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Bike Nutrition

Missed a swim last night, due to being on call. I will take call today also, as backup. Lately, the backup goes in about 90% of the time. We will see about a bike ride later today.

On the bike, I have started to play with a few different "mixes" in my gatorade. There are more than a few good articles about BCAA's and maltodextrin. Have been using those with the gatorade, and it keeps me from running aground on long rides. This comes out to about 70 grams of carbs an hour. 70 g instead of 60? Easier to measure the maltodextrin. Now, there was an article in this month's running times about using fructose and glucose in a 1:2 ratio. Apparently, it boosts your uptake of carbs significantly over other combinations or glucose alone. Makes sense, when you think about all those metabolic pathways you learn in biochem. In the past, they were looking at glucose transporters, and 60 grams was all those pathways could handle per hour.
Powerbar is the only one on board with making this new 1:2 glucose/frucose formula in their gel. Gels are gross. I once heard at a race "do you spit or swallow" and that came from a man. He couldn't have been the only person that thinks that. I think simply buying the two powders and mixing myself will be much cheaper. I may try that on a few rides. But, I am wondering what happens to the body's uptake of sugar after exercise and during the exercise for that matter, if you do this all the time. What I mean to say is that if those muscles don't have to become more effecient at storing glycogen, do we eventually have less capacity?
Less capacity could be devastating on a long course event. Many people, myself very much included here cannot handle this kind of sugar on the run. When all your blood heads south to the legs, the guts don't want to do their job anymore. So, after racking the bike and heading out for that marathon, gatorade is about the stiffest drink we can handle without excessive port-a-potty trips.
There are several long rides before IMAZ. A few of them with the "new formula" and a few without. If it works great, it will be on the bike and in my special needs bags for the bike.

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