Eating while biking is a difficult thing for me. I find that although I hydrate enough, unless I stop for lunch, which I only do with others, I tend not to eat.
Many cyclists and runners use gels, with names like Hammer or Heed. I have laughed at these gels mocking anyone who tries to get nutrition in a gel form as simple minded. I did not believe that these gels could work at all, and their claims to provide energy and help recovery I thought were nonsense. I would shake my head at runners and cyclists who wore fuel belts with little bullet shaped bottles of gel stuck in them like a Mexican bandito's bandelero! I thought "how dumb can you be?"
That is, until today. Today on a glorious club ride with CCCTS, I tried my Hammer Rapid Energy gel with caffeine. I chose an expresso flavour. It tasted fabulous! The proof however came within a few minutes when I was fueled and not just with sugar that you get with gatorade or even my salt drinks but with real leg pumping energy. I flew up hills and felt fantastic.
After about 3 hours, I had another one.Same effect!
The gel did not make me sick or leave me feeling heavy. Sometimes if I even eat fruit, it sits on my stomach.
If there was ever a magic bullet for cycling this is it! Now it is off to buy one of those fuel belts!!!
But isn't the texture gross? I have never had one because the texture looks so revolting.
ReplyDeleteI had the expresso flavour. It felt and tasted like the hot fudge on a hot fudge sundae and had that texture. I was very surprised! The texture was smooth and not grainy like I thought it might be.
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