Author Topic: Hydration on Audax rides - Fructose based drinks/caffene  (Read 1981 times)

Hydration on Audax rides - Fructose based drinks/caffene
« on: 07 December, 2020, 01:34:33 pm »
I have been having gut problems on Audax rides (not good when out in the country) and also finding keeping hydrated a challenge.  I was using SIS products which i was finding a struggle to consume late into rides.  I also was drinking coffee at the start of rides and at every stop.  On doing some research I found out that the caffene and/or the fructose in the sports drinks could be causing my gut problem.  So i started to look for alternative products and came across Mission Teas.  I have used them for 3 200km Audax rides and also on the indoor trainer and have found that my gut problem has improved significantly.  they ahve a gentle taste and I have had no problems drinking them throughout ride.  In addition I no longer drink coffee on Audax rides and have also reduced my intake at home significantly.  I am not sponsored by Mission teas and there may be other similar products that don't contain fructose.  I just thought I would share my experience.

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Hydration on Audax rides - Fructose based drinks/caffene
« Reply #1 on: 07 December, 2020, 02:14:30 pm »
What you describe all sounds perfectly plausible. I see Mission Tea contains ginseng and yerba mate. The latter contains as much caffeine as coffee, I believe. Ginseng is a stimulant too.

Personally, I find electrolytes in my bidon help with hydration on long rides. But that’s purely anecdotal.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Hydration on Audax rides - Fructose based drinks/caffene
« Reply #2 on: 07 December, 2020, 03:15:55 pm »
Ordinary fruit juices contain much fructose, depending on the fruit. (I could look this up but so could anyone.)
Sugars in fruit include:
Glucose or dextrose otherwise known as grape sugar. It's not very sweet at any given concentration.
Fructose, which is sweeter than many other sugars. The body handles this differently to glucose and some think too much can cause metabolic issues.
Sucrose is abundant in oranges and splits to form glucose and sucrose when digested. It's sweeter than glucose but less than fructose.
Fruit juice from concentrate is cheap and easily available. It's caffeine-free and I'd suggest drinking it half-strength to be approximately isotonic.


Feanor

  • It's mostly downhill from here.
Re: Hydration on Audax rides - Fructose based drinks/caffene
« Reply #3 on: 07 December, 2020, 03:25:20 pm »
I personally prefer to keep hydration and nutrition separate.
So I might have 2 bottles on a longer summer ride: 1 with a nuun tablet, and one with plain water.
I find that I can drink as much of that as I need to stay hydrated without having my guts in knots.

Nutrition is of a more solid form at controls.



Re: Hydration on Audax rides - Fructose based drinks/caffene
« Reply #4 on: 07 December, 2020, 03:39:18 pm »
It may be the maltodextrin that was the issue, rather than fructose, if it’s an energy drink that was used.  It certainly gave my stomach issues in the days I used to use it. The usual hydration drinks (be it SIS or Nuun or a.n. Other) are generally just salts and electrolytes to replace those lost in sweating, and that’s all I have in my bottles these days, as much to relieve the monotony of plain water as anything else. Energy drinks and gels are for the competitive IMO. As noted by Feanor, nutrition is probably best in solid form.
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Hydration on Audax rides - Fructose based drinks/caffene
« Reply #5 on: 07 December, 2020, 03:55:46 pm »
+1 for the plain water: apart from drinking it, if it gets too hot you can wet a glove and wipe your face, and if sports drink makes things sticky you can rinse them. Just don't get mixed up and squirt yourself with the sugary stuff. DAHIKT.

