Sugar Water to Fuel your Cycling? Sports DIETITIAN REVIEWS

[@aarondcmedia9585]

Raw sugar with some salt and cordial all the time for me. Works a treat. 90g/hr. Cheap as chips. I have the sugar bidon and then a bunch of plain water bidons to rinse after each sugar sip.

[@drgemmasampson]

Its certainly an approach that for some people like and makes it more cost effective to fuel.

[@donwinston]

cordial? Is that a fancy way to say alcohol? No amount of alcohol is healthy.

[@aarondcmedia9585]

@@donwinston you are the first person I have ever interacted with who does not know the word cordial as applied in the context of drinking. "In the UK, Europe and Australia, Cordial is a non-alcoholic sweet beverage made from sugar, water and one or more flavouring agents." Think "squash" for the American equivalent.

[@donwinston]

@@aarondcmedia9585 You are right. I didn't know what it meant. Other than the alternative use/meaning of being polite to someone. I'm an American. We're often dumb about those kind of things. I looked it up in the dictionary and it said Liqueur.

[@aarondcmedia9585]

@@donwinston so did I - the dictionary is woeful at times huh. Squash here in Australia is a vegetable!

[@honestreviewer3283]

I used to do this when I was a competitive road cyclist in the 90s. Some weeks I would do 600kms, with my longest Zone 1 training rides on Wednesdays being about 190kms. When it was hotter outside I would also add a pinch of salt.

[@drgemmasampson]

Keeping it simple often works!

[@Flashback_Jack]

AI gives me this: 1. Basic Sugar Water Recipe: - 30g maltodextrin (around 2,5 tablespoons) - 60g table sugar (around 4.75 tablespoons) - 1 tsp sodium citrate - Flavoring (e.g., True Citrus packet) - Water to fill bottle This provides about 90g of carbs and 360 calories per standard bottle.

[@jojoanggono3229]

Lemon is a good idea, I usually mix 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar with isotonic drink which tastes sweet and salty, to balance out the sweetness.

[@10ktube]

I have done this, and found that if I use warm water to mix the drink, it seems to disolve better. So I mix it up when I first get up, and let it cool down until I'm ready to go. Or, the night before.

[@drgemmasampson]

Certainly can make it easier if you have the time and forethought to do it!

[@vietnguyen4312]

After developing fructose intolerance, I needed to experiment. I ended up using 1/4 coconut water, 2 x heaped teaspoons of glucose powder, 2 x heaped teaspoons of rice syrup (glucose and carbs), squeezed lemon and a little Celtic Sea salt. It tastes great and seems to work really well. When I train, I drink water, when I race, I consume my drink.

[@mj3298]

I've used Jesse Coyle's recommended sugar water mix for a couple of years now and my gut has adapted to work well with it. 300g raw sugar dissolved in 500ml of boiling water, add a few pinches of salt, leave in the fridge overnight. My other 850ml bottle has water only. If a longer or harder ride, I sometimes use soft flasks with same mix and two bottles water on the bike (to get through a longer race with no stops or a fast ride unsupported).

[@drgemmasampson]

That’s great! Yes absolutely can adapt the gut over time- I just don’t like things so sweet tasting personally!

[@imwalt3439]

I buy frozen apple juice concentrate and mix half and half with water. Works great and tastes good on a long ride

[@drgemmasampson]

I know many people who use this approach!

[@imranwahid11]

I add 1.5x SiS Go Hydro tablet to add flavour. Completely changes the taste and much easier to drink. However I use 80gm per 750ml bottle. Thats enough carb for me.

[@michaelc1280]

I used this today. Worked great. 50g sugar in 600 ml water. A little salt and a squeeze of lemon. I thought it tasted great. Plenty of energy and no gi issues. I will probably use 60 gm next ride.

[@mortigard]

Hot tip: use a bit of boiling water to dissolve the sugar first. That way, you don't end up with sugar chunks. Also, I've been using sugar water for over a year now. It's the cheapest and simplest way for me to fuel my rides and consume calories consistently. It also seems pretty safe to experiment, especially when compared to using baking soda before rides (if you know, you know). 💩😂

[@drgemmasampson]

Ha! Absolutely! Baking soda can be a dangerous game! Yes I know the hot water trick- just hate the way it makes my drinks then taste of plastic!

[@fatbloaterdave]

Another way of doing it making a a sugar syrup once a week and keep it in the fridge. Disolve 1 part water to 2 parts sugar. make up a 1-2l of it. The syrup mixes well with cold water when you need it.

