Author Topic: Demands on energy  (Read 7478 times)

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Offline Westinghouse

Demands on energy
« on: May 15, 2016, 10:45:41 pm »
Wholesome food provides the necessary nutrients for daily activities. But, can it serve well for a man on a fully loaded touring bicycle carrying 40 pounds of gear against headwinds, and over hills and mountains? At my age, 66, I have found it necessary to supplement my energy needs. Sure, there are canned drinks, e.g., Monster, Red Bull, Rockstar, etc. I have found these drinks to be helpful at times. The real shot in the arm comes from the small shots of energy drinks. EE, eternal energy, works almost as well as 5-hour-energy, and the cost is only 88 cents a shot. Redline works very well, too. Both are on the shelf at Wal Mart. In WM EE is $5.00 and change for a six pack, and in Walgreens it is over $9.00. On tour, I would down one EE in the morning, and a Redline in the afternoon. The difference was easy to feel. It works.

Offline DaveB

Re: Demands on energy
« Reply #1 on: May 16, 2016, 08:55:04 am »
I'm usually not prone to "bonk" on even long rides if I eat at decent intervals, say every 20 - 30 miles, but on one century ride I really felt hungry and weak at the 85 mile point since I hadn't eaten anything useful at the 75 mile food stop.  A friend noticed I was lagging behind and gave me a couple of "Shot Block" candies.  This was the caffeine and sugar version and it worked miracles.  Within a few minutes I was feeling normal and finished the ride in good shape.

indyfabz

  • Guest
Re: Demands on energy
« Reply #2 on: May 16, 2016, 10:25:48 am »
Does 5 hr. Energy even contain any energy (i.e., calories)? If you are looking for some liquid food for those hard days with long stretches of no services, I recommend Perpetuem by Hammer. Comes in single-mix powder packs. The downside is that once mixed, it doesn't keep well for more than 2-3 hrs. in high heat.

Offline Westinghouse

Re: Demands on energy
« Reply #3 on: May 16, 2016, 11:40:41 am »
This is the first I have heard of Perpetuem. I'll have to look into it.

Offline RussSeaton

Re: Demands on energy
« Reply #4 on: May 16, 2016, 04:31:18 pm »
Bicycling is usually a constant energy endeavor.  Racing bicycles can be a constant energy and sudden peak energy activity.  But loaded touring is almost always constant energy expended.  You ride along at a medium pace constantly working at your aerobic level.  Your breathing can keep up with your exertion level.  And your body can produce enough glucose to sustain this activity level.  To fuel your body you need to eat a lot a few hours before you start and keep eating during the activity too.  It takes awhile for your body to process food and turn it into glucose your cells can use to produce activity.  Supper more or less replenishes any excess you used during the day.  Fat that your body slowly converts from fat back into glucose to burn now.  So if you eat a big supper to stock up the tank, eat breakfast to get plenty of fuel for the start, eat lunch to keep going during the afternoon, and eat supper to replenish, you will be fine.  And eat some snacks during the day too.  Your fancy drinks you talk about and Coke and Hostess fruit pies are good if you over exert yourself by climbing a mountain, or sprinting for a few miles.  They are quickly and easily digested by the body and provide almost immediate energy to be burned now.  But they are gone pretty quickly too.  So if you eat your energy drinks for breakfast, or Coke and fruit pies, don't expect them to help much when you climb a mountain at the end of the day.  You need a healthy lunch and stored energy to get you up the mountain at the end of the day.  Or a bunch of your energy drinks and Coke and fruit pies at the bottom of the climb.

Despite what the diet commercials and energy drink marketing departments convince people.  The vast majority of people are stupid and gullible.  Eating and how the body work are pretty simple.  You consume fat, protein, carbohydrate.  Your body processes this at different speeds depending on whether its fat, carb, protein.  You use this glucose to fuel your activities.  Your stores the excess.  Or converts stored glucose, fat, to glucose for immediate use now.  Its pretty simple despite all the BS you hear and believe.

Offline Pat Lamb

Re: Demands on energy
« Reply #5 on: May 16, 2016, 05:39:04 pm »
I'm not sure I understand the original post.  Eating "wholesome food" is no doubt a laudable goal, but to then supplement that with prepackaged junk seems to defeat the purpose.  What's the difference between downing EE, or Shot Block, or Perpetuem, and a big ice cream cone?  (Aside from the fact that the ice cream would taste a whole lot better!) 

I usually allow myself at least one snack in the morning, and another in the afternoon if I'm riding late into the day.  Snickers taste great, and match "energy bars" pretty well for carb/fat/protein balance, but they'll melt and make a mess in hot weather.  So I usually end up carrying some of those (despicable) energy bars for emergency snacking when there's not a convenience store when you need it.  Some fig newtons or a fruit turnover and a coke have carried me many miles.  Gels are sweet and tasty, but I burn through one of them in 5-7 miles, so that's not a good choice for me.  YMMV.

Offline DaveB

Re: Demands on energy
« Reply #6 on: May 16, 2016, 07:30:10 pm »
I'm not sure I understand the original post.  Eating "wholesome food" is no doubt a laudable goal, but to then supplement that with prepackaged junk seems to defeat the purpose.   
Using "prepackaged junk" as a suplement and quick energy source doesn't defeat the purpose of eating healthy foods most of the time.   We are not recommending junk as a routine diet, just a special event expedient.   

Offline RonK

Demands on energy
« Reply #7 on: May 16, 2016, 11:07:11 pm »
Surely unnecessary in the touring context. If you are hungry, low on energy, stop and eat.

And at the end of the day, nothing beats a couple of beers.
Cycle touring blog and tour journals: whispering wheels...

Offline Westinghouse

Re: Demands on energy
« Reply #8 on: May 17, 2016, 09:00:54 am »
I looked into Perpetuem. I have not used it but it is sure to be an excellent adjunct for long distance touring. A couple of beers with a meal at the end of the day is the way to go. Cytomax, like Perpetuem, gives a noticeable boost in energy. One thing about EE, Redline, and Cytomax is the psychological affect in that you do not notice the expending of energy, and times seems to fly. Two hours seem life 5 minutes.

Offline Pat Lamb

Re: Demands on energy
« Reply #9 on: May 17, 2016, 09:55:37 am »
Using "prepackaged junk" as a suplement and quick energy source doesn't defeat the purpose of eating healthy foods most of the time.   We are not recommending junk as a routine diet, just a special event expedient.

But if using this every day during a long cycling tour, that's not just a "special event expedient," it's become part of the daily diet.  Why not take something a bit more wholesome and plan a snack?