Originally Posted by
Cycletography
I might also give
Carbonfiberboy's recipe a try. As long as the calories and carbs are within an acceptable range for cycling (which they seem to be) it may be a good way to get more "food" in the bottle.
As for 1/2 strength Gatorade, that's what I currently use in my water bottle. However, it's primarily for electrolytes and a little bit of sugar/carbs. Most of my calories and carbs are currently obtained primarily from the home made gel and energy balls.
Since I'm trying to "up my game" on the bike in 2021 I think I also need to improve my fueling protocol in order to support that effort. Of all the elements of a smart training plan, food and hydration seem to be hardest to figure out. But I'm making progress!
Somewhere along the line I forgot to mention the reason that I favor maltodextrin over other carbs: osmolality. Food won't cross the stomach wall if stomach osmolality is too high, IOW if the concentration of food molecules. is too high.
https://www.infinitnutrition.us/osmolality-101
https://www.gastrojournal.org/articl...75)80228-9/pdf
Using malto results in a lower osmolality per calorie because the sugar molecules are chained together. One can move more calories per hour into the bloodstream per hour using malto than anything else I know of. I have had the experience of almost bonking because my stomach was full of food which wouldn't move into my bloodstream and I've seen that happen to others as well.