[@Khaldor]

The video honestly misses 2 things regarding the practical application. For most endurance athletes it will be much more beneficial to get a small runners flask, use that for all the sugar fueling you want to do and simply put it into your back pocket. That way you differentiate between your water/hydration and the fueling. You have essentially a "gel" in your back pocket that you take a sip of every now and then and you can compensate for the taste (if you think it's too sweet) by simply drinking a bit of water right after. Makes it also easier to keep track of your intake on long rides, assuming that you have to refill your water bottles. I'd also HIGHLY recommend to prepare the whole thing in pot where you heat up the water so you get a proper solution and don't have to deal with the suggar setting at the bottom of your bottle.

[@stuart7247]

Yup, the small runner’s flasks work like a hot damn. Plus, if you’re training with your mates, they’ll be wondering what you’re up to with the little mystery bottle. It’ll drive them crazy. 😎 :)

[@pedallinraw]

Yes! my people 🤗….sugar…maple syrup….lemon juice…experiment with salt if you wish….makes a good drink 🥳👍🏻

[@dieterbierman9803]

Using a 2:1 (or 1: 0.8) maltodextrin/fructose mix, like in all the fancy sports-drinks (Maurten/Beta Fuel), drastically brings down the sweetness and apparently helps the max absorbsion rate. I mainly use it when I go a bit harder, In that case I also drink a lot, so automatically I can make a lower concentration (100g on a 750ml bottle is insane!).

[@dieterbierman9803]

Then again, you probably well know that without me mansplaining that to you. Just wonder why you left it out?

[@robertthomson4042]

Dieter how much maltodextrin & sugar are you using in a 20 oz bottle? 50 / 50?

[@dieterbierman9803]

@@robertthomson4042 Malto/fructose 2:1. Conveniently it comes in a 2kg and 1kg bag. I sling m in a bucket with a lid and shake it. Don't know oz, but I put 80 grams in a 750 mill botlle. But play around with that depending on temperature/intensity and optional extra solid food. On longer rides I'll add some sort of electrolite tablet after a coule of hours.

[@drgemmasampson]

Yes I know many people (and often recommend) who use maltodextrin. Not always tolerated by all - this specific review was to test plain old sugar as I see many people online recommending it.

[@TheFloridaBikeVlogger]

I expected to see more durian rider comments

[@awake-notwoke6473]

The last 6 months have been adding 100g sugar, 10g honey and salt to my bottles and it has changed so much. 2-3 hrs in a solid ride and still able to hit power numbers and recovery is much better

[@drgemmasampson]

Fuelling has a huge performance benefit!

[@peterscuba]

Cane sugar works better for me than Cane syrup, i used to just use it at the half way coffee stop 50km, but sugar inch and half in bottle from the off works best

[@Crafftyyy]

iv done this a few times; my mix is something like this. Sugar Grams for however much you need. (im roughly at 75-90/H. 500mg to 1gm of Salt/Himalayan Salt. Fill up the bottle the rest of way with water. Mio Water Flavor for taste. I like the Caffeine ones as well.

[@emmaswanwick4908]

The problem with looking g at his is that your not looking at th time factor. The time factor, under 4 hours there will still be sufficient "mix" of nutrients with liver processing etc, and a you pointed out, taking the glucose fructose mix will stop fat and most glycogen breakdown for aerobic means. Over 4 hours, that effect is reduced and the need for sugar to compensate for the lack of muscle glycogen means that the concentration. Requirement goes up, and goes up every hour. The time line is based on how much of the fast fibres are used, so if there are lots of short high effort burst then that time line will.come down closer to 2 hours. If it's a more controlled, within aerobic range, then the time line will be 4 hours plus. Other foods will support you getting to the 4 hour point. This is why the tour riders increase the concentration. Of their drinks toward the last hours of a stage. With the advent of mct, where the glycerol element also can be processed through glycolysis, can also extend the "carb" based metabolism

[@ianjameslake]

You know the old saying, racing on 'bread and water'. I'd be interested in your take on using bread and water for fueling. I thought of this a while ago, but haven't tested it fully. --- Cut and paste of some old notes here. --- White bread has the perfect ratio of electrolytes for exercise, with also a little protein. If you cut of the crust of each slice, you have 40 cals per serve (without the most of the fibre content of bread). Add a little jam (or honey/etc), and that will take you up to 60 cals per serve. 6 per hour is 240 cals without jam/honey, or 360 with. 360 cals is around the maximum a person can metabolise while riding for endurance events. For comparison, -- 240 cals of SIS electrolyte powder (orange flavor) -- (Btw, I used the powder for calcs instead of the tablets, because the tablets don't include carbs, and are really just flavored salt tablets.) Protein 0 Carbs 60g - sugar 11.2g (of 60g) Fat 0g Fibre 0g Salt 850mg Calcium 43.5mg Magnesium 8.5mg Potassium 98.9mg -- 240 cals of white bread -- Protein 6.8g Carbs 45.6g - sugars 3.9g (of 45.2g) Fat 3.0g Fibre 2.1g (but most fibre is in the crust, so if you cut the crust off, you cut out most of the fibre, and incidentally, about half the calories of a single slice) Salt 614mg Calcium 136mg Magnessium 20.7mg Potassium 90.2mg ---- Given people eat museli and oat bars and such, I'm sure eating plain white bread (without the crusts) with a little jam/honey, is going to be a little easier on the stomach for most. Anyway, in the past, when I've done long distance endurance rides, I usually just take some basic sandwiches to eat along the way. I've never tried racing on bread and water. And while I haven't raced in quite a while, next time I get the bug again and start racing, I'll be giving this a go.

