I directed a race and Hammer Nutrition “sponsored” my race by sending me a zillion sample packets of Endurolytes Fizz. I have most of them left over since few runners wanted them. Kinda feel like I should figure out a way to use them.
I seriously don’t understand why people would be interested in these. They are salt tabs containing sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and a couple other things, but no actual calories. Evidently you should dissolve them in water to use them. That’s the problem. WHY would I dissolve something in water that has no calories? If I want salt, I take a salt tablet. If I’m going to dissolve something in water, I want it to have calories.
I’m pondering throwing these in WITH my Cytomax/energy drink, but does anyone drink water with just electrolytes in them? I guess that is what Nuun tabs are too? Don’t get those either.
I guess my point is this: if I’m doing any training/race that is hard enough that I need electrolytes, then it’s hard enough to need calories as well. Am I the only one who thinks this way?
I’ve found that the calorie containing drinks leave a bit of a syrupy or lingering taste after taking a swig. So I supplement Nuun (electrolytes) with Hammer Gels and other stuff (calories). That may just be me though. Also, the half tablet Nuun plus water mix washes down gels without GI discomfort.
Although, I’ve been practicing with powder Gatorade and find that 1-2 teaspoons with water isn’t half bad either. If it continues to work on my long rides and runs, I’ll switch over to the G.
I directed a race and Hammer Nutrition “sponsored” my race by sending me a zillion sample packets of Endurolytes Fizz. I have most of them left over since few runners wanted them. Kinda feel like I should figure out a way to use them.
I seriously don’t understand why people would be interested in these. They are salt tabs containing sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and a couple other things, but no actual calories. Evidently you should dissolve them in water to use them. That’s the problem. WHY would I dissolve something in water that has no calories? If I want salt, I take a salt tablet. If I’m going to dissolve something in water, I want it to have calories.
I’m pondering throwing these in WITH my Cytomax/energy drink, but does anyone drink water with just electrolytes in them? I guess that is what Nuun tabs are too? Don’t get those either.
I guess my point is this: if I’m doing any training/race that is hard enough that I need electrolytes, then it’s hard enough to need calories as well. Am I the only one who thinks this way?
i’ll pay for shipping and take the left overs off of your hands. Send me a PM if you want to entertain the sale.
i have never have needed it before this year, but doing cat3/4 bike races is rather demanding (75-205 minutes of racing) and i’ve found myself cramping. I think the ideal is 200mg potassium per 16oz, which i could do with gatorade endurance, but it becomes too cloyingly sweet. So i dump nuun/endurolyte into my gatorade, to bring the concentration up to 400mg per 32oz. The fizz is also a nice touch, despite being probably a placebo.
Also helps toward the end of the race when i no longer want to chug gatorade but still need electrolytes.
I use Nuun whenever i go out on a ride or swim, and in conjunction with gels (2nd surge) or a blocs if im doing a long enough session . I like’em even if there arent any calories, and at least for me, i think they make a difference.
I guess I get the point of just using gels for energy, and then dissolving salt tabs for the electrolytes. Can’t argue much with that, really. I’m kinda cheap and think that things like Cytomax are cheaper per calorie than the gels are (although honestly I’ve never made the calculation). So I tend to dissolve my calories in water, and then just use Succeed for my electrolytes. I do carry gels too though but I don’t need as many of them since I’m using Cytomax or whatever. Plus the advantage of dissolving my calories is that I get a steady flow of them instead of a surge of them every 45-60 min.
It’s interesting how we differ in how we prefer to do things like this.
I might be wrong, but cant you sweat too much way before you NEED calories? Like for an Oly race, you dont need calories, but if its hot out and your sweating balls for 2 hours, Im guessing you would want electrolytes. When I am doing hill reapeats for two hours on the bike, I drink gatorade powder but wont consume any calories. Charging up hills repeatedly makes me sweat like crazy, and parch my mouth
I might be wrong, but cant you sweat too much way before you NEED calories? Like for an Oly race, you dont need calories, but if its hot out and your sweating balls for 2 hours, Im guessing you would want electrolytes. When I am doing hill reapeats for two hours on the bike, I drink gatorade powder but wont consume any calories. Charging up hills repeatedly makes me sweat like crazy, and parch my mouth
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Hmmm…yeah maybe if you’re really fast and it’s hot. I’m kinda slow. In an Oly race I usually need a few calories. In a sprint I need neither electrolytes nor calories.
This is making me re-think things a bit though. Maybe for shorter hotter training days these could come in useful.
I agree too that at the end of a long hot race I might not have the stomach anymore for calories but could still put some electrolytes in me.
