Electrolyte drinks : Interesting studies

Wayne_Tunnah wrote:

Sure if such is true them we are being mis sold and so protected by the sales and marketing of goods act. Why has this never gone to the courts if these studies are to be true??

Which is exactly what Noakes, who evaluated the reasearch, is asking. The issue appears to be that the benefits of electrolyte drinks seems to have been justified by research which was comissioned by the drinks manufacturers themselves. In the case of this research, Gatorade. Noakes took their own data and reanalysed it, finding out that they were picking and chosing how to represent it. From his impartial standpoint, he could show that the recommendations of the drinks companies based on their evidence actually did more harm than good.

Wayne_Tunnah wrote:

What's your opinion on recovery drinks???

Generally, they are good. There is a 'golden hour' after exercise where your body is still processing it;s energy stores, in the same was as it does during exercise. Recovery drinks take advantage of that period when your body preferentially replaces spent glycogen. The added protein in recovery drinks can help in general. I read some stuff recently about nutrition which was quite interesting, showing that the 'traditional' high carb meals the night before a race weren't as effective as it had been thought. I'll need to find the article.

I'm no expert, I just find this stuff quite interesting.

hi there.. 40 years ago, you went out and rode 150 miles ,,9 hours non stop 3 times a week, at the weekend you raced 150 miles (as a pro),, then went home, had a good tuck in, went to the pub had 3/4 pints of beer went home, and strarted again on tueday.................this give you wings stuff was not even invented,, so what's the big deal.. maybe getting out and banging in the miles may be bettter than fiddling about with all this rubbish "buy fitness for £5 in a bottle/train 5 minutes a day and win the TdF.,".. oh sorry shot from the hip again...G..

Geoffrey : you're not too far from the truth as it happens. A lot of the benefits we see from specialised supplements and 'sports' food/drink can, for most of us, be met by a balanced diet with a bit of tailoring to the specific requirements of an athlete.

Nutrition is far more than carbs for performance and protein for muscle.

This is one of the articles I was reading about nutrition in cycling:

www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/nut...ht-loss/big-fat-lies (oh and ignore the bit about blood Ph.. it doesn't change unless you've got a kidney problem)

hi there . what i assume today is that the majority of cyclists, sporting or touring believe that taking a normal diet but fuelled by so called additive drinks/potions/gels etc will enhance thier performance, but being an old sog of 55 years of competition,, the majority fail to understand that to race at a high level, at least 15 hours training a week are needed, and at least one day with a mileage between 75/100 miles non stop rain or shine....ok i know i am in a different world,, but just plodding along at 17/18 mph is not really doing anything which requires these sports go faster drinks/gels/potions... now if ordinary/ new riders were trying to say get round the club TT course in 25 minutes,, err well maybe a bit of help would be a good idea...BUT without at least 200+ miles a week they are just playing at it...for me i take water, 99% of the pros in the peleton only use this natural and very valuble substance...but i am interested in your very well put theories or are they ??...G...

You're saying pretty much the same as me. Unless you're at your peak (everyone's almost at their peak aren't they? ) then the supplements won't help that much. That doesn't mean they won't help at all, but they aren't doing anything that a balanced diet won't do.

I also use just water, but I'm only 'plodding' at 18mph myself at the moment (although that's about my limit for now) and I'm only doing about 100 miles a week at most.

Like Ruth said we're all different.

But, I'm with Geoff when it comes to club runs. I don't feel the need for energy drinks/bars. I use squash and bananas plus an energy bar for back-up. Post-ride I'll have a protein bar or drink - I do feel a recovery benefit from that.

For racing I'll use caffeinated energy drinks and bars. If you're riding hard then yes they have a place. Thing is riding hard means different things for different people. For some it is racing, but for a newcomer, it may well be their first few club runs - it depends what your body is used to and able to do. But like Geoff and feef say, if you want to improve your speed, strength and endurance, no gel, bar or drink is a substitute for regular riding and good diet.

I still swear by coffee though...

rostlr wrote:

Thing is riding hard means different things for different people. For some it is racing, but for a newcomer, it may well be their first few club runs

This.. in my case anyway

but I'm seeing a marked improvement. My normal evening 20 mile route is being dispatched 6 1/2 minutes quicker than when I first started (June 20th).

Well I do know that one of the top St.Neots riders uses Robinsons Lemon Barley Water not electrolyte drinks whilst another takes jam sandwiches with him not energy bars etc.
For some, there is always the 'Placebo Effect' of these expensive products.

hi there,, i see this is quite an emotional subject,, although there are pro's and con's for "quick fix drinks" as feef indicated that it is all down to a " healthy life style" we cyclist do burn up a lot more energy that most other sports, and although i am not convinced that "quick fix stuff" works,it is still a "feel good factor" if you are "hanging on the back" and can have a swig of what ever or bite into a energy bar......i am some what surprised that R O uses "caffeine enhanced products".. when i was racing at a XXX level, caffeine was on the banned list,, is it now ????.

not long now to meet up,, will have to bring a few bob with me for Zero's....could be chatting away for hours....G...........

Emotive or not, it's certainly stimulated some activity on the forum

Shall we talk about drugs and cycling and get that one out of the way too?

Amphetamines

Di2vid wrote:

Shall we talk about drugs and cycling and get that one out of the way too?

Amphetamines

Interestingly they were used in a legitimate fashion in a study to demonstrate that the central nervous system is what regulates your limit of exercise, not the muscles alone. So next time you're out the saddle and feel like your legs are giving out, just remember, your leg muscles have still got plenty to give, it's your central nervous system that's telling you to take it easy and leaving some in reserve without your 'permission'.