[@atmphotog]

A cyclist racing on 'bread and water' was referring to whether they were clean, not their fuelling strategy.

[@drgemmasampson]

I recommend people use a mixture of solids and liquids real food and other depending on the type of riding, intensity and purpose of the ride. it's not a one size fits all approach. www.gemmasampson.com/ceacq

[@warrenstringham415]

@@atmphotog pane e aqua, to be precise.

[@davidhenner9367]

Sugar water is great but I suggestion a sugar gel with multiple types of sugar. Add table sugar / maltodextrin / Glucose then optionally some amino acids and flavoring. Boil the mixture down and if you do it right it will be a semisweet gel. It will not be as sweet because Glucose isn't so sweet and as a gel it slips past the tongue without tasting it so much. Then bring water on the ride to get the rest out of your mouth and get water in your system. Works out I spend about 1/10th the price of the gels you buy and it works the same.

[@hamishmchamish]

I use equal accounts of water and apple juice (not from concentrate) with a pinch of salt and a little blackcurrant cordial for taste. This reduces the amount of solid needing to dissolve and similar macros and micros to the expensive powders

[@mikicastan]

I use it for few months now and it works 100% for me. Its much easier on bike to drink then eat.

[@drgemmasampson]

Certainly - all depends on the intensity terrain and who you are riding with as to whether solids or liquids are easier

[@darrylcullen2409]

This was brilliant. So glad that the balance of sugar water and solid foods seems idea

[@drgemmasampson]

Absolutely - there isn't a 1 size all approach - different foods and fuels for different types of rides. I have a free quiz on how to fuel training on and off the bike here www.gemmasampson.com/ceacq

[@madillness6853]

That’s my strategy too. I was shocked at the 100+ grams in one bottle. 🤮 I use 90 grams of cards per hour? 50g of sugar in a bottle with an electrolyte tablet and 2 x 20g from bars. There is no way I could do the 100g sugar mix.

[@AcvaristulLenes]

I completed the questionaire on your website. The upper limit of carb intake is around 120 g/h at pro level, so 90 g/h is partially true (given the question doesn't specify target athletes).

[@bubby372]

My on the bike hydration for years has been a mixture of water, honey ,lemon juice, and a pinch of sea salt. Works great and cheap as hell.

[@deDANIEL11609]

Why honey

[@ceeesmack]

@@deDANIEL11609 it has both glucose and frucose but not at ideal ratios. still good unless ur an ultra athlete. but! blue agave syrup is thinner, easier to ingeset

[@ceeesmack]

for perfect ratio: 1 part agave syrup,2 parts corn syrup (ends up being 2:1 glucose fructose)

[@deDANIEL11609]

@@ceeesmack what about regular sugar instead of syrup?

[@drgemmasampson]

The sugar content in Agave is almost entirely fructose so not suitable for people that don't tolerate it.

[@clementpichon4708]

btw people 100gram of sugar is alot to start off. try starting at 40 grams if sugar and working your way up so your gut has time to get used to it. speaking from experianced first timers 100g will get the shits/stomach pain for a whole week

[@bramblebop1904]

How do you figure how much to use? A teaspoon of dextrose is 12 cal. Are there any other considerations?

[@dominicbritt]

Maltodextrin and sucrose (in the form of grape juice) in the right ratio. Look at a commercial sports energy drink mix and read the ingredients.

[@marekklimczyk4042]

My understanding is sugar in a concentrated state will go through your arteries like sandpaper. This means the body has to repair the damage creating plaque on your arteries. Over time this will create a build up of plaque and may cause a heart attack due to a clog of said arteries.

[@oldanslo]

Where did you get your understanding? Probably should examine that first.

[@marekklimczyk4042]

@@oldanslo Through first hand experience. Maybe you should google effects of excess sugar.

