There are many cycling supplements, not only many brands but also different types. Gels and bars are the most common, but then there are also mineral salts, or drinks or sports drinks, and there are also fruit jellies. And that’s not all because for each type of cycling supplement you need to know the composition, which can make the difference between having energy immediately or in the long term.
Cycling Supplements: What to Use and When Between Gels, Bars and Mineral Salts
In fact, bringing something to eat and drink is decidedly easier on a bike than on foot: when running it’s more complicated to bring water or something that gives energy with you, and in any case for workouts that last about 1 hour it’s not so necessary, as our nutritionist explained to us. Beyond the hour of activity it may make sense to think about an integrationas those who do half marathons and above know, who use refreshments or, in the case of trail running, have a backpack on their shoulders with what they need. On a bike, 1 hour of activity is just enough time to warm up the legs, and it is normal to go beyond 2 hours, with some who easily push themselves to 5 if not more. And in these cases, using supplements is absolutely necessary.
Even without going to a nutritionist, those who practice endurance sports and use some App to monitor their performance know it well: during a bike ride the organism uses the different energy substrates differently with respect to effort. Our body mainly uses carbohydrates and fats, in quantities that vary based on the duration and intensity of the activity, with the addition of a small amount of proteins, around 1% or 2%. From this fact it is clear how using cycling supplements is necessary to constantly ensure the right supply of nutrients and not risk running out of energy. Although less problematic than running, even for cycling there is the importance of digestibilityand here is the first distinction to make between solid supplements and liquid or gel supplements.
Before talking about bars and gels, let’s talk aboutthe supplement that most people use, that is, drinkable supplementswhich can be isotonic, hypotonic or hypertonic: the difference is that have different concentrations of dissolved salts and sugars and therefore also different assimilation times.
Solid cycling supplements: energy bars
Energy bars are among the most popular supplements for cycling. They are practical to slip into the pocket of the jersey, single portion, easily chewable and digestible and they come in different flavors, making them appealing (which is not a given during intense exercise). The important thing to know about energy bars for cycling is that they have longer assimilation times than fruit gels and jelliesso you shouldn’t expect an immediate result. They are perfect to use as a standby ration before your ride or a race, but you need to have in front of you at least an hour of activityotherwise you risk not having time to digest or assimilate them. For the same reason, they are not the cycling supplement to take when you’re close to the end of your ride and feel the need for a little extra energy.
Liquid Cycling Supplements: Gels
Gels are the liquid cycling supplements most used by those seeking performance or participating in races and competitions. The reason is threefold: they are easy to assimilate (you don’t need to chew, just suck the liquid gelatinous contents and swallow), and they have both immediate effect and prolonged releasebecause they release energy in a fractional and constant way.
They are very sophisticated products, hence the non-trivial cost, They usually contain mixtures of carbohydrates (including the famous maltodextrins, for which corn starch is usually used), are also available in various tasty flavours and are undoubtedly very practical to carry with you and take (scrupulously avoiding throwing the package on the ground!)
Cycling supplements: fruit jellies
On the shelves of sports shops you can also find a third type of supplements for cycling, fruit jellies, which can be a interesting solution for amateurs who do not like to chew and digest bars or even drinking gels. Fruit jellies are essentially small fruit paste bars that contain mainly carbohydrates (of which mainly sugars) as well as vitamins, fats and proteins in minimal quantities. They are great for activities lasting up to 3 hours maximum, they release energy practically immediately, they are tasty, they are easy to eat like a fruit jelly and can just as easily fit in your shirt pocket or under the saddle.
Credits photo: it.depositphotos.com
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2024-06-28 11:12:21
#Cycling #Supplements #Gels #Bars #Mineral #Salts
