Energy Drinks / Products?

[MikeMoneymaker]

I get real tired real fast :cryin: . So on that note, i was wondering what some good energy drinks were. Preferably cheap but i guess it doesnt matter.

[Aaroneous]

I don't know if these count as "cheap" or "good" but I tell ya, I gave up all soda and coffee for these bitches (http://www.sobenofear.com/), and I feel like a freakin' champ. Give me enough of 'em, and I'll kick anyone's ass.

Mixes good with Smirnoff, too.

[TrailSquirell]

I like the energy drink idea. I found if i know i'm guna go on a big ride or race i normaly eat some sketi the night before, works out good with all the protiens and everything from the sauce to the noodles.

[Benjamin Severns]

I love me some of that Rock Star, and you can get it in 24oz sizes now for like $3 or something silly like that. I relate it most to Red Bull, only it's like you're buying the "bag cereal" version of it. So it's good, gets you good and buzzing, don't slam it all at once if you've never had it, your heart will go crazy.

[SpecHR55]

Rock Star i found was disgusting, i recently had some stuff called Nuclear Energy, it was cheap, tasted better then any energy drink ive ever had, and it didnt give me a stomach ache like most do.

Vault is good too, its just mtn. dew with a little more citrusy flavor and double the caffeine. :D

[Nita]

*pssst* Mikey...a bowl of oatmeal with walnuts and some flaxseed *gack* I know that is what you are thinking, that ain't no energy drink...

Eat that before you ride and your blood sugar won't plummet so you won't need an energy drink for at least two hours. Okay, you can shoot me now for being off-topic.:D

[ebrandel]

I'd be a little careful with the energy drinks. After awhile you can really get in a rut with them and almost become dependent on them to wake you up in the morning. That's where I was a couple of months ago. One or two energy drinks every morning just to get myself going. It was actually a fairly strong addiction on my part that I had to break and I went through some moderate withdrawl symptons (sickness, shakes, cold sweats) for about a week when I was getting off of them.

My energy solution: eat a bowl of cereal (a little tastier than the oatmeal, walnuts, and flaxseed combo :p) and a yogurt an hour or two before your ride. You'll get a good dose of carbs, calcium, sodium, protein, vitamin d, potassium, fiber, etc.

And if you really want to do the energy drink route: Red Bull or Rock Star (yes, it tastes different, but it always gave me the biggest boost). I also enjoyed Mountain Dew MDX.

[BKocka]

I always rock either a warm powerade or gatorade. these both are cheap, especially if you buy the powder form- they last forever that way. also, having them room temperature doest taste the best (not as "refreshing") but your body doesn't have to cool down the liquid to allow it to work for you- when you drink something cold, especially when dehidrated it actually makes you more dehidrated because it has to work to cool the liquid down- taking any energy you would have gain from the drink if it was not cold.

on a day i know im going to ride i drink maybe a poweraide in the morning (maybe) and forsure half of one on the way to the trail- then i always mix a little bit of my lemon-lime gatoraide with my water. gives it a sweet taste, and all the energy and protein you need. I always make sure to drink a recovery drink after I ride, as well.

make sure to eat something before you go, too. your body cant survive on liquid alone, you need something more substantial-- or at least I do or i crash mid-ride.

that's my two cents. but if all else fails, rock the red bull. it tastes good and it works (for a little while).

[bigwheel]

I agree with Nita and Eric. Get some real food in your body an hour or two before the ride. Also, drink a lot of water well before the ride.

Save the energy drinks for when you have to "fake" your body into thinking it has enough nutrients.

[AC/BC]

Am I the only one who doesn't feel a difference after drinking an energy drink?

[Nita]

My energy solution: eat a bowl of cereal (a little tastier than the oatmeal, walnuts, and flaxseed combo :p)


Heh-heh...okay it lacks the Lucky Charms appeal :D .

Energy drinks that are loaded with caffeine make me trigger-happy, ala depressing the front disc brake a little too much! I also swear by Fig Newtons after riding for a couple of hours when you need a bar.