[@Disrupterds]

I understand the point about processing carbs, but doesn't sugar inhibit fluid uptake over a certain ratio? I was taught any more than 4 tablespoons of sugar per 750ml of water would inhibit fluid uptake, but staying under that would augment fluid uptake, so I always do 3 tablespoons. I seriously never considered adding sugar by weight. Also, I don't measure my sips when I'm on the bike. I just drink a sip or so every 10 to 15 minutes, weather dependent, so ratio seems more important than weight. I also add a very small amount of salt to my bottles to help me retain fluids.

[@zaahierstanley955]

No problem with sugar in the bottle at all. I used it on 100km plus rides with zero issue and it's way cheaper than buying commercial drinks. 1. If riding 1hr then really no need especially if the intensity is easy. 2. You need to match carbs with time and intensity so if you doing a 2hr ride then surely less carbs than a 3 or 4hr ride. 3. Aim for total carbs using solids and water and that is also good. 4. I saw some pro stepping up his carbs. So for 2hr he would be on 30 or was it 60 grams an hr etc Anyways ... Point for me it is fuel that works according to pro cyclist and science and it's good on the pocket compared to buying the same in a commercial package for 12 times more in some cases

[@drgemmasampson]

60 g carbs per hour would be low for a pro cyclists - that what they were fuelling on before 2018! Now they are aiming (the guys at the top level at least) for 90-120g per hour. But it all comes down to intensity as you say. Not always high, not always low but smart carbs for the training. I have a free quiz specifically on race nutrition www.gemmasampson.com/ceacq

[@dylanl9532]

I add some glucose to sugar water. So it's not as sweet as just sugar. Heating it up helps dissolve the sugar very well.

[@drgemmasampson]

Do you mean dextrose or maltodextrin? Glucose is sugar! Table sugar is glucose+sucrose. Sucrose is slightly less sweet than glucose

[@williamforbes7156]

i'd be keen to see a revisit to something pure like maple syrup (it is processed tho more so just reduced water) or something alternative to natural sugar reduced and h2o for an apples to oranges comparison.

[@nb9797]

How about just spiking orange juice or a smoothie with sugar and salt?

[@czeckson74]

102g / hour is lot to start with !! hard on your gut. M. van der POEL does 120g/hour, when racing hard, in comparison

[@drgemmasampson]

Absolutely - all comes down to the intensity of the ride and I have cyclists who can tolerate 55-120g+ per hour - we test it in training and then build up gut tolerances

[@IzzyPerezCycling]

I know back in Cuba that’s all we had to power our workouts since sports drinks wasn’t really a thing.

[@nb9797]

What if you brush your teeth after the ride? Or at least just twice a day.

[@danielhand1729]

I seem to get away with sugar water with shorter (2-4 hour) or cold rides. When it gets hotter and longer (4-9) I can get gi upset. Not sure if this is due to frustose. I have started to become more aware of my stomach during a ride, if its emptying properly.

[@drgemmasampson]

It's common to have more GI issues in hotter weather, especially if you have a sensitive stomach to start with.

[@squngy0]

You mentioned the dentist a couple of times, but is this really any worse for your teeth compared to commercial fuels? Both are almost entirely sugar, just slightly different types.

[@emssmith1849]

Whats the difference between sugar water and pop (soda) besides the obvious carbonation??

[@drgemmasampson]

Sugar concentration, types of sugar (glucose, fructose, maltose, galactose…. etc), sweetness, electrolytes.. lots of factors. Coke can make great, tasty well tolerated ride fuel - which is why it’s often used in races by cyclists.

[@emssmith1849]

thank you@@drgemmasampson

[@MatthewBlue-yg1wk]

Interesting, but no actual data about the energy in the drink, although you you did reference it compromising fat use. The utility of sugar water seems linked to the exercise type good for high intensity not good for endurance, if you are trying to train the fat burning system. It always seems to me the key thing is having a well balanced diet, staying hydrated and then supplementing with sports drinks etc.. I thought the type of lipto protein affected how the body metabolizes a sports drink. Is the sugar just quickly burned so also better for shorter duration or does it just provide energy more quickly?

[@javierquintero9640]

Add 15% of mct powder to your mix and it will taste much better so in your case 15 g of MCT powder

[@GabrielAntonioFernandezDiaz]

In Cuba we call it MINOLDO, many gold medals of my country in diferent sports like boxing, athleticism, baseball, judo, etc trained with this, no kidding

[@PCXMODSGR]

First, on a 750 ml bottle it's 60-90 gr of sugar ! You can have solid foods also to increase the total carbs ! Also, pre ride meal also helps! If you had 60 for example in there it will be fantastic, not too sweet ! One day testing doesn't work ! Lemon in the sugar water makes it sweeter, but doesn't allow the mixture to become solid again ! Learned that from Baklava makers ! Also, you mix water with sugar, not the other way around ! It's not the best solution, it's the cheapest and the most readerly available ! Everyone has sugar wherever you go, they don't have betafuel !

