couldwheels

I have cheap source of orange fruits. I really like them when made into juice, mixed with some sugar and pinch of salt (for electrolytes).

Would that make them good as ride drink?

GhostRider62

Why not?

I used Lemonade power and table sugar on a 200k the other day. Why? That is what I happened to have. The only drawback would be if you are trying to use a high concentration, this would make a high osmolality solution that some might get a tummy ache from.

Iride01 

I use to use fruit juice of various sorts to mix 60/40 or 40/60 with water so as to limit the Calories to a more appropriate for me 140 to 180 Calories per bottle. I didn't care for the way orange juice tasted while riding. The winner for me back then was cran-grape juice.

However I find that drink mix with maltodextrin gives just as fast and more sustained boost of energy between my gulps every 10 minutes.

So it really depends on you. If you like it and it works well enough for you then use it.

Might make your dentist feel a little faint knowing that you will be having the acid of the orange juice acting on your tooth enamel for the entire length of your ride! <read this more in fun. Not so much for whether it has any basis in fact or not!>


Also, you might consider light salt for your electrolyte addition. Lite salt has a variety of electrolyte sources instead of only sodium chloride. Though your orange juice probably has them naturally. Most any of the chlorides and particularly the potassium and magnesium and others.

couldwheels

I only do short outdoor rides most of the time, Under 1 hour.

A lot of time with short indoor trainer sessions. But thanks to the warning, I'm now gargling with water immediately after drinking orange juice to rinse my mouth of the acid!

I suppose on outdoor rides, I bring another bottle of pure water to rinse my mouth of acid.

MinnMan

Rides under an hour? Why do you need sugar of any kind in your drink? For such short rides, water should be sufficient.

couldwheels

I get weak and sleepy a few hours afterwards if I didn't add sugar and some electrolytes in my drink even despite re-fueling immediately upon returning home.

Maybe it's the heat and humidity. Riding temperature is hitting 100 F already.

Iride01 

During those times you rode without carbohydrate and electrolyte supplementation, you did drink at least 25 or so fluid ounces of water (730-750 ml) of water while riding didn't you?

It might just be dehydration that makes you tired. I too am a little skeptical that the carbs and electrolytes are needed for a 1 hour ride. And dehydration has been known to make one feel tired for days afterward.

couldwheels

My water bottle is in fact 750 ml so yes, I did drink that amount of water before started doing it with sugar and electrolytes.

In addition, the water is kept ice cold on an insulated bag and I drank every 10 minute interval to help deal with 100F temperatures.

Without any cold drink at all 40 minutes in 100F is just unbearable.

Seattle Forrest

I wasn't aware of this. A quick google backs you up. At a previous job they had someone come in once a month and give us pep talks about being healthy, we had to sit through an hour of why to drink water once, and of all the bad things that will happen if you don't, they didn't even mention this.

I have a hiking buddy that talks about extreme fatigue a lot. I've never seen him drink anything. Thanks @Iride01 for this post, I'm going to have a talk with my friend. You've done a good deed today.

MinnMan

Riding in 100 °F heat is a serious challenge, and hydration is key. Probably when you are sweating that much, electrolytes too. Yet, I'm unconvinced that consuming sugar or any other caloric nutrition during a 1 hour ride should make much of a difference in performance or influence post-ride fatigue.

couldwheels

Today, it was 95 F indoors. Did z4 interval (85-90% MHR) for 20 minutes on the trainer. Even with strong wind from fan, and shirtless, I had to drink the ice cold orange juice with electrolyte every 5 minutes!

Not sweating a lot though. In fact, not a drop of sweat which is great so I don't mess up the trainer. Strong fan and shirtless is big help? I still felt very thirsty during the effort and found myself reaching for the bottle quite often.

The drink seems better than choco-milk I used to consume. Less chance of upset stomach. So far, not had post ride fatigue. The drink seems as good as Gatorade but a lot cheaper.

MinnMan

Let's just start with the point that the fan and shirtless don't keep you from sweating, they just aid evaporation of the sweat. And it is the evaporation of the sweat, rather than simply the hot air that the fan is blowing at you, that is keeping you cool.

