REGO, GO, PSP22 or something else?
Discussion
What would people recommend to drink/eat during a 24 hour MTB event? I'll be doing one this weekend in a team of 4 so will be riding for roughly 1 hour with roughly 3 hours rest inbetween laps. It's not a serious race but any advice to prevent me hitting the wall would be most welcome 
Is this the Clic 24hr event on the Mendips?
If so, I'll be there (although not racing)
Any of them will work, however if you have not used them you may find them hard to stomach at first. Bear with them as they are simply the only way to replace the important minerals etc required for such events.
I'd be interested to hear who likes what at the moment, as I've not used the stuff in years, and fancy getting a tub of powder to use.
If so, I'll be there (although not racing)
Any of them will work, however if you have not used them you may find them hard to stomach at first. Bear with them as they are simply the only way to replace the important minerals etc required for such events.
I'd be interested to hear who likes what at the moment, as I've not used the stuff in years, and fancy getting a tub of powder to use.
'tis indeed the clic24 (too tame for you to ride Neil?
), weather's looking pretty good for this year unlike last year!
Only stuff I've used before is Lucozade sport in both drink and gel form, but that's only out on a day's ride with mates (say 40-50km). Should be doing more than double that distance at the clic24 and obviously have other things like not much sleep to contend with. Last year I just couldn't face getting up in the morning for another lap and I'd rather not have a repeat performance.
I was thinking of something post lap, to replenish energy levels, and reading all the various information has confused me a little. REGO could be good, but it looks like a more long term thing (i.e. if you ride all day, then need to ride the next etc). PSP22 might be a better bet as it's supposed to be used during an event. Any advice welcome
), weather's looking pretty good for this year unlike last year! Only stuff I've used before is Lucozade sport in both drink and gel form, but that's only out on a day's ride with mates (say 40-50km). Should be doing more than double that distance at the clic24 and obviously have other things like not much sleep to contend with. Last year I just couldn't face getting up in the morning for another lap and I'd rather not have a repeat performance.
I was thinking of something post lap, to replenish energy levels, and reading all the various information has confused me a little. REGO could be good, but it looks like a more long term thing (i.e. if you ride all day, then need to ride the next etc). PSP22 might be a better bet as it's supposed to be used during an event. Any advice welcome
Go and REGO are designed for different purposes. IIRC GO has more carbohydrate and is meant to be used during exercise to keep energy levels up. REGO is more protein based to be used for recovery after the event. So for in-competition fueling I'd use something like GO, but check with the shop first - they should be able to tell you which is the most appropriate for your needs.
kbags.Moose. said:
'tis indeed the clic24 (too tame for you to ride Neil?), weather's looking pretty good for this year unlike last year!
Only stuff I've used before is Lucozade sport in both drink and gel form, but that's only out on a day's ride with mates (say 40-50km). Should be doing more than double that distance at the clic24 and obviously have other things like not much sleep to contend with. Last year I just couldn't face getting up in the morning for another lap and I'd rather not have a repeat performance.
I was thinking of something post lap, to replenish energy levels, and reading all the various information has confused me a little. REGO could be good, but it looks like a more long term thing (i.e. if you ride all day, then need to ride the next etc). PSP22 might be a better bet as it's supposed to be used during an event. Any advice welcome
Right, from my experience:), weather's looking pretty good for this year unlike last year! Only stuff I've used before is Lucozade sport in both drink and gel form, but that's only out on a day's ride with mates (say 40-50km). Should be doing more than double that distance at the clic24 and obviously have other things like not much sleep to contend with. Last year I just couldn't face getting up in the morning for another lap and I'd rather not have a repeat performance.
I was thinking of something post lap, to replenish energy levels, and reading all the various information has confused me a little. REGO could be good, but it looks like a more long term thing (i.e. if you ride all day, then need to ride the next etc). PSP22 might be a better bet as it's supposed to be used during an event. Any advice welcome
Bars are good, once you've stopped, and you've plenty of water and time to digest.
So therefore: Gels - tastes horrible but they do the job. In fact, I'll have to go and buy some today now I'm bloody doing the race!
Also, Powder wise, anything that shoves all the goodies back into the system
but make sure you like it...I'm doing a 24 next weekend up in Grizedale, I've bought a big tub of Chocolate flavoured REGO to replace the necessary proteins etc and I intend to sup a bottle of that after each stint. It's actually quite nice and IMO has made a big difference to my performance when riding hard on consecutive days. I've never done a 24, so I can't comment whether it's as effective for shorter intervals.
All the advice i've taken for 24 hour events and energy consumption has been to drink water while riding, eat pasta based dishes for all meals but at some point try to get some 'normal' food down you, i.e. have cereals for breakfast. I've heard alot of people who simply rely on energy bars and the like for the duration suffer terribly the next day.
All the advice i've taken for 24 hour events and energy consumption has been to drink water while riding, eat pasta based dishes for all meals but at some point try to get some 'normal' food down you, i.e. have cereals for breakfast. I've heard alot of people who simply rely on energy bars and the like for the duration suffer terribly the next day.
snotrag said:
DO NOT start a race, then begin chomping on energy bars and slurping PSP for the first time.