[@bramblebop1904]

Too sweet!! Cmon, there's no such thing...

[@Mapdec]

Nice. This is something I am experimenting with, but not tried anything near that concentration yet. Wow 14%. I have been more like 5% and thought that was too sweet. How does it compare to something like Ribena or Fresh Orange Juice?

[@drgemmasampson]

Imagine what the concentration of an energy gel is! You won’t get much in the Ribena, maybe 10g. About 30g carbs per 250ml juice

[@Mapdec]

@@drgemmasampson 🙏

[@888jucu]

Hi there, a better comparison would be a mixture of Maltodextrin & fructose (basically what many sports drinks are) compared to a sugar water mix with the same calories. You can get more calories into your system using a Mdex/Fruc mix when compared to sugar water basically bcos sugar water has a higher osmolarity per calorie when compared to Mdex/fruc mix and therefore will create GI distress at a lower calorie point than Mdex/Fruc 👍

[@drgemmasampson]

For sure - this was in response to recommendations I am seeing in practice many cyclists are receiving to use plain sugar on its own 😊

[@aarondcmedia9585]

Raw sugar is glucose and fructose, so it's already a mix. Not perfect, but good enough.

[@JeanFrancoisDesrosiers]

Osmolarity compatibility is easily improved by adding salt. Ideally matching the tonicity of the body, but this would taste bad. A starting point is Gatorade's sodium qty (mg) and adjust to taste.

[@888jucu]

@@JeanFrancoisDesrosiers I live in the tropics hence add sodium & potassium salts to my brew as sweat like pig out here 😬. The salts actually don’t taste too bad so long as not overdoing it and actually encourages you to drink more. I think I got my initial electrolytes numbers from some Gatorade article online sometime back and basically followed that 👍

[@aarondcmedia9585]

@@JeanFrancoisDesrosiers would tonicity change over time - say a 3 hour ride where you're riding hard and sweating? My guess says yes.

[@stanlyacero4736]

hi mam can i use brown sugar?

[@Gledii]

hi there, i thought that the amount of cabs per hour cycling should be 60-90g, why you are higher than that?. just another thing, simple table sugar is sucrose, which is disaccharide composed of Glucose + Fructose = Sucrose. you mentioned that sugar is Sucrose+fuctose, just to avoid misunderstanding. thanks for the video

[@gafk2975]

60-90g/h is absorption rate for beginners with untrained gut. If you are serious with training and do quite a bit of it your body adapts and will be able to absorb 120-160g/h or even higher. I believe pro riders are at like 180-200+/h.

[@drgemmasampson]

I was using the same recipe as in the research study protocol

[@sylvestervoigt9836]

I threw some of that new Fangled Popcorn Flour into my Water Bottle to avoid Fructose

[@Saturday_ProFuel]

Yes fat oxidation is important. Yes we want to get better at it. No it should not be achieved by limiting carb intake on the bike. The tradeoffs are not in favor, ever. There are better reasons to limit carb intake on the bike. 1. Personal preference. 2. Managing satiety by eating more whole foods off the bike. We feel the need to comment here because it's an oft-cited refrain among even sports dietitians that fat oxidation adaptations over time should be a consideration when thinking about fueling. We think it's important that they're not a consideration because fat oxidation ability gained is always outweighed by carb oxidation ability lost. See Louise Burke's work from the last 6 years.

[@drgemmasampson]

Certainly - if you have read any of the blog posts on my website or followed me on instagram you would know that my philosophy is real food first, as well as neither high or low carb but smart carbs to support the training purpose and intensity

[@allantimm2003]

Would Coke not have the same effect as it is loaded with sugar, that is coke diluted with water ?

[@drgemmasampson]

Coke works very well as a fuel source for many cyclists and triathletes

[@johnmackenzie1831]

I don’t just drink it like a normal sports drink, that sounds dreadful! I make one ultra concentrated bottle (I go right up to 350g in a 500ml bottle) and run another bottle of just plain water. Chase each mouthful of the concentrate with water to hydrate and clean your teeth. I’m lucky/adapted (?) as I get absolutely no gut issues. It has absolutely changed my fuelling on long rides with no notable side effects.

