What’s the cheapest way to put energy in your vest when running long or in extreme heat?
I do a 50 mile bicycle ride in the tropics on Saturdays. I’ve learned a few things.
- If possible, Leave early; just as the sun rises so you only have one way in the direct sun.
- There are a ton of sport gels out there, but the most important thing is electrolytes: trust me, the salt, potassium and magnesium will keep you more stable than the carbs in those gels— carbs were something you should have loaded the previous day. It will also optimize your hydration so the water doesn’t just flush you out.
Thanks! What are you doing for electrolytes?
I’ve done LMNT packs which just have stevia and flavoring. Or purchasing Potassium, Magnesium from a place like powder city or bulk supplements ADDING pink sally, and mixing a small dose together to do make my own diy style LMNT. I’ve tried maybe a dozen different gels that contain those with or without carbs and caffeine, but I can say those 3 are really all you need during a run if you’re eating well
Thanks!
Check out f2c electrodurance if you are in the us or Canada. I don’t think there is a better option at a better price. Although i think in response to the original question, electrolytes aren’t going to do much for you if your muscles aren’t properly fueled. I like maple syrup for cost effective running nutrition. Table sugar is probably even better from a cost standpoint.
There’s only so much glycogen your muscles can store though, right? You will eventually burn through all of that even with the most heroic carb-loading effort.
my favorite is sliced microwaved potatoes with a little oil and lots of salt! very filling, for me a small portion goes a long way
edit: in a plastic baggy
Wow! Actual food? Do you have a hard time chewing and swallowing while running?
You can make mash as well. I find it fine when running at low intensity
Was about to comment this. Can’t get cheaper than potatoes!
I wonder what instant mash would be like.
Saturated, syrup like, gatorade on one shoulder, water on the other.
You can buy these big containers of the Gatorade power that will make 8 gallons or something. Was 8-10 dollars a container if remember correctly.
When I ran ultras I would measure it out and drink the syrup like gatorade so I could get X amount of calories in an hour along with whatever food I would eat.
All depends what your stomach can handle. Mine did not mind the loads of surgar but some people get sick fast of it. Keep me hydrated and full of electrolytes. There is definitely better hydration / fuling out there but it’s cheap.
How many grams of carbs per litre of water are you able to tolerate?
I’ve had good luck with dates. Lots of carbs in a very easy to consume and easy to portion package. They were pretty easy on my stomach, too, but everybody is different.
I saw this recipe recently. I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, but it seems reasonable. I’ll add a pinch of “salt substitute,” for potassium and substitute glucose and sucrose for the fructose. Also some lemon juice to make it more palatable.
DIY powder for fueling runs and this year’s #ultras. Gist is 100 calories is 14g maltodextrin, 7g fructose, 3g MCT, 0.1g salt mixed with liquid of choice.
