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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

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Thank you very much to
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?”

[Awavey]

Treat them as you would
Treat them as you would ordinary food, they just fit in your pocket more easily and can be easier to digest than solid foods.

When you need them can depend on how “fuelled” you are to begin with,how long you’ve ridden for & what intensity. For instance George Russell was snacking on a SIS gel whilst being interviewed before an F1 race recently, to keep his carb levels up he said, which to a cyclist might seem odd as an F1 race is max 2hrs effort anyway, but he almost certainly doesn’t carb load on a race weekend as prep.

I’d have said it takes on average 20mins to digest a gel, and the effect lasts again depends on the intensity & how much fuel you’ve got left in your tank. I’ve been in situations where I’ve used one and ridden the next hour no problem, others I still had to stop every 10mins and just keep snacking on stuff.

If you start to nearly bonk, it’s like dehydration really imo, it’s too late by that stage to recover properly, it will get you home but you’ll still feel shattered, it’s best to really approach feeding as after an hour whether you feel you need something or not, eat something be that food or a gel and just keep doing it at regular intervals to keep ontop of it,not to let the energy drop too far and try to recover from it.

Also worth pointing out as alot of people will avoid that regular feeding, or do fasted rides, as you’ll think its better to push yourself to increase your limits, and so what if you end the ride nearly bonking, that’s perfectly fuelled right ? all that does is impact your recovery time to be able to do the next ride.

[Simon E]

bobbinogs wrote:

bobbinogs wrote:

Problem is that the majority are simple sugars/carbs so they produce a spike (after about 5-10 mins) which is then usually followed by a natural low (when the body counteracts the sugar with insulin).

That’s not a problem if you are exercising hard, which is exactly what they are for, not a mid-morning snack at your desk.

IME the best way to try one is to take it on a longer ride and if you take an item of food every 30/40/60 minutes then replace one portion towards the end of the ride with the gel. It should work faster and give you a bit of a lift. Caffeine type should give a bigger hit. Squeeze the whole thing out, it’s only a single portion. They are usually rather sweet and often quite sticky so make sure you have enough water to wash it down. Please put the wrapper in a bin.

While a gel is not the same as a banana it does have some advantages: you can take the same one with you on every ride until you use it; it’s very compact and easy to carry; it won’t go black, squishy or fall apart in your pocket; you could consider it as a backup option, like grabbing a Mars bar when you find you’re getting low on energy. They are not cheap but you’re paying for convenience, as we all do in all aspects of our lives.

[Secret_squirrel]

I dont use Gels for under

I dont use Gels for under 100km/4hrs ride, just relying on water in one bottle and energy mix in a second.  I’ll take a standard Natures Choice cereal bar along to nibble or make a cake stop.

Over 100km I go loaded for bear with a SIS energy bar or a Beta fuel jelly every hour or 20miles which ever comes first.  By the end of a big session its more like every 15miles.

I also go fasted a couple of times a week for ~30mi/2hr rides before breakfast.  I cant swear its that but it seems to have entended my “bonking range” which used to be about 70mi.  I havent got my fuelling wrong and bonked for over a year now.

[m.a.t.t.]

I use Torq gels and flapjacks

I use Torq gels and flapjacks myself, but tend to use them for longer rides. If the ride is below 90 minutes I might not use any at all if the intensity is low enough (70-75%). On longer rides (2 hours plus), I tend to eat a banana immediately before starting and then have my first snack (a flapjack) after about 40 minutes. This delivers 263 calories and 43g of carbs. After that, I will have my first gel 40 minutes later, delivering 114 calories and 29g of carbs. I will then have a gel every 20-30 minutes depending on intensity.

I find this strategy works really well for me and I can stick to a pretty standard meal plan outside of that, with a couple of almond milk protein shakes throughout the day (one immediately after a ride). Generally, my Garmin Edge recommendation for calorie consumption during a ride matches pretty well with what I actually consume.

With regards to stomach issues, I have had absolutely none with Torq gels and flapjacks and one of the things I particularly like about them vs products like SiS is the ingredients list 

I tried SiS gels when I first started riding as they were on offer in Lidl, but I don’t particularly like them. I find the flavourings and texture to not be to my liking. The Torq stuff, on the other hand, is really tasty!

If I were to do longer rides (4 hours plus), I would be more likely to consume real food along the way or add an additional flapjack at the 1 hour 20 minute point and start gels after 2 hours.

[bobbinogs]

The use of gels is a very

The use of gels is a very personal thing.  There is nothing magical contained in any of them, they are basically a sugar syrup which can be easily digested to give an energy boost.  Problem is that the majority are simple sugars/carbs so they produce a spike (after about 5-10 mins) which is then usually followed by a natural low (when the body counteracts the sugar with insulin).  Personally, I try to limit their use since:

1.  gels are far from healthy (complex carbs in real food are much better at avoiding highs/lows)

2. the body has had a lifetime of processing things like oats/bananas, etc., 

3. gels can quickly rot teeth

4. gels are an expensive way of getting basic carbs

5. gels come in a very environmenatlly unfriendly wrapper (cf: banana!) even when disposed of responsibly

So, for me, I will carry a gel on a long ride for the times when I know I need energy but cannot face eating any more (typically 5-6 hours into a ride when staring at a bloody big hill).  Then again,  I have seen folks knock back a couple of gels at a cafe on a club ride, which shows that everyone has a different view of them. 

Thing is, most riders should have enough glycogen to last a 2 hour ride so refuelling only becomes an issue after about 90 mins, and if the effort is going to be sustained then I reckon on about 50g of carbs an hour after that (one flapjack/banana/bar is typically 25g – 40g of carb) so one needs to keep the reserves topped up but the body can only digest so much. 

Whatever you do, don’t try gels for the first time on an important ride, they can upset the digestion of some folks, which is far from pleasant!

[Author]

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