Second, your preference for orange juice may have unintentionally been for its electrolytes, rather than for the nutritive sugars. There are other ways to get electrolytes. But as you pointed out in your OP, if oranges are cheap and easily accessible for you, then sure..
You can probably skip the added sugar, though...

couldwheels

Agreed and cutting back on sugar too.

rumrunn6

drink what you like, my tummy doesn't like a lot or orange juice

couldwheels

Today, I went for 30 minute z4 effort on the trainer. The longest z4 I had to date and temperature is 90F

I had the typical orange juice but with significantly longer z4 interval, I'm craving for sandwich with strawberry jam and just pure water at ice cold temperatures.

If I do 30 minute repeat today, I'm going to go for sandwich and ice cold water. And I'm going to add the electrolytes on the sandwich instead.

Seattle Forrest

I'm craving masala.

couldwheels

I'm finally doing it for one hour in 95 F heat. I used 1 slice of wheat bread with salted butter and brown sugar sprinkled on top as fuel. And then ice cold water with a pinch of salt for hydration and additional source of electrolytes.

Worked wonderfully well. No upset stomach and felt adequately fueled and hydrated throughout

I guess that means no more orange juice for me, just very slightly salty water and sweetened salted butter sandwich.

MinnMan

1. We totally don't understand your focus on food and nutrition for such short rides.
2. For an hour's ride at very hot conditions, sodium chloride might be the most important electrolyte, but in the longer term, more balanced electrolytes including potassium and magnesium are relevant.

TBH, I think you would do just fine simply drinking cold water for efforts of only an hour. All the rest is unconvincing.

rumrunn6

I've done this but I use very little not even enough to taste. you can cut the taste w/ a squeeze of lemon juice

couldwheels

I actually mixed the salt I used with citric acid powder (60/40 ratio of salt/citric acid! It's as good as adding lemon juice! True, I can't taste the salt at all.

couldwheels

Of the bread slice, I only consumed 3/4 of it. I did find myself craving for bowl of soup after the session and I did made a bowl of soup so you're right about the electrolytes. Perhaps, I needed a bit more.

Couldn't have gone without that bread. I can feel my legs bonking for a bit, then I take a bite, and I'm back in the game. I cap my training at 1 hour due to time constraints. However, it's quite the sufferfest session. The resistance is high enough so the force I use to push the pedals is equivalent to my body weight. Like doing one-legged squats with both legs for one hour straight, no breaks.

MinnMan

That explains nothing. . Your legs don't bonk for lack of a slice of bread.

Have fun with your exercise program - I hope it works for you. Any further advice from me would clearly be as useless to you as that I've already given, so I'll just leave it be.

couldwheels

Actually your advice on electrolytes proved to be useful. I may have come a bit short yesterday on electrolytes. I am losing a lot of salt in my sweat. I licked my lips and it was incredibly salty. I was craving for anything salty right after the ride and immediately took in a bowl of soup. I'm definitely adding more on my drink.

I think the food is also helping. This is actually my first hard 1 hour session I didn't feel bad afterwards, not even after couple of hours after.

Seattle Forrest

How long have you been riding?

RH Clark

Sounds like low blood sugar but it shouldn't drop that low after an hour of exercise. It's possible that too much sugar too often is causing the energy swings. Sugar goes up from sugar drink, body must produce insulin to lower sugar and you wind up on a roller coaster. Try oatmeal and berries for slower sugar absorption and less insulin production to stabilize the swings.

A lot of sugar often can cause insulin insensitivity due to frequent production of insulin which is necessary to stabilize blood sugar. the more insensitive you get the more insulin is needed to do the same job and regulation gets harder and harder. In many cases it leads to diabetes.

That slice of processed white bread is just a quick shot of sugar to your blood. It leads me to believe even more strongly that you have blood sugar stability issues due to a diet of high glycemic foods. Eat real unprocessed food,and stay away from sugar containing drinks to get healthier. Good luck.