So in the latest issue of Bicycling, Carmicheal says I should be taking in one bottle of water and two gels PER HOUR on EVERY training ride.
Is he nuts?
That’s about 200 cals/hr. For an easy ride, seems about right for me at 160 lbs.
Am I the last person on the planet who realizes that you don’t need to replenish every single calorie in real time as it’s being burned?
Just how many gels do you consume per week?
GU sez every 45’.
I used to be a 1/2 water, 1/2 gatorade guy for all my workouts longer than an hour - just water for anything less. Taking gels (or any food for that matter mmmmm pop-tarts) has eliminated me binging & vegging on the couch after my saturday morning long ride.
I can go with gels or food or whatever for the Saturday long ride, or in a longer race. Taking in two gels per hour on every training ride is ridiculous.
Gels are kinda expensive and real food tastes better but … yeah … eating a decent amount during training rides seems to make then MUCH easier to recover from. I can do a four hour ride on Gatorade but I sure know about it when I try to ride the next day.
Maybe the problem is that I’m the only one who doesn’t do a four hour ride every day . . . .
depends on how many teeth you have.
Just how many gels do you consume per week?
Zero. Those things are nasty.
I actually missed the point you were driving at and generally agree. I was thinking of long rides. I don’t take in cals on rides or runs under 2 hours (except whatever’s derived from 1/2 strength gatorade on the bike - and that’s just for taste).
I’ve done many, many 2-3-4 hours rides with nothing but water. No problem at all. It wasn’t until I was training this year for my first HIM that I really started paying attention to nutrition, mostly because there’s a long run at the end. I don’t see any need for all the gels being recommended for simple bike rides. If you’re training for a HIM or IM it’s different, but for just biking alone it’s overkill.
Maybe the problem is that I’m the only one who doesn’t do a four hour ride every day . . . .
If I am going out for a two to three hour ride I might bring a bar and maybe a few gels and realistically I might have one or two gels at best. If I do a ride between 4-6 hours then I bring the gels and aim for 200 calories an hour…this has more to do with training my nutrition for IM, staving off a post ride binge, and helping me to recover more quickly. But 200 calories an hour for every workout is overkill.
What gel company does Carmichael have an interest in?
Well, you could try the following as reported from the Badwater course: “Fighting stomach pain and nausea before Stovepipe Wells (mile 42), he recovered sufficiently to continue the fight, taking mostly Hershey’s chocolate syrup and coke for energy. In spite of those difficulties, however, the early part of the race went very fast, with Nunes following Konya and Pacheco through Stovepipe Wells (mile 42) in 5:18, 5:33, and 5:39 respectively.”
I’ve done many, many 2-3-4 hours rides with nothing but water. No problem at all. It wasn’t until I was training this year for my first HIM that I really started paying attention to nutrition, mostly because there’s a long run at the end. I don’t see any need for all the gels being recommended for simple bike rides. If you’re training for a HIM or IM it’s different, but for just biking alone it’s overkill.
You’re kidding right? No need for taking in carbs on a 4 hour ride?
So in the latest issue of Bicycling, Carmicheal says I should be taking in one bottle of water and two gels PER HOUR on EVERY training ride.
Is he nuts?
No, he’s right. You’re just showing your ignorance, but that’s ok, this is Slowtwitch.
Are you serious? Let’s say I go for a 1.5 hour ride. I should, then, consume three gels? For what?
I don’t know, to mantain your blood glycogen??? Just a hunch.
Stop being obtuse, Paulo. Either give a real answer, or be quiet.
It’s hard to say what the exact right way to do it is. The bigger you are, the faster you ride…etc…effect your intake. His rec is actually on par with what is recommended for mountain biking.
“You’re kidding right? No need for taking in carbs on a 4 hour ride?”
Not for me. I also do runs of up to 2 hours with nothing at all - no gels, no fluids. Try it sometime.