[@drgemmasampson]

That sounds much more tolerable! Sugar shots! (Basically diy gels)

[@Zwiftsushi]

Awesome video!!!! How long of a ride did you do for that amount of carbs??? I’m trying to figure out what’s ideal. I do a time crunched plan. So I do pretty hard wkos up to 90 mins and am using 50g carbs in the form of dextrose :) love that you are female and can help us

[@michaelwtapp]

Nice! From what I have read you need a 2:1 ratio of glucose to fructose. Dextrose is glucose, so you probably need some fructose in the mix as well.

[@inz_uzi]

There's another study that says that 1:0.8 ratio is the best in terms of carbs absorption and utilisation rate. However they tested only three mixes: 2:1, 1:0.8 and 100 % glucose. So I believe that table sugar that has 1:1 ratio is as good.

[@drgemmasampson]

It's not just the duration of the ride but the intensity! This had some intense steep hills where I achieve my best ever 1 min power climbing on. I have more about female cycling nutrition on my website and also about during training nutrition here www.gemmasampson.com/ceacq

[@RGCastro7]

Thank you for sharing. Very interesting, especially the recommendation on rotating through fuel sources.

[@drgemmasampson]

Mixing it up is super important to avoid flavour fatigue

[@Alex-is-a-daddy]

if with mild t2 diabetes, im I ok to take sugar fir fueling during exercises (30g/hour)? or if it is better to consume lowert GI carb like apple and whole grain bread. i am not competing, just long ride

[@drgemmasampson]

Longer slower rides I would be more inclined to use real food, something that takes a bit longer to digest. Keep the sugar for more high intensity ⛽️

[@HighCarbCycling]

A lot of people have reversed their T2 by cutting fat and protein and increasing carbohydrates. Research it.

[@Alex-is-a-daddy]

@@HighCarbCycling I saw those claims but it seems a more scientific proof of those claims are lack. I inclined to MD’s recommendations for know, no high carb, no keto

[@aarondcmedia9585]

Also re: tolerance - you can train your gut :D

[@drgemmasampson]

Always! Key message I tell cyclists- train how you want to fuel and perform with nutrition. not just the physical training!

[@scottallen2190]

You have to boil the water to get the sugar to fully dissolve. Just like making cool aid.

[@drgemmasampson]

If only I had time to do that!!

[@scottallen2190]

@@drgemmasampson Yeah, boiling water! What a huge time suck!

[@BobBob-wl8jo]

Hi, great video! I used to do exactly this, maybe around 10% sugar with a bit of salt. The reason I stopped doing it was that I just assumed refined sugar was by definition unhealthy, or might cause diabetes. Are sports drinks `healthier` than plain sugar, calorie for calorie?

[@drgemmasampson]

It's all about timing, frequency and context. Sugar and carbohydrates consumed during exercise are instantly fuelling the muscle so you don't see the sugar spike that you would see the same food/fluid providing at rest.

[@michaelwtapp]

@@drgemmasampson Good to know, thank you. I was wondering if fueling on the bike with sugar might lead one to be more likely to develop diabetes.

[@inz_uzi]

It doesn't matter at all what if you consume sugar or a mixture of fructose and maltodextrin/glucose that you find in sport nutrition products because you can absorb them only as simple sugars - glucose and fructose. The only upside of maltodextrin is that it's less sweet.

[@HighCarbCycling]

Type 2 diabetes can be caused by too much dietary fat making you insulin resistant. Cut the fat (and protein) and you'll become more insulin sensitive, the insulin will work as it should do and the blood sugar spike which is of course is natural will not be as high as it would be when combined with higher dietary fat. T2 can be reversed with a high carbohydrate, low fat, low protein diet, sugar, rice and fruit.

[@mypriusisfaster]

Used sugar water all the time when cycling. Not using refined white sugar was the trick. Brown, cane, turbinado, stevia leaf, agave syrup, coconut sugar or any similar sweetener was the trick for me. An extra flavor profile to the sugar in the drink made it easier to down it on long rides.

[@colecoleman1499]

U are awesome. I've noticed that jaggery takes time to give energy. Playing tennis after drinking it..I get slow initially. White sugar is like rocket but not recommended

[@inz_uzi]

Brown sugar and cane sugar are exactly the same thing as refined sugar because it's almost pure sucrose. The other stuff like agave syrup or honey are mixtures of glucose and fructose in different proportions. Stevia is an extremely low calorie sweetener and using it as fuel during exercise is pointless. So I don't understand the trick.

[@TimpBizkit]

To be honest I preferred the white on long rides as I got sick of the molasses flavour in some of the others, and coconut sugar tastes metallic in a strong solution to me. White sugar is more boring tasting though. And stevia leaf doesn't have any calories so not sure about that. The only one I wouldn't recommend is icing sugar though unless you like the starchiness!

