What's in your camelbak?
 

I'm wondering whether to use a drink that contains easy to digest energy sugar/glucose type thing for 2 + 2 hour or 3 hour hare n hounds (flat out the whole time) to replace the water I normally use?

What do people use - do you find a noticeable benefit over water only?

If you use a sports drink in your hydration system, make sure you wash it out that same day. Those drinks create a perfect breeding ground for growing science experiments in your camelback.

Vodka! LOL
Water, then I use Goo every 45 minutes. Goo keeps the cramps away and gives you the energy you need without filling your stomach. I don't use the ones with caffeine as they dehydrate you.
I also rinse and freeze my camelback when done, keeps it from getting moldy.

It can be as simple as a pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon sugar to a pint of water.... Everything you already have and can be prepared in a rush to ride.
You can put Tang instead suggar if you want a "taste".


http://health.howstuffworks.com/well...ehydration.htm

I have done a fair amount of research on this and the one I settled on was high5 4:1 for the roof of africa (but that was abou 7hrs of riding each day)
For long events you want some protein in the mix, and fructose rather than sucrose. I have never heard of caffeine dehydrating you but I suppose with it being a diuretic it may get fluid to your bladder a bit quicker (FYI at the roof I drank float to 9 litres without needing a pee) but I wouldn't recommend a caffeine based drink. Rather a caffeine based gel or goo

What the caffeine does is help to keep your stomach digesting. When you are doing heavy exercise your body sort of shuts down some of its functions (in simple terms lol) which is why you can sometimes feel bloated from the energy drink. The caffeine keeps your stomach working and In turn helps get whatever you have in the drink (electrolytes energy etc) it back into your bloodstream. I used to take the caffeine goo later in the race also gives a bit of a pickmeup

Most important is to try out new mixtures on practice days, not at the race

3/4 Pedialyte, 1/4 water, 1 cup maltodextrin (carbo gain)

End up with 2 liters which is the size of my hydration bladder. Seems to work well for 2 hour hare scrambles in the southern heat. But I also pay close attention to hydration and carb loading well before the event.

For extreme heat, like Florida and the Southeast USA, 2 liter camelback with 1/3 ice+1/3 water+1/3 Gatorade.

I'm a low carb/ periodically keto guy so I use just water elete in it.

https://eleteelectrolytes.com/

water, ice (lots), and 2 coors lite for afterwards

Now that is a great idea!!!

NUUN and water.

I also prefer roll top bladders over anything with a cap; easier to fill, much easier to clean and dry.

Pure water and on hot days some ice.

Nuun is the biz for a hangover. Kinda good for riding. Always keep some in the cooler between trail laps. Water in camelbak. Just learned the baking soda trick to get rid of the plastic taste the cheaper ones never had.

Tell me more...would love to get rid of the plastic taste! Do you rinse it with a baking soda solution or what? :confused:

Thanks, Dave.

Yeah a mate told me about it and I Googled found a guide or youtube about it. Worked a treat.

I'd tried baby bottle sterilizing tablets (which kill mould so are still useful) but they didn't remove the taste. Soda and water mix for an hour did. Just kinda guessed qty with warm water I think.

Lemon juice works great too


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I jhave been using water mixed with carbsport or Hammer Perpetuem for enduros. Now that it's hot I plan to use water mixed with Hammer Nutrition HEED.

+1 Hammer HEED in the past, good stuff but for the $$$. I now use Coconut water with similar results, one pint to full camelback of water. It's REALLY hot in the tire plant i work at, Coconut water saves the day for me. YMMV

I've been using this > https://liquid-iv.com/ Works really well!