How many of you roll on the bike with just gels and water instead of sports drink? I’m thinking it’s going to be a lot easier to manage things if I can put all my gels for the bike in one bottle and just top up with water as required. What I’m wondering about is the nutritional value of the gels vs the sports drink with regard to sodium.
For Ironman Cozumel I’ve been training with just gels and water in order to simplify things. I take Endurolytes for the sodium. So far it’s worked pretty well. They have Powerbar gels on the course so that’s what I train with. On rides of 50 plus miles I’ll take along peanut better crackers or something similar to help ease hunger.
sports drinks usually dont have enough carbohydrate. Gel usually dont have enough sodium.
I prefer gel and, for sodium intake, salt sticks. It´s the best combo for me.
Gatorade 8 fl oz; calories 50- sodium 110mg
One gu gel: callories 100- sodium: 45mg
Gu Brew: calories 100- Soduium 250mg (2 scoops)
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I go with a bottle of gels and some salt tabs. Since course conditions vary, it makes sense to separate nutrition from hydration. Always having water on board is also helpful for washing out your mouth and for keeping armcoolers wet.
Those Powerbar gels have a high(er) sodium content than other gels. Is it enough? You have to be the judge of that.
I just load up my sports drink with extra calories (maltodextrin) so I get it all in one bottle. Another bottle just water. Replace water on course. I can get up to 1500 calories in one bottle. Don’t have open gel packets, etc.
Gels are good because you can monitor exactly how many calories you are taking at a given time…assuming you consume the entire gel. I like Crank Sports’ e-Gel. Www.cranksport.com. Extra sodium and potassium.
My teeth always get super sensitive from the gels so I stick with a light mix of water/ironman perform.
Thanks guys, With the salt tablets, all the ones I have researched need to be dissolved in water. Are there any brands you can just stick in your mouth and wash down with water?
Salt stick capsules. There are others as well. That just happens to be what I use.
google “Saltstick” 
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Saltstick, Lava salts, Endurolites, etc.
Lots of brands out there. I religiously use whatever I have from previous swag bags ;P.
Love GuBrew or Gu2O - whatever they’re calling it these days. Much lighter taste than Gatorade or PowerBar drinks, but not as tasteless as Heed (good IMO)
I only use gels when it’s cold. Around here it’s a sweat a lot environment. I drink a ton of sports drink and it avoids the bonk. When it cools off I don’t need the water but I do need the calories. That is when I switch to gels. As far as salt goes, I avoid it. Nothing will screw my race up worse than salt tabs.