[@drgemmasampson]

All personal preferences - I've tried sports drink product based on brown sugar in the past and found it was not to my personal preference at all. Gave it away.

[@michaelreid6355]

If is was the best the Tour de France would be using it.

[@gilesbyford3773]

Plenty of pro riders have used it for years

[@michaelreid6355]

@@gilesbyford3773 who told you that, durianrider?

[@troycollett8540]

I would only mix a max of about 50 to 60grams per bottle

[@drgemmasampson]

For sure. I was replicating what was done in research (and what I see people recommending online) to see how palatable it was. Doesn't mean that is what I would recommend! :)

[@kevindean9613]

Interesting ,what size was your bottle & what about electrolytes?

[@drgemmasampson]

These were 650ml bottles. I was following the research protocol in this instance.

[@AnnHailey-ur2iy]

Lady yo ass just made lemonade 😂

[@michaelgould3475]

I used to use maltidectrin never sure if it worked or just the placebo effect. Now I'm a coeliac and I don't think the advise you to use it

[@drgemmasampson]

Maltodextrin is gluten free.

[@michaelgould3475]

@@drgemmasampson sorry to ask another question do you think maltidectrin would work and is it harsh on the gut

[@razorree]

do you have strange taste in your mounth after drinking such home made carbs drink? (5:4 - 2:1 ratio) ? Is it acidity ? do you add someting to the drink to alleviate this taste? (maybe bicarbonate of soda?)

[@drgemmasampson]

For me this would only be used in emergency cases if there was nothing else available because I didnt' find it enjoyable or practical to use.

[@razorree]

@@drgemmasampson well....definitely it's super practical, i'm using it for 2-3 months now, and it works perfectly now (no more than 200-300g for a 750ml bottle, if it's more it's difficult to dose precisely)

[@senyaw53]

Sugar and staminade for the second half of the ride. Plain water for hydration.

[@drgemmasampson]

There isn't very much energy in staminade though, so chances are you are training/racing under fuelled www.gemmasampson.com/ceacq

[@Bstar2024]

What is working harder, your legs or your pancreas!

[@marcelginter209]

cane sugar tastes quite nice

[@Froxdj]

apple juice, 1 vit c effervescent, water, salt. BOOM!!!!!!

[@user-nb5qz7ls2d]

I add some koolaid powder and 1/4 tbsp of salt per hour/bottle

[@drgemmasampson]

certainly works as a DIY option!

[@BillyJoeBob-tv6co]

I mix 3 parts Coke with 1 part Lemonade....it works fine

[@drgemmasampson]

That’s a new one! I’ve mixed coke with water before to make it flat!

[@timwolf2215]

100 plus grams in 2 hours at less than 25km/h seems a bit much? At that speed it’s more of an aerobic ride isn’t it. I don’t think there are many hills in that route. Just a question, not a shot at you

[@drgemmasampson]

You've obviously never ridden Sydney hills in the middle of summer... ;) average speed doesn't determine intensity!

[@timwolf2215]

@@drgemmasampson yeah all good. Didn’t want to cause a stir, just seemed a lot

[@billskolnik4908]

Now do D-Ribose.

[@troycollett8540]

I use staminade from the supermarket and add a little extra sugar

[@drgemmasampson]

I know a few people who use that approach.

[@troycollett8540]

@@drgemmasampson yeah the staminade is for taste but it has 13 g carbs in each scoop

[@drgemmasampson]

@@troycollett8540 I would consider anything less than 30g carbs an hour as low intensity fuel :) my pro riders would be aiming for 50g carbs or more on most rides. More on fuelling here: www.gemmasampson.com/ceacq

[@troycollett8540]

@@drgemmasampson good thing is I can add extra sugar to train the gut

[@davidcummings7735]

I use approx 110-120gms of sugar then add a teaspoon of instant coffee to make it more palatable, one bottle of this and one bottle of plain water that is generally sufficient for up to 75km ride for me.

[@bramblebop1904]

Glucose is less sweet than sugar

[@ToOldToTurnProcycling]

I've been using fruit squash with a pinch of salt in my bottles for years, I can't stand the taste of the over sweetened so called ISO drinks.

[@drgemmasampson]

I know many people who do that! Gotta stick with what works for you!

[@ToOldToTurnProcycling]

@gemmasampson it's the great sports drink scam, I also take a jam sandwich when I cycle, and make my own flapjack with coconut oil and honey instead of butter and syrup, plus a shot of double espresso, they are my super foods.

[@DRD8CZ]

In fact, there is a better alternative - natural honey. Ideally rapeseed honey. It contains 40% glucose and 40% fructose and in total about 80% carbohydrates. I have been using honey for years and am very satisfied. For my hard sessions, I use 150g of honey in 900ml of water. For easier workouts, about half that. For every 50g of honey I add 1g of salt.