My 200k menu goes: 50k coffee/cake halt, 100k meal (pizza is good), 150k coffee/cake, 200k back to hotel and pig out on pasta and ice cream (consecutively). For the boring intervals between real food I have marzipan bars, crystallized ginger and salami in the HB bag, and the odd banana doesn't go amiss for electrolytes. I also carry Rennies. ;D

Drink early, drink often. "Cutting" the sweet-tasting stuffs with the salty salami now and again stops the sick feeling you get from too much sweet carb going in. You can also use the fat & protein.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Pedal Castro

  • so talented I can run with scissors - ouch!
    • Two beers or not two beers...
Re: Hydration on Audax rides - Fructose based drinks/caffene
« Reply #6 on: 07 December, 2020, 04:07:46 pm »
Plain water gets my vote too, usually have one bidon with an electrolyte tab and one plain water as mentioned upthread just in case I need to rinse sweat from my eyes. If I stop at around 140-150 km on a 200 I'll often buy a choc or banana milk drink.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Hydration on Audax rides - Fructose based drinks/caffene
« Reply #7 on: 07 December, 2020, 04:14:08 pm »
I'd suggest ALWAYS having a bottle of pure water (possibly white/clear to avoid confusion). This has multiple uses on any ride.

Re: Hydration on Audax rides - Fructose based drinks/caffene
« Reply #8 on: 07 December, 2020, 06:37:11 pm »
Plain water here as well. I sometimes carry black currant or orange flavouring for variety. But most the time just leave it plain.

Re: Hydration on Audax rides - Fructose based drinks/caffene
« Reply #9 on: 14 December, 2020, 09:11:52 pm »
Almost all commercial electrolyte drinks eg Nuun tablets caused me gut problems.  I realised they contain artificial sweeteners or preservatives or both, and I'm sure they are the cause.
MyProtein used to sell a cheap electolyte powder that had no additives, just 4 plain salts.  It didn't dissolve very well but I just gave it a good shake.  Compared to just water, I found I needed to drink less because I was retaining the fluid better and peeing a lot less, so didn't need to carry as much (or stop so often....)
Of course, they have discontinued it!
If anyone knows where I can get straight salts without all the additives, I will be really grateful.

Karla

  • car(e) free
    • Lost Byway - around the world by bike
Re: Hydration on Audax rides - Fructose based drinks/caffene
« Reply #10 on: 14 December, 2020, 09:14:30 pm »
I recommend a hot chili enema.

Re: Hydration on Audax rides - Fructose based drinks/caffene
« Reply #11 on: 14 December, 2020, 10:44:39 pm »
It may be the maltodextrin that was the issue,

That was my experience, I had switched to sports drinks containing it but had a few very bad ride experiences with bloating and dehydration even though I consumed lots of drinks, mentioned to sports doctor and she said some people don't get on well with it and for those people it can actually inhibit water absorption in the gut. Switched back to drinks with just sugar and salts and everything fine again. Also agree that one bottle with water and sport drink powder and another plain water is good for me, I carry a few refills of the powder on longer rides, takes little space or weigh.

Marco Stefano

  • Apply some pressure, you lose some pressure...
Re: Hydration on Audax rides - Fructose based drinks/caffene
« Reply #12 on: 15 December, 2020, 02:29:46 pm »
...If anyone knows where I can get straight salts without all the additives, I will be really grateful.

Dioralyte comes in 'natural' form, i.e. no flavourings. I can't see why they would add preservatives to a mixture of dry salts...

Re: Hydration on Audax rides - Fructose based drinks/caffene
« Reply #13 on: 20 December, 2020, 02:14:33 pm »
Bit late with this reply, but thank you - I'll look out for them.
I had only seen the blackcurant ones and was not keen.

Re: Hydration on Audax rides - Fructose based drinks/caffene
« Reply #14 on: 20 December, 2020, 03:36:09 pm »
I used to use Diarolyte quite a lot when working for teams. We used as well to mix energy drink powder with cold tea, not water.
More recently I like Elivar products - apparently formulated for the over 30s , but their drinks seem kind to my stomach.
Caffeine isn’t great if it’s hot weather.
Personally I prefer to use good gels for energy, and leave the bidon for hydration. The U.K. cycling market isn’t as dedicated to nutrition as the European one. However, the Gallic influence in Decathlon produces a good choice of nutrition products, including pate de fruits.