60 year old , off to Kona in Oct but having horrendous GI ( Abdominal cramping and bloating) the last couple of years; culminating a few weeks ago with being unable really to take in much nutrition at all. I have been using Carbo Pro ( 50g diluted in 500ml water per hour) and cliff shot blocs - 3 an hour plus few gulps of plain water every aid station.
Been advised to try Skratch lab hydration as fuel source, anyone used it ? I assume I would have to supplement with additional carbs.
60 year old , off to Kona in Oct but having horrendous GI ( Abdominal cramping and bloating) the last couple of years; culminating a few weeks ago with being unable really to take in much nutrition at all. I have been using Carbo Pro ( 50g diluted in 500ml water per hour) and cliff shot blocs - 3 an hour plus few gulps of plain water every aid station.
Been advised to try Skratch lab hydration as fuel source, anyone used it ? I assume I would have to supplement with additional carbs.
I’m a huge Scratch fan. It’s tasty even warm, which is rare. Not much calories in it though so you’ll have to add Carbo Pro to it and see if that solves your issues. I’d love for them to come up with a palatable formula with a bit more front loaded calories.
I use it off and on. It is rather expensive for many of the items (at least where I am). They are good, and very tasty. I like them a lot because they don’t have an overbearing sweet taste in the mix or the gummies.
As far as your GI tract thing, I can’t comment on that. I would suggest trying it out and seeing if it works for you, but what upsets your body is personal.
Thank you for response. They do advise not to add to it, so a bit reluctant to add carbo pro. Just trying to find additional carb source that would not cause issues. Don’t really want to carry loads of real food.
Give Tailwind a try too. I tested out Skratch a couple of times but ended up feeling more “empty” during a bike ride. Tailwind made me feel fuller, if that makes sense. A couple of friends also indicate that Tailwind tends to sit well in their stomach.
Give Tailwind a try too.
+1 to this. Been great for me on rides and long runs.
Another vote for Tailwind. I used Skratch and really liked it, but the Tailwind with Caffeine has been significantly better for me.
I’ve tried it once after a workout. Super tasty!
I have terrible GI issues and have used Skratch through 6 HIMs (including hot, humid Galveston) with no GI or performance trouble. I supplemented with Honey Stinger waffles, but you’ll likely need more for Kona.
I only use Skratch – it tastes good and clean, not syrupy, and no GI issues for me. But as you say, you’d need to supplement the calories.
Skratch green tea with caffeine. My goto for long rides along with their chews.
Their cook book on portables is nice too for training or quick, packable snacks during work/the day.
Another vote for Tailwind. I used Skratch and really liked it, but the Tailwind with Caffeine has been significantly better for me.
I use both tailwind and scratch. Scratch is great when I don’t need the calories. Tailwind orange is really good. It’s very clean as well, so cleaning out bottle is easy.
I have used and like skratch, but as you’ve been told, it is NOT a caloric solution, which is what you seem to need. I would venture to guess that you may be taking in too many concentrated calories, or not enough electrolytes in your mix to solve the absorption (gut) issues. CarboPro is great for getting calories, but if you just used that and water you are likely short on electrolytes. I have used GU products, both drink and gel with great success this years. The amino acids and electrolytes in their products seem to be a great fit for me. I would heartily recommend them. Also, be mindful that Kona is a very hot race usually, so your calories will need to be diluted substantially to be absorbed properly. Stare experimenting now, as Kona is not far off…
Thank again everyone. Re Skratch lab , I use a camelback, has it been found to separate etc i.e. always need to shake bottle every now and again . Obviously that would be a problem with a camelback.
I note that the 80kcal serving dilutes in 500ml? water actually has 21g carbs which isn’t too bad. I live in UK. Suggestions to supplement that in Kona heat , would be really helpful. I know some pro’s use Bounty and milky way bars to supplement cals - I have trained with those successfully. I have used slated caramel GU gels on run - only a couple - possibly could decant them into small flask ?
Is there enough electrolytes in scratch ? I do use salt tabs as well.
I have use Skratch doing Ride the Rockies as it was one of the sponsors -but my go to has always been Infinit- 90% of my clients use it and none have reported any GI issues. And they all get thru HIM and full IM with just this product Good luck and enjoy Kona.
60 year old , off to Kona in Oct but having horrendous GI ( Abdominal cramping and bloating) the last couple of years; culminating a few weeks ago with being unable really to take in much nutrition at all. I have been using Carbo Pro ( 50g diluted in 500ml water per hour) and cliff shot blocs - 3 an hour plus few gulps of plain water every aid station.
Been advised to try Skratch lab hydration as fuel source, anyone used it ? I assume I would have to supplement with additional carbs.
I’ve used it for a 70.3 and trained all Summer here in hot hot Florida for another 70.3 with it. I love it, and it is easy on the stomach. For one water bottle the recommended amount of Skratch is 1.5 scoops. I believe that is 160 calories per bottle. I started adding Base Salts as well. When I remember to use the salts, I find that my muscles do not cramp later in the day. The Skratch alone does not seem to have enough electrolytes to ward them off. Granted it is awful here this year and I am soaked to the skin after even relatively short workouts.
FWIW, I realized that I have a pretty substantial sensitivity to onions. When I quit eating them, my stomach became much more tolerant. Hubby uses Gartorade Endurance which used to be awful for me. I can stomach it now, but still prefer the Skratch.
As others have mentioned, Skratch is good but not good for calories. Tailwind is good and I also use eFuel from Crank Sports. They are good, similar to Tailwind but works well for me. Their gels are good too.
I have had a lot of GI issues.
one thing I realized was I had huge gi reaction to Maltodextrin - which is everywhere. It’s not in Skratch, and I LOVE Skratch. Never had problems with it. Also I like UCAN.
good luck
I use Skratch all the time and love the lemon/lime and the matcha tea versions. usually switch to the matcha tea at special needs for the caffeine. The idea behind Skratch is to use it as your hydration and electrolyte source and eat your calories and carbs. I eat picky bars in my ironman (2 picky bars) and half-ironman (1 picky bar) and eat gu gels. But like other posters have said, everybody is different. Good luck at Kona.
You are getting GI distress from the shot blocs.
Skratch is an awesome deliverable for liquids. It’s not overly tasty (just enough) and like others have said, it tastes great warm.
Your issue is stemming from too much “fake carbs” try eating real food on the bike. You have 112 miles to try and eat a bar or a sandwich or some other real food. Bars are easiest and cleanest. If you find a bar that works with your tummy, and it doesn’t melt (see chocolate) you will be ok. Stay away from any bars with nuts because what do nuts do ?
Skratch founder Allen Lim also has a cookbook for real food on the bike. I’ve tried a few, but find them messy and sticky.
Find a real food bar that’s nut free and combine it with Skratch and you should be good.