0-0]

Thank you.
Thank you.

[Geoff Ingram]

I always carry one just in
I always carry one just in case and put a sucrose/glucose mix in my water bottle for the first 2 or 3 hours. Hi5 works well for me and Wiggle’s price is OK. I find when I take it, it kicks in after 5min. and lasts 45. They really help maybe one ride in 7.

[0-0]

Simon E wrote:

Simon E wrote:

0-0 wrote:

“can you use 1/2 one day and use the remaining a few days later?”

Why?

And would you do that with a banana or a Mars bar? I wouldn’t.

Yes, I would if it was a Banana flavoured Mars Bar, or a Mars Bar flavoured Banana.

[0-0]

wycombewheeler wrote:

wycombewheeler wrote:

0-0 wrote:

Thank you very much to everyone for the great advice ? Can you also answer the question about: “can you use 1/2 one day and use the remaining a few days later?”

 

Not sure how you would seal the pack.

Would you drink half a can of coke one day and (having left the can open) half two days later?

This is why sports mix/jelly babies/wine gums are better than gels. I’d have no qualms eating one of these froma  packet that had been opened the day before. Might draw the line at a week.

I’d probably bend the packet in half and stick it closed with some Gorilla Tape.
Which if I knew I was only going to consume half in advance, would be stuck to the side of the packet.

[IanEdward]

I use them as part of the
I use them as part of the bigger picture when fuelling longer harder rides, I try to follow the rule of thumb 60-90g of carbohydrate an hour advice and a gel contributes 20-40g of that.

I use them along side mini soreen, bananas, Clif Bloks etc just to keep my nutrition varied and tasty! The caffeinated ones give me such a kick it doesn’t seem legal sonetimes ? I save them for ‘last big climb’ or particularly tough gravel sections.

Edit: don’t even bother trying to sip and re-use, even when I think I’ve squeezed out every last drop out of one the empty wrapper still comes back out of my pocket a sticky mess!

[Awavey]

I might on a Mars bar if I
I might on a Mars bar if I hadnt finished it,save it for another ride the next day though not a banana obviously as it will go off very quickly.

Tbf most gels do promote the idea on the packaging that you can gulp (down in one) or sip (save some for later), so it’s not that unrealistic to ask so how long can you leave between sips ultimately.

Personally I wouldnt bother saving half of one,I think theyd just leak in your pocket anyway and they arent like you are eating a roast dinner and will instantly feel full after half of one, so consume one all at once.

[wycombewheeler]

bobbinogs wrote:

3. gels can quickly rot teeth

as can sugar rich sweets, sugary drinks and even orange juice. The question is how do you get sufficient carbs digested in a resonable time, without involving sugars?

[wycombewheeler]

0-0 wrote:

0-0 wrote:

Thank you very much to everyone for the great advice ? Can you also answer the question about: “can you use 1/2 one day and use the remaining a few days later?”

 

Not sure how you would seal the pack.

Would you drink half a can of coke one day and (having left the can open) half two days later?

This is why sports mix/jelly babies/wine gums are better than gels. I’d have no qualms eating one of these froma  packet that had been opened the day before. Might draw the line at a week.

[Simon E]

0-0 wrote:

0-0 wrote:

“can you use 1/2 one day and use the remaining a few days later?”

Why?

And would you do that with a banana or a Mars bar? I wouldn’t.

[m.a.t.t.]

I suppose it is entirely

I suppose it is entirely possible but I would be very unlikely to do so.

[Author]

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