Nutritional values

[Dave Carey]

I have been looking at the nutritional value of real food vs energy gels/ bars. I looked at the usual suspects like flapjacks, fig rolls, peanut butter sandwich, Jelly babies, wine gums, banana. I compared them to High 5 bars and gels.

The energy bars seen to have roughly the same amount of calories and carbs per 100g as these real foods but with a lot less sugar than the sweets and a lot less fat compared to the peanut butter sandwich, flapjacks and fig rolls.

The gels have less calories similar carbs, a lot less sugar and next to no fat compared to the real foods.

Bananas did seem better nutritionally but you would need to eat 300g bananas to 100g of gels to get roughly the same energy which is a lot of banana!

My question is than other than price what reason/s would you choose real food when for performance the gels/bars seem better, they also seem better for the calorie conscience out there?

 

[MikeW-71]

I make up my own flapjacks - I can put what I want in them, rather than what someone else thinks is a good idea.

IMHO, Gels are fine for racing, (I'll take one with me for emergencies, as they seem to get to work a bit quicker), but for most people real food is the best thing you can take with you.

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

Bananas did seem better nutritionally but you would need to eat 300g bananas to 100g of gels to get roughly the same energy which is a lot of banana!

My question is than other than price what reason/s would you choose real food?

I think you may have answered your own questions. If you want energy take gels, drink energy/sports drinks and red bull, don't forget to add a performance stimulant like Caffeine. All these options provide vast amounts of energy however they provide sod all nutrients your body needs.
however if you want to provide your body with the nutrition it requires and be healthy and strong you should look towards real food.

 

[Dave Carey]

I make up my own flapjacks - I can put what I want in them, rather than what someone else thinks is a good idea.

IMHO, Gels are fine for racing, (I'll take one with me for emergencies, as they seem to get to work a bit quicker), but for most people real food is the best thing you can take with you.

Make your own flapjacks I couldnt account for as I dont have any details about these but im sure with the know how these can be tailored to each persons taste/ need. What I am unsure about is that a majority seem to always say real food is better but im not sure why?

Personally I have always taken jelly babies or flapjacks out with me but will try gels/bars this weekend to see if I notice any difference. This is the first time I have actually looked into the nutrition side of things.

 

[Dave Carey]

I think you may have answered your own questions. If you want energy take gels, drink energy/sports drinks and red bull, don't forget to add a performance stimulant like Caffeine. All these options provide vast amounts of energy however they provide sod all nutrients your body needs.
however if you want to provide your body with the nutrition it requires and be healthy and strong you should look towards real food.

I wouldnt ever have Red Bull, relentless or any of those types of drinks. In terms of sugar I am also wary of too much so will try to have as little as possible.
Just comparing a banana to say an Apple energy gel per 100g;
Banana- Calories- 89. Carbs- 23g. Sugar-12g. Fat- 0.3g
Gel- Calories- 288. Carbs- 72g. Sugar- 15. Fat- 0g

So gel actually does not have much more sugar than a banana but 3 times the amount of carbs which I understand is the most important for energy. Ok there are more calories in the gel but it would be difficult to carry enough bananas to match the gel. The other items I mentioned flapjacks, jelly babies etc... could be just as easy to carry as gels but they have higher amounts of sugar and fat so I can only conclude that gels/bars are better. This is of course all based on theory so am looking forward to trying it out at the weekend to see if I can see/feel any difference.

 

[The Brewer]

My current fad is chia seeds hydrated and mixed with honey.... seems to work for 50-70miles

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

So gel actually does not have much more sugar than a banana but 3 times the amount of carbs which I understand is the most important for energy.

My point was not disputing this fact but establishing it further. If your looking exclusively for energy why exclude sugar as it is without doubt an exceptionally effective form of carbohydrate energy and is the basic ingredients a gel contains.
You state that you are wary of to much sugar yet the main ingredients of Gels like High 5 are maltodextrin (which the body breaks down into glucose), Glucose Sugars, Caffeine

Maltodextrin is also bad for you....

maltodextrin is just as bad, sometimes worse, as having sugar. Easily absorbed carbs like maltodextrin and sugar get into your bloodstream fast. If there is nothing for all that blood sugar to do (i.e. repair muscle-tissue, give energy), it will get stored as fat. Contrast that with real complex carbs from whole grains, which are broken down and absorbed slowly, and maltodextrin looks more and more like sugar.

http://fitnessfortravel.com/is-maltodextrin-bad-for-you/

The leading side effect of the ingredient is gaining weight. The weight gain is usually as a result of maltodextrin high calorie content.

Rise of cholesterol levels is among the maltodextrin side effects

http://maltodextrinsideeffects.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/what-you-need-to-know-about.html

So basically a gel is a refined flavoroured sugary goo with additional added stimulants like caffeine and little or no nutritional value and questionable health benefits.... Personally I would take the Banana with its slow release natural carb source and a healthy dose of potassium to help the bodys electrolite balance and reduce blood pressure to name but a few of the attributes.

Why on earth would anyone take a gel in preference.

 

[ayceejay]

You are comparing energy gels to 'real food' you say and then list these real foods as :
flapjacks, fig rolls, peanut butter sandwich, Jelly babies, wine gums, banana.
I see a problem from the beginning don't you?

 

[ColinJ]

You are comparing energy gels to 'real food' you say and then list these real foods as :
flapjacks, fig rolls, peanut butter sandwich, Jelly babies, wine gums, banana.
I see a problem from the beginning don't you?

I would classify a banana as 'real food'!

 

[Dave Carey]

My point was not disputing this fact but establishing it further. If your looking exclusively for energy why exclude sugar as it is without doubt an exceptionally effective form of carbohydrate energy and is the basic ingredients a gel contains.
You state that you are wary of to much sugar yet the main ingredients of Gels like High 5 are maltodextrin (which the body breaks down into glucose), Glucose Sugars, Caffeine

Maltodextrin is also bad for you....

http://fitnessfortravel.com/is-maltodextrin-bad-for-you/
http://maltodextrinsideeffects.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/what-you-need-to-know-about.html
So basically a gel is a refined flavoroured sugar under a different name with additional added stimulants like caffeine and little or no nutritional value... Personally I would take the Banana with its slow release natural carb source and a healthy dose of potassium to help the bodys electrolite balance and blood pressure to name but a few of the attributes.

Why on earth would anyone take a gel in preference.

Ah this makes sense, I knew nothing about maltodextrin. When you compare nutritional values at face value (based on values listed on their website) gels appeared better hence my post questioning why real food seems to be the preference. Would the maltodextrin in the 2:1 fructose sports drinks have the same issues? They claim this type of sports drink allows you to take on more carbs per hour.

As I understand you need between 30-60g of carbs per hour when cycling, I assume the variation depends on the effort. So based on that you would need between 4-8 medium bananas for a 4 hour ride. This is a lot to carry let alone eat! The article states 'If there is nothing for all that blood sugar to do (i.e. repair muscle-tissue, give energy), it will get stored as fat.' does that then mean there is a certain amount of maltodextrin which can be utilised by the body before it begins to store as fat? Could it then be beneficial to have a combination of bananas and gels?

I promise im not being difficult just want to understand my nutrition better

 

[Dave Carey]

You are comparing energy gels to 'real food' you say and then list these real foods as :
flapjacks, fig rolls, peanut butter sandwich, Jelly babies, wine gums, banana.
I see a problem from the beginning don't you?

Sorry I dont follow? These are just an example of food not specifically designed for performance that I have been told or read as common food used on rides.

 

[Julia9054]

. . . would be difficult to carry enough bananas to match the gel.

 

[MikeW-71]

Make your own flapjacks I couldnt account for as I dont have any details about these but im sure with the know how these can be tailored to each persons taste/ need. What I am unsure about is that a majority seem to always say real food is better but im not sure why?

Flapjacks - easiest things to make ever

The majority aren't racers. There is a point where you are riding hard enough that you just can't eat solid food. In that situation, you can suck down a gel or slow down enough to be able to eat solids. Slowing down isn't terribly attractive at a critical point of a race, not so much on a leisure ride or Sportive.

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

Ah this makes sense, I knew nothing about maltodextrin. When you compare nutritional values at face value (based on values listed on their website) gels appeared better hence my post questioning why real food seems to be the preference. Would the maltodextrin in the 2:1 fructose sports drinks have the same issues? They claim this type of sports drink allows you to take on more carbs per hour.

As I understand you need between 30-60g of carbs per hour when cycling, I assume the variation depends on the effort. So based on that you would need between 4-8 medium bananas for a 4 hour ride. This is a lot to carry let alone eat! The article states 'If there is nothing for all that blood sugar to do (i.e. repair muscle-tissue, give energy), it will get stored as fat.' does that then mean there is a certain amount