The pool I swim at is normally 85 degrees. A lot of days, I don’t need calories during those swims if the workout is spaced out enough between a run or ride. So I’ll take some Nuun or Hammer Fizz just for the electrolytes. I’m a heavy sweater, especially in that water. It probably doesn’t do a whole lot, but the extra sodium throughout the day can’t hurt.
I also like some flavoring in my water while working out. Love straight water throughout the day, but like the extra flavors while working out.
I like to keep my electrolytes and calories in separate bottles. One water bottle has 200 - 600 calories of CarboPro (no electrolytes) depending on how long my ride is – and my other water bottle(s) have my electrolytes/ Nuun tablets (no calories). It’s nice to be able to play around with the amount of calories in one bottle and electrolytes in my other bottles depending on heat, ride intensity, and ride duration.
I’ve also found, personally, that I can drink Nuun while I eat solid foods on longer rides-- but CarboPro, cytomax, and other drinks w/ calories don’t sit well in my stomach if I use them to chase down a power bar / cliff bar.
I heard somewhere also, that training with a certain flavor and getting your body used to that flavor, along with calories, will kinda train your body to KNOW that it is getting calories when you drink that same flavor during a race. No idea if this is fact or not, but I never change my Gatorade powder flavor just incase.
Its kinda off topic, but just thought it was similar since we are talking about training with powders. Thats one reason why I never touch different stuff on race day…
I just use whatever sports drink/water/gels are available on course and bring a bit of the same on my just in case. I’ve never needed to suppliment that with any extra salt, etc.
All of the above + having the electrolytes in plain water encourages someone to drink and helps to hold on to fluid better so hydration status is less of an issue.
I find I drink more when I use the tablets than plain water and avoid cramping on runs much more readily.
It gets incredibly humid and muggy here in the summer and sometimes I may not need the calories but I do need the fluid and lytes.
it gives you the option of creating your own sports drink with maltodextrin, fruit juice, fructose, or whatever.
bulk maltodextrin is cheap as hell and like 300 calories of it will dissolve in a normal water bottle.
add a nuun tablet and you have heed and gatorade beat for taste and price.
I directed a race and Hammer Nutrition “sponsored” my race by sending me a zillion sample packets of Endurolytes Fizz. I have most of them left over since few runners wanted them. Kinda feel like I should figure out a way to use them.
I seriously don’t understand why people would be interested in these. They are salt tabs containing sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and a couple other things, but no actual calories. Evidently you should dissolve them in water to use them. That’s the problem. WHY would I dissolve something in water that has no calories? If I want salt, I take a salt tablet. If I’m going to dissolve something in water, I want it to have calories.
I’m pondering throwing these in WITH my Cytomax/energy drink, but does anyone drink water with just electrolytes in them? I guess that is what Nuun tabs are too? Don’t get those either.
I guess my point is this: if I’m doing any training/race that is hard enough that I need electrolytes, then it’s hard enough to need calories as well. Am I the only one who thinks this way?
'I prefer to keep my hydration and calories separate, so it’s good for me.
I use the nuun and pop a tab in my bottles…better than water and tasty. ’
X2
Gel packs for calories
Nuuns in water for electrolytes
Both are pre-packaged and readily available near or at any event.
You can control the dosage for both as required for your needs.
Hydration:
Cool Temps.- 1/2 Nuun tablet in 500ml bottles
Hot Humid - 1 to 1 1/2 tablets
Nutrition:
Recovery Rides - 1 gel pack (approx. 110 calories / pack) every 45 mins.
Race Day - 1 gel pack every 30 mins…
I’ll echo what some of the others have said. I’ve been using NUUN for a couple of years now. I use it in just about every bottle of water I consume when training or racing. It allows me to keep electrolytes in balance regardless of how hard I’m pushing. It also allows me to keep close tabs on calorie intake. And yes there are times when I’m sweating my balls off training in Texas, but don’t need calorie replacement. I’m a big fan of NUUN.
Old logic: Use a sport drink (about 1 buck / liter which contains about 200cals) on long rides, run/swim/short rides on water, the food before and after replaces all lost minerals, vitamins and energy (from fat and/or carbs).
New logic: Use a sport drink without calories (about a buck / liter) and add gels (about 2 bucks per 200 cals). I am sure, the next big thing will be gels without minerals, so that we can micromanage nutrition even more.
Main difference: 2 EUR for 200cals of sugar
Any workout, that does not need any additional calories (to the regular foods you are eating) will not need additional minerals either, mineral needs don’t rise disproportional to food needs. Foods contains all minerals and if you don’t mess up your instincts (by chemicals) your body will crave the best food to correct imbalances. Soup (for Sodium), bananas, raisins, oats …
For 90% of my training sessions, water does ok, for the rest I take a regular sport drink. For very long sessions, I understand the needs for bars and gels, but anything less than 3hours? No way. Sport drinks are generally cheaper than most other fuel …