When, to drink what?

[ScottH]

Through the training and racing I have done I have realized how big of a deal nutrition will play in my performance. If I don't eat or drink properly on a long endurance ride I bonk early. I'm wondering when you should drink what. Or does it even matter?
Say I had 3 bottles, for 3 hours, one was water. One had salts and a bit of sugar, and the other had carbs and protein. Any particular order? I usually leave water last, or use it to wash down other things.

Scott

[GinnySellars]

Hi Scott
Here are a few thoughts:
- what you eat/drink during a ride depends alot of what you've eaten beforehand, and the intensity of the ride itself
- you are a lean young man, so your goal is not to shed fat
- let's do a couple of scenarios:
1. Endurance ride, 3-4hrs. If you have eaten a small balanced meal within 1.5 to 2 hrs of this ride, you won't need as many calories than if you ate an early breakie then are riding over the lunch hour. So let's say you ate pre-session. I would suggest that ALL THREE bottles have the following:
- 1 scoop eLoad Endurance (108kcal)
- 1.5 scoop FLY (120kcal)
- if you want protein add some branch chain amino acids

The problem with having one with salt/low cal, one carb/protein, one water, is that you won't have constant energy throughout, and you have to make too many decisions along the way about what to drink when. You won't OD on the salts. Anything you don't absorb just shows up as salt crust on your face.

I always take back up gels in my pocket, and a bar in case I end up being longer than planned, or harder than planned, and begin to feel empty. They usually just come home with me, but you never know.

Another thing to consider is how fast you start your ride. If you do a gradual ramp up to training pace, your body will have an easier time using FFAs to fuel this ride. If you jump off the start, then settle back in, your body will be using sugars right off the bat, using up your muscle glycogen stores, and looking for blood sugar.

If you are doing back to back days of long or hard riding, there is often not enough time between sessions to re-fuel the glycogen stores. In this case, you may feel bonky early on, and the early flow of fuel will be important.

Now, there has been some chit chat about teaching your body to use more fats to support the rides. I do not have any experience with this. I find that with my fitness level, even on an easy ride, there are enough hills or wind that forces me into an intensity that requires sugar burning. If you were able to do a really controlled easy ride with no intensity blips, you may be able to rely more on fats to support the work...but I don't have this experience. Maybe others will chirp in about this.

[ScottH]

Thanks a lot Ginny! Really helpful.
What are FFA's?

I currently only have one bottle of Eload powder,may I please steal an Efly bottle next time I see you? When I used it in J Tree I felt great.

Really interesting about the gradual start to training pace to not tap into the wrong fuel source.
Will be sure to take that into consideration.

PS: When can we pick up our kit!? I'm super pumped. You looked fast in the picture anyways.
      Enjoy the lovely spring weather.

Scott

[GinnySellars]

Hey Scott

We will do a massive KIT party on Thursday in Kelowna, and I'll try and remember to bring some FLY.

FFA=free fatty acids, fat is stored as triglycerides in the body, then broken down to FFAs and glycerol for use during metabolism.