[Adam Hjelle]

Am I the only one who doesn't feel a difference after drinking an energy drink?

I get a whole-lot-a-nothing from them too. Plus, they are pretty horrible for your body. Go with real food that has a lower GI and you will have more sustained energy.

[slothlike]

- when you drink something cold, especially when dehidrated it actually makes you more dehidrated because it has to work to cool the liquid down-




A bit of trivia I retained from when I was a physiology major is that cool liquid enters the blood stream faster than warm, I don't remember the mechanism, but I would guess the capillaries expand to warm it allowing more transfer. It also enters faster if it has a bit of sugar and/or salts in it, maybe because the liquid doesn't have to fight diffusion. IIRC the original Gatorade was a bit thicker than optimal.

I'm old school. I have a Coke before I ride and bring water, a banana, maybe Fig Newtons or a granola bar if it'll be a long ride.

[Buck]

I just down an ice cold Red Bull before a ride along with some water/gatorade b/c we all know that Red Bull doesn't hydrate! and I am usually good to go!

L8Rz
Buck

[gopherhockey]

Anyone try using a product like Endurox Excel?


What is Endurox<SUP>®</SUP>?
Endurox is a natural dietary supplement that when taken as part of a normal workout regimen can increase fat metabolism and improve workout performance. Endurox is a pure standardized extract of the herb ciwujia (su wah ja). Ciwujia, a root grown in the northeast section of China, has been used safely in Traditional Chinese Medicine for almost 1700 years to treat fatigue and bolster the immune system. Ciwujia has also been used by mountain climbers to improve performance at high altitudes.

[Adam Hjelle]

Anyone try using a product like Endurox Excel?

I regularly use Endurox, both the R4 for recovery and the Accelerade for during/pre ride hydration. It is the only stuff I will use post ride/work out for recovery, I highly recommend it. As for on the bike it does a wonderful job of providing your body with what it needs to preform, plus it is quite tasty.

[Ish]

I regularly use Endurox, both the R4 for recovery and the Accelerade for during/pre ride hydration. It is the only stuff I will use post ride/work out for recovery, I highly recommend it. As for on the bike it does a wonderful job of providing your body with what it needs to preform, plus it is quite tasty.

I don't think the stuff Gopher is aksing about is made by the folks who make R4 and Acclerade.

I agree with your assessment of R4 - good stuff.

[Adam Hjelle]

I don't think the stuff Gopher is aksing about is made by the folks who make R4 and Acclerade.

I agree with your assessment of R4 - good stuff.

Yeah, I read the post more carefully after my post. I didn't see the stuff on Ciwujia originally.

[gopherhockey]

Yeah, I read the post more carefully after my post. I didn't see the stuff on Ciwujia originally.

I think the same company (PacificHealth Labs) makes em' both as well as Accel Gel - they are just different products. (I think they purchased the rights to all 3 products) I have used R4 in the past and am thinking about it again. The Excel sounds interesting so was hoping someon had some experience with it.

[stoneage]

Most of the good ones have some protein included. That will buffer the sugar crash of the Gatorades, etal. They are also loaded with sucrose and glucose polymers which are 'better' sugars than fructose. Accelerade and Endurox for recovery are what I use, but only half strength from recommended dosage. The good ones don't taste good, they just work.

[Paul Swenson]

Don't forget chocolate milk:

Chocolate milk is an effective postexercise drink that improves recovery, according to the results of a small, randomized trial reported in the February issue of the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism.
"Our study indicates that chocolate milk is a strong alternative to other commercial sports drinks in helping athletes recover from strenuous, energy-depleting exercise," coauthor Joel M. Stager, PhD, from Indiana University in Bloomington, said in a news release. "Chocolate milk contains an optimal carbohydrate to protein ratio, which is critical for helping refuel tired muscles after strenuous exercise and can enable athletes to exercise at a high intensity during subsequent workouts."

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/524370