[@inz_uzi]

Honey is basically a mixture of glucose and fructose so I don't see it any better than table sugar or sport nutrition products. Table sugar is the cheapest option however.

[@DRD8CZ]

@@inz_uzi Interesting - I didn't know that household sugar also contains so much fructose. Nevertheless, I prefer honey. On the one hand the taste and then the antibacterial effect of honey and the enzymes that sugar has lost at the latest after heating in the factory. I get my honey from the local beekeeper and I tolerate it very well. But I will make a comparison with sugar - now I am curious. Especially since the price is really so much lower. Honey costs me about 6€ / kg. We get sugar here for about 1/3 of that.

[@Neutral_14]

​@@DRD8CZ wow, up until recently I have bought honey from the grocery store for 12.5€/kg no kidding.

[@DRD8CZ]

@@Neutral_14 at least in germany we have many thousands of hobby beekeepers who produce superb honey and sell it locally for very little profit. Check out if there are any local beekeepers f.e. on local sales platform for private items. In my area are quite a few offering self harvesteted and refined honey for 5-6€ usually in 10-40kg buckets.

[@drgemmasampson]

There are many alternatives. Not one single way to fuel - depends on intensity duration and purpose. More here www.gemmasampson.com/ceacq

[@philipsimmonds1103]

Baking soda ..

[@gregmorrison7320]

Sugar works but for me it's just too sweet, so I only use 1 or 2 spoons and top it up with maltodextrin. Recently I got so sick of cleaning sticky bottles that I just went back to gels and bars and using plain water in my bottles. Yeah more expensive but so much easier, for me.

[@drgemmasampson]

For sure - maltodextrin is a much more palatable method, but not tolerated by all.

[@johnnyveganite9141]

Take plain water to rinse after to prevent tooth decay...

[@drgemmasampson]

I think a dentist would disagree....

[@johnnyveganite9141]

@@drgemmasampson yes they want the $$$$$

[@izmael_kneafcy]

Ooouhfff table sugar and lemon. By by tooth enamel.

[@reece5581]

Sugar is PH neutral, naturally

[@888jucu]

This is true but once sugar water mixes with the saliva in your mouth the bacteria start to break it down which creates an acid in your mouth. This is also part of the reason a sugar water mix will give you that horrid “I havnt brushed my teeth in a century feeling”. Those persons consuming sugar water mix on a regular basis need to couple this with good oral hygiene to minimise tooth decay. I use sugar water when I travel and cycle as it’s simple and I know it’s without other chemicals etc but when home I always make a Maltodextrin/fructose mix as it’s less sweet and less reactive with the saliva

[@drgemmasampson]

Until it reaches the stomach.

[@jgogl9791]

​@@888jucu may I ask please what you use for your maltodextrine and fructose sources (if natural products - or do you use powders?)? In other words, can we create that ideal mix from natural sources? Thank you.

[@reece5581]

I love learning

[@RXP91]

Dental health?!

[@drgemmasampson]

I spoke about dental health during it :)

[@bennymozzarella1605]

This woman has never made kool-aid lol golden rule is add hot water to dissolve the sugar first then cold h20 and ice 😂

[@drgemmasampson]

I actually have made koolaid - when I lived in Zambia - but not always practical or possible for to mess about boiling water then adding ice. makes it more complicated than necessary.

[@SPMech1]

💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪

[@ccamire]

I use Zero sugar, fructose or glucose to fuel my 3-4 hrs bike ride. I always have to wait for my carbs addict friends to refuel

[@drgemmasampson]

fructose and glucose are both carbs! ;)

[@craigd123]

He's Zero carb fat adapted. I could never pull that off

[@barriobarranco]

Are you still in Zone 2 then? I tried 6 months getting fat adapted and boy did my performance blow... chugging old diesel engine but just couldn't do anything over mid tempo...

[@towhee7472]

This will wreak your teeth.

[@user-xb3dv9fv8u]

You didn't talk about your full experience using sugar water, just about your teeth.

[@Hertz2laugh]

You don't need any carbs for endurance exercise. Get fat adapted and enjoy a competitive edge over people who have to manage carb intake.

[@dannyprice1990]

hahaha

[@Hertz2laugh]

@@dannyprice1990 Yeah, I know. It cracks me up too that it's 2023 and people still think we need carbs for endurance events.

[@dannyprice1990]

@@Hertz2laugh you’re funny.

[@Hertz2laugh]

@@dannyprice1990 It's a gift.

[@kieronlewis1101]

superb.