favorite sports drink during a ride...

[Shkenblke]

Whats everyone's favorite sports drink (besides good ole h2o)? I used to love gatorade, but now I am more partial to propel. For awhile I used this stuff called ultra fuel, not too bad, but tastes "dry". What do you guys like? Why do you prefer that over the other stuff? Do you have your own secret concoction?

p.s. has anyone tried that recipe on dirtragmag.com for the powergel with the molasses and honey and what not?

[2dumb4gears]

Is PBR considered a sports drink?

[Shkenblke]

Is PBR considered a sports drink?

Hahahahahaha. No. Post workout dehydrater maybe though, but wouldnt that be a different thread? :D

[Bulldozer]

I started using Accelerade due to its protein content. No complaints.

[BigFatGuy]

Orange Gatorade mixed 50/50 with water. Not to sweet and does the trick. Recently, I slid a bullet Thermos into my bottle cage filled with hot coffee or herbal tea for winter rides.

[nogearshere]

if i run a drink then i pref HEED (http://www.e-caps.com/za/ECP?PAGE=PRODUCT&PROD.ID=4038&adui=ad%2C2779.hbanner%2CHome%20-%20vert%20-%20HE%20-%20Homebanners) to gatorade. for me it doesnt have the same aftertaste issue(s).

and if i am feeling particularly racey i can mix it with perpeteum or sustained energy.

[tryandgetme]

just water. I eat a mars bar every hour or so if I think I'll need it, otherwise I'll eat breakfast before I leave, ride till lunch, eat lunch, then start on the return leg. that's when I'm on a ride long enough to worry about energy reserves. Anything shorter than 3 hours I don't bother, I can preload at the pub before hand. Anything even slightly sweet in my drink makes me drink too much, so it's just plain water in a 3L bladder.

[longhaultruker2]

plain ol lime gatoraid in the bottle and h2o in the bladder.even on a shorter (eg 2-3 hrs) ride,i tend to drink alot:o

[Cyclenaut]

I'm on 2 packs of Emergen-C Joint Health in a bottle of water lately. It's got loads of Glucosamine and Chondroitin, plus 1000mg of vitamin C per pack. Keeps my squeaky knees lubed, and my immune system boosted.

[2dumb4gears]

Hahahahahaha. No. Post workout dehydrater maybe though, but wouldnt that be a different thread? :D

Seriously, I drink PBR during singlespeed rides.

But, if I'm trying to be "fast", then accelerade, cytomax, or flattened coke (don't laugh; it's what Ned does).

[mimbresman]

Here in the Venezuelan tropics, most of the time I just drink water.
On longer rides, we usually end up at small villages in the middle of nowhere, and a typical store might only have "malta"; a sweet malt, non-alcoholic drink that the breweries make. It is an acquired taste. Vile when I first tried them years ago, now tasty treat on long, hot rides and high in energy.
Another favorite is a "cocada" which is a Venezuelan coconut milkshake; coconut milk, coconut meat, sugar, powdered milk, water. Blended well...Killer! Probably more than 1,000 kcal per serving! Liquid PowerBar. These are found mostly along the coast where coconuts are plentiful.

[plume_mtb]

cyctomax is pretty ok. The clif shot is really bad tasting. My next try will be perpetuem, i think that may have protein in it too?

[S. cerevisiae]

gels and Accelerade for the really long stuff.

[realSaint]

Coconut Cream- the stuff used for Thai Food - in a tupperware cup. Eaten by the plastic spoonful.

[MacGyver]

HEED, Hammer Gel, Endurolytes, and water.

[K-Man]

For the past few years of training and endurance racing, I've been using Hammer's Perpetuem. Main ingredients are maltodextrin and soy isolates (plus a slew of trace ingredients such as electrolytes). I find the maltodextrin much, much kinder to my stomach than the simple sugars in many "sport drinks" and research suggests that the protein benefits performance for longer days in the saddle (and subsequent recovery). Flavor is mild, not too sweet. Only nit to pick is a ever so slightly chalky taste (which kinda grew on me, after repeated use).

I go with the drink alone on short rides. I'm anal about drinking about 4-6 oz. every 15 minutes, for a total of about 16-24 oz. per hour. Yes, I use a watch, and drinking regularly becomes habit after a while. From what I've read, drinking more frequently than every 15 minutes confuses the stomach and your drink may just sit in your stomach, unprocessed. And drinking larger amount, less frequently is also harder for your stomach to deal with. Hence the 4-6 oz every 15 minutes for "easy absorption" theory.

For races or longer/harder training I supplement the drink and slam a serving of Hammer Gel every hour. Again, no simple sugars... just long chain maltodextrin.

[mimbresman]

This is the stuff...unique to Venezuela as far as I know. I just noticed the ingredients yesterday when I was cutting a can up for a science project. Its basically unfermented beer (wort?...homebrewers help me out here). Seems the only ingredient needed is yeast and time. "Brewed" by the Polar Brewing Company. Definately an aquired taste, but very tasty on a hot mountain bike ride when you get to a village in the middle of nowhere.

[Jay13]

So basically it's sweet, alcohol free beer.... Sounds revolting! :eek:

[DirtRagArt]

I've been into Bourbon lately.

[mimbresman]

So basically it's sweet, alcohol free beer.... Sounds revolting! :eek:

Definately an aquired taste. I like it now, hated it when I first tried it.

[Zinger]

For most rides I take pulls from a bottle or camelbak full of DHMO. Risky I know, but the performance kick is freekin' amazing in August's Gulf coastal heat. Hey, it's still legal -- for the moment.

You can read up on it here: http://www.dhmo.org/

[Jahnov]

For drinks I'm a fan of the HEED, EnduroxR4, and SISU Hydrade (afterward). The Hydrade is also kick ass if you get the gastro bug.

The homemade gel stuff is great. A friend of mine turned me onto it and it taste's like coffee and has a real kick. I've got one of those Fuel Belt gel bottles and I fill it up and go. Otherwise Powergel and Carboom are usually in the rear pockets.

Peanut Butter on Bananas are a pre-ride must for me too.