If you buy some, you need to try it for a couple of days before hand. Certain products can make people feel very sick.
Test some now and Friday and you should be ok.
If you buy some, you need to try it for a couple of days before hand. Certain products can make people feel very sick.
Test some now and Friday and you should be ok.
Never try something new just before a big event!Also make sure your expected change times are well planned and write then down - its amazing how crap your memory gets after a few laps.
I've seen a few teams use the tint walkie talkies so that they can radio in 10 mins before end of lap so that the oncoming rider gets the longest possible rest.
We used lucozade sport at the mountain mayhem a few years back and that was really good - diluted slightly less strong then recommended though.
I would also recommend taking some easily digestible food that you can heat up easily as its a great morale booster and 24hrs on only power bars etc will give you a horrid stomach in the morning.
Good luck, hope the weather is good.
I've seen a few teams use the tint walkie talkies so that they can radio in 10 mins before end of lap so that the oncoming rider gets the longest possible rest.
We used lucozade sport at the mountain mayhem a few years back and that was really good - diluted slightly less strong then recommended though.
I would also recommend taking some easily digestible food that you can heat up easily as its a great morale booster and 24hrs on only power bars etc will give you a horrid stomach in the morning.
Good luck, hope the weather is good.
Well, I purchased some REGO having spoken to the guy in the local sports shop at lunch time. He reckoned it was pretty fast acting and should work well if I drink it as soon as I've finished a lap. I'll try some tonight and provided I don't throw it back up again, will use it for the event and see how it goes
I'll also use the Lucozade Sport for drinking whilst on a lap. I've used it loads before so I know it works for me, as do the gels which aren't too bad to eat provided you don't stick the whole load in your mouth at once.
I'll also use the Lucozade Sport for drinking whilst on a lap. I've used it loads before so I know it works for me, as do the gels which aren't too bad to eat provided you don't stick the whole load in your mouth at once.
Moose. said:
Well, I purchased some REGO having spoken to the guy in the local sports shop at lunch time. He reckoned it was pretty fast acting and should work well if I drink it as soon as I've finished a lap. I'll try some tonight and provided I don't throw it back up again, will use it for the event and see how it goes
I'll also use the Lucozade Sport for drinking whilst on a lap. I've used it loads before so I know it works for me, as do the gels which aren't too bad to eat provided you don't stick the whole load in your mouth at once.
I used the gels to great effect when on a riding holiday in Lanzaroté.I'll also use the Lucozade Sport for drinking whilst on a lap. I've used it loads before so I know it works for me, as do the gels which aren't too bad to eat provided you don't stick the whole load in your mouth at once.
Seeing as most nights (mornings) we were getting in at silly o'clock hammered, the rides out of Puerto Del Carmen were a fog of hungoverness and general non ridingness.
Needless to say, after one or two gels, we were soon to be spotted larging it up Fire Mountain
I heartily recommend them, although not great for everyone.
Looked into this heavily for some road riding and triathlon stuff I was doing a couple of years ago.
Best I found for not being dodgy on the stomach was High5. They even do an X-Treme version especially for competing.
The 4:1 carb to protein mix is very important too.
Follow the very good advice of trying a few beforehand during training to see what works best - they all compare well enough for giving you what you need but the delivery method can have "interesting" results if you don't have a loo nearby!!
Gels are good for on the day "turbo" boosts :-)
Bars take too long to digest and I've found that working hard in a competitive environment you physically can't eat one.
Best I found for not being dodgy on the stomach was High5. They even do an X-Treme version especially for competing.
The 4:1 carb to protein mix is very important too.
Follow the very good advice of trying a few beforehand during training to see what works best - they all compare well enough for giving you what you need but the delivery method can have "interesting" results if you don't have a loo nearby!!
Gels are good for on the day "turbo" boosts :-)
Bars take too long to digest and I've found that working hard in a competitive environment you physically can't eat one.
The difference between GO and PSP is that GO is formulated to be used in the heat, when you are sweating, so the theory is it replaces the important stuff you’re sweating out as well as being a good carb source. Whereas PSP is just a straightforward energy source. But you’re supposed to make GO up at a lesser concentration than PSP I think i.e. PSP is a better carb source at the “recommended” concentration. On a ride yesterday, I used PSP as normal, and used some GO that I'd mixed up at the recommended concentration, but then topped it up to the same % of carbs (per ml water) as my PSP mix, using High5 Energy Source (neutral). Previously I’d mixed the GO at the same carb levels as PSP, but the flavouring is just too overpowering and sickly at that level (lemon and lime), hence the High5 in neutral. Interesting stuff I know 
Seriously, these potions have been working very well for me so far. I’m tempted to try the High5 4:1 next because I find getting some decent protein on-board a bit of an effort without using potions like this, particularly during a ride when I want to try and avoid any solids. I tried a High5 Protein bar straight after my ride yesterday, double-chocolate flavour no less, very nice, particularly after it had been sat in the car all day...moist!
Seriously, these potions have been working very well for me so far. I’m tempted to try the High5 4:1 next because I find getting some decent protein on-board a bit of an effort without using potions like this, particularly during a ride when I want to try and avoid any solids. I tried a High5 Protein bar straight after my ride yesterday, double-chocolate flavour no less, very nice, particularly after it had been sat in the car all day...moist!As the guys have already suggested, ideally REGO should be used post ride to replace proteins, and GO/PSP used during your laps. I have real problems with all of their products though, as they seem to really irritate my stomach. (I think they're good at what they're supposed to do, but have horrible side-effects on me).
My personal recommendation is Torq - the flavours are not as strong, and provide similar levels of carbs/protein but are much more gentle on the insides. They also make energy gels which are not just palatable, but actually really nice. They're also runny enough to get down while riding, and don't have the consistency of frogspawn. Their bars are quite good too, but still a bit chewy.
For bars I can strongly recommend Mule Bars - made of natural ingredients only and come in four flavours, much more like a sticky cereal bar than some of the others.
My personal recommendation is Torq - the flavours are not as strong, and provide similar levels of carbs/protein but are much more gentle on the insides. They also make energy gels which are not just palatable, but actually really nice. They're also runny enough to get down while riding, and don't have the consistency of frogspawn. Their bars are quite good too, but still a bit chewy.
For bars I can strongly recommend Mule Bars - made of natural ingredients only and come in four flavours, much more like a sticky cereal bar than some of the others.
I used to use GO in the summer. Found it fairly heavy on my stomach though and also found that I was cramping up after around 2 hours of heavy riding.
Now I use Zym. The electrolytes it supplies stops me cramping up and I feel so much better after a ride with those. Zym quenches your thirst unlike the SIS stuff which I always found left you with a gueey feeling at the back of your throat. They now produce Zym Catapult which contains caffein. I haven't tried these yet, but have just ordered some from Wiggle.
I always pack a couple of GO bars for the mid ride break.
For post ride recovery, I just have a Mars milk shake. Loads cheaper than REGO and contains all the protein you need to recover.
Now I use Zym. The electrolytes it supplies stops me cramping up and I feel so much better after a ride with those. Zym quenches your thirst unlike the SIS stuff which I always found left you with a gueey feeling at the back of your throat. They now produce Zym Catapult which contains caffein. I haven't tried these yet, but have just ordered some from Wiggle.
I always pack a couple of GO bars for the mid ride break.
For post ride recovery, I just have a Mars milk shake. Loads cheaper than REGO and contains all the protein you need to recover.
Cheers for the advice all. I'm probably leaving things a little late to start experimenting, but tried the REGO last night after an hour's final shakedown ride. Tasted ok (like a slightly watery milkshake) and I don't seem to be suffering any side effects this morning
I'll get some of the gels for a boost if required and stick to the Lucozade Sport whilst on the lap as I've used loads in the past and I know it won't screw me up. Last year they were supplying everyone with Relentless which I'll probably avoid this year as I recall it was more like Red Bull than anything "proper".
I'll get some of the gels for a boost if required and stick to the Lucozade Sport whilst on the lap as I've used loads in the past and I know it won't screw me up. Last year they were supplying everyone with Relentless which I'll probably avoid this year as I recall it was more like Red Bull than anything "proper".
Moose. said:
Cheers for the advice all. I'm probably leaving things a little late to start experimenting, but tried the REGO last night after an hour's final shakedown ride. Tasted ok (like a slightly watery milkshake) and I don't seem to be suffering any side effects this morning
I'll get some of the gels for a boost if required and stick to the Lucozade Sport whilst on the lap as I've used loads in the past and I know it won't screw me up. Last year they were supplying everyone with Relentless which I'll probably avoid this year as I recall it was more like Red Bull than anything "proper".
I've brought a tub of PSP22 blackcurrent which I'm finding ok. I got a couple of gels which I'll try - but I've got a fairly strong stomach so I should be ok.I'll get some of the gels for a boost if required and stick to the Lucozade Sport whilst on the lap as I've used loads in the past and I know it won't screw me up. Last year they were supplying everyone with Relentless which I'll probably avoid this year as I recall it was more like Red Bull than anything "proper".
Moose - were you there last night? We were (PDV6 and I and some friends) in the car park next to a big white Merc van?
Shame about the rain today, hope the humidity goes!
neil_bolton said:
Moose - were you there last night? We were (PDV6 and I and some friends) in the car park next to a big white Merc van?
Not last night, we were thinking of going up there tonight but the consensus was to have a good night's sleep in a bed instead, boring but sensible I guess (very unusual for some of my friends!). We're entering two teams of 4 "M.S.T." and "The Wafty Crankers" of which I'm in the latter
Feel free to pop over and say hi, we should be up there early Saturday morning to setup base.Moose. said:
neil_bolton said:
Moose - were you there last night? We were (PDV6 and I and some friends) in the car park next to a big white Merc van?
Not last night, we were thinking of going up there tonight but the consensus was to have a good night's sleep in a bed instead, boring but sensible I guess (very unusual for some of my friends!). We're entering two teams of 4 "M.S.T." and "The Wafty Crankers" of which I'm in the latter
Feel free to pop over and say hi, we should be up there early Saturday morning to setup base.We'll need to hook up for sure!
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