Halloween Candy instead of Gu???
362
Member
349 days
CadenceGuy posted 9 weeks ago.
I cant imagine a piece of candy working better for you then a GU/PowerGel etc. but I would just like to say for the record that if anyone comes up with a nutritional break through for Gummi Lifesavers in the Widlberry flavor they will forever be my best friend and I would feel less guilty about eating them a bag at a time on my off day.
358
Member
204 days
jonovision_man posted 9 weeks ago.
Ignoring the fact that they're trying to sell you Hammer-related products, this has a good explanation about why simple sugars aren't as good:
Proper Caloric Intake During Endurance Exercise
jono
3051
Member
1403 days
Anton posted 9 weeks ago.
Gummi Bears, M&M's, Skittles, fun sized Snickers bars, Candy Corn are just some of the candies I've seen at races.
Try some of those little candy bars or bags and see what happens, it's the only way to know.
"If he wants to swim in dangerous waters...who are we to deny him?" Chef Skinner
My Blog: http://antonspath.blogspot.com
351
Member
490 days
cjhoffmn posted 9 weeks ago.
I've started really wondering if Candy Corn could be modified just a little bit to be good for the purpose. Small units could be doled out as needed, taste great to me... I like the idea.
To tri or not to tri - that's not a question at all!
78
Member
239 days
thesonicson posted 9 weeks ago.
CadenceGuy wrote:
I cant imagine a piece of candy working better for you then a GU/PowerGel etc. but I would just like to say for the record that if anyone comes up with a nutritional break through for Gummi Lifesavers in the Widlberry flavor they will forever be my best friend and I would feel less guilty about eating them a bag at a time on my off day.
+1 on the whole gummi thing! Bears, worms, dinosaurs, cola bottles, peach rings, Lifesavers! I have to say the Powerbar Gel Blast cola is pretty darn good!
35
Member
68 days
The Dude posted 9 weeks ago.
I seem to recall (about 20 years ago) that fructose was a favored sugar for endurance athletes because it burned more evenly and it didn't cause insulin spikes (it is now commonly blamed for doing just that in non-endurance athletes who overconsume them). My guess is that fructose based candy is probably OK as a substitute for more expensive gels. Probably best to use a combination of the two or something like that. I dunno, maybe it might affect a world class athlete during competition, but I can't imagine that it's that big of a deal. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong - you won't be the first.
-Tod
124
Member
483 days
Toothless posted 9 weeks ago.
If you are consuming sugars during training I don't think it matters too much what kind they are. Racing is when I get more particular. Yesterday I had a Coke and a Twix on a 4.5 hour training ride (along with my normal Infinit) and it was all good.
753
Member
355 days
jsk85 posted 9 weeks ago.
I'm guessing they don't work as efficiently as gels do since they aren't designed for the purpose of boosting endurance athletes' nutrition, BUT that doesn't mean they shouldn't work, just less efficiently. I say go for it, they're leftover and already paid for...no need to go spend money on gels for a while.
Plus that makes eating the candy guilt free so much easier
163
Member
489 days
Captain Mal posted 9 weeks ago.
I use candy all the time. Some people like gu and gels becuase the maltodextrin is easier to digest and won't give you a stomach ache or cramps as easily. If you stomach can handle it, and you aren't too worried aobut double absorbtion by having different forms of sugar, go for the candy. I usually stock up on things like little candy hearts and candy corn after the holiday and bento box those suckers for long rides...and for watching tv.
"Faster would be better!" -Captain Mal, Serenity-
717
Member
1188 days
deepbluex posted 9 weeks ago.
isn't that "Stinger" gel stuff just honey? Honey is a mixture of fructose and glucose... and that seems to work pretty well for things ilke bees, hummingbirds. So maybe the sweet stuff helps now and the maltodextrin helps later when the initial sweets are used up?
So here we are stuck with all of these small pre-packaged containers of sugar and carbs called Halloween candy. And then I go to the running store and buy other small pre-packaged containers of sugar and carbs called gels, and I was wondering... .would there be any downside to using candy instead of gels on long runs??? Is there something in the makeup of candy (corn syrup, etc.) that would preclude using it that way? Assuming of course that you don't need the electrolytes or anything from gels, just looking for that 100-calorie boost.
Just curious... and thinking a package of skittles would taste a whole lot better than one more Gu....
Blue Skies, -Robin-
http://ironmom.blogspot.com/