Energy bars and gels - what's the difference?

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Re: Energy bars and gels - what's the difference?

Postby Andrew G » Wed May 14, 2008 12:37 pm

It was Adam, just had a sweaty wrapper making it difficult to open as well as eat :lol: .
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Re: Energy bars and gels - what's the difference?

Postby adrian » Wed May 14, 2008 12:55 pm

Does anyone actually feel the benefits of gels or bars over 'real' food?

I've definitely felt the advantage of energy or electrolyte drinks v plain water, but if I use energy bars and gels, it's because they're convenient - easy to carry and eat on the move - rather than nutritionally more effective than fruit, nuts or cake. I know they pack more calories but really, do you feel any better after necking them than you would after eating anything else? For me, the discomfort - tooth-rot from bars and the horrible sticky lips and fingers from gels - cancels out any perceived energy boost.

After six hours of synthetic junk, is it any wonder I'm running into the arms of a pork pie?
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Re: Energy bars and gels - what's the difference?

Postby huw williams » Wed May 14, 2008 1:04 pm

You're running into the arms of a pork pie because you're craving the salt/fat content

The main difference between the energy bars/gels (the good ones anyway) is that the content has been optimised to provide the best combination of nutrients with the fastest delivery based on research into endurance fuelling - you can find all those things in real foods but not in such balanced forms - you'd have to carry a wide range of 'real' foods in order to match the ingredients of a decent energy bar/drink/gel. That said there are riders who swear by their own home made bars and own-mix energy drinks.

I made my own drinks for sunday out of water/fruit juice and whey protein powder - (nowhere near as sweet as a commercial energy drink which was good in the heat) but I'd done quite a bit of testing on it to make sure it worked for me
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Re: Energy bars and gels - what's the difference?

Postby Elliot M » Wed May 14, 2008 1:04 pm

[quote="huw williams"]In the good old days of MTB racing in the 90s - when sticky ol' power bars were pretty much the only thing around - we used to cut them into strips and wrap them round the handlebars between the grips and stem - then just tear of a strip when you need one. This of course led to very messy bars on hot, dusty days in Colorado but it was pretty much the done thing :shock:


:o

i've found if you are careful you can pre-cut bars into chunks with a blunt knife while still in the foil, which avoids riding with one hand while desperately trying to use the other to lever off a chunk into your gob...
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Re: Energy bars and gels - what's the difference?

Postby kieran » Wed May 14, 2008 1:05 pm

well, I just use the gels for racing and don't use specific energy bars at all , rather a snack bar (fairtrade geobars) which is probably not so bad for the teeth but the energy drink will get your teeth anyway so I brush my teeth the minute I get home. My preferred food is ripe bananas and will eat these first and the bar only if needed.
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Re: Energy bars and gels - what's the difference?

Postby huw williams » Wed May 14, 2008 1:07 pm

[quote="kieran"]well, I just use the gels for racing and don't use specific energy bars at all , rather a snack bar (fairtrade geobars) which is probably not so bad for the teeth but the energy drink will get your teeth anyway so I brush my teeth the minute I get home. My preferred food is ripe bananas and will eat these first and the bar only if needed.


WOW - Don't tell me you took your hands off the bars last night to neck a gel in the melee at the front of the 3/4s race did you? If so good on you :D
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Re: Energy bars and gels - what's the difference?

Postby Sylv » Wed May 14, 2008 1:08 pm

[quote="Elliot M"][quote="huw williams"]In the good old days of MTB racing in the 90s - when sticky ol' power bars were pretty much the only thing around - we used to cut them into strips and wrap them round the handlebars between the grips and stem - then just tear of a strip when you need one. This of course led to very messy bars on hot, dusty days in Colorado but it was pretty much the done thing :shock:


.

With added protein courtesy of the midges.

Also licking jelly babies and sticking them to your toptube.
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Re: Energy bars and gels - what's the difference?

Postby Ivor » Wed May 14, 2008 1:14 pm

[quote="huw williams"]Gels for quick hits

How quick? How long before your body can take advantage of it? Compared to say a flapjack or banana? or an energy drink?
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Re: Energy bars and gels - what's the difference?

Postby Ivor » Wed May 14, 2008 1:18 pm

[quote="huw williams"]I made my own drinks for sunday out of water/fruit juice and whey protein powder

Wellll on friday I fuelled my commute with two pints of Heineken and forgot to fill my water bottle. :oops:
did one of my better times too. :shock:
With hindsight... probably not recommended.
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Re: Energy bars and gels - what's the difference?

Postby huw williams » Wed May 14, 2008 2:37 pm

[quote="Ivor"][quote="huw williams"]Gels for quick hits

How quick? How long before your body can take advantage of it? Compared to say a flapjack or banana? or an energy drink?


Depends on your metabolism and actual state of depletion - go and test it is the best. Ride steady and unfuelled at a steady pace for an hour and you should soon start to feel the familiar pangs of hunger-knock setting in. As soon as you do - whack an energy gel down and see what happens. Pay attention to the length of time before you feel it kick in (and you will feel it kick in) and how long the effects last before you feel the need for another one. Then try the same thing with energy bars, fluids and real foods until you get a good picture of what works best for you.

All that time you have riding in winter you can use to try these things so that when it comes to event time, you will have a clearer picture of when and what to eat/drink for best performance
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Re: Energy bars and gels - what's the difference?

Postby Andrew G » Wed May 14, 2008 2:49 pm

[quote="Ivor"]Wellll on friday I fuelled my commute with two pints of Heineken and forgot to fill my water bottle. :oops:
did one of my better times too. :shock:
With hindsight... probably not recommended.

Well not unless it's a good beer anyway.

[quote="adrian"]Does anyone actually feel the benefits of gels or bars over 'real' food?

After six hours of synthetic junk, is it any wonder I'm running into the arms of a pork pie?

Yes in that I find I can get the benefits of more for less, i.e. don't have to shovel so much down my gob.

The pork pie (and certain other savoury snacks) are king when out for more than 4 hours. A ride over about 4 hours (steady - or 80 miles if a harder ride) and I like to take something savoury, and a pork pie is beautifully wrapped for just such an occaision. All the sweet stuff gets a bit much after that time/distance.

All hail the pork pie.[img]http://www.timetriallingforum.co.uk/style_emoticons/default/NotWorthy2.gif[/img]
[img]http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/05/media/pork-pie.jpg[/img]
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Re: Energy bars and gels - what's the difference?

Postby adrian » Wed May 14, 2008 3:04 pm

No moutarde? :shock:
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Re: Energy bars and gels - what's the difference?

Postby Marky Mark » Wed May 14, 2008 3:06 pm

If all I need is a pork pie then I'll get some quality pies brought down from Huddersfield.
The god of all pork pies, yeah baby!
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Re: Energy bars and gels - what's the difference?

Postby Andrew G » Wed May 14, 2008 3:30 pm

Sorry Sean Italian's make fine bicycles but not proper pork pies
225g of lard, now that's a proper recipe.
If you want quality English recipes you go to Mike Robinson and get proper grub.
[url]http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/575663[/url]
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Re: Energy bars and gels - what's the difference?

Postby John Czernobay » Wed May 14, 2008 4:46 pm

And the great thing about the pork pie it comes with it's own gel.........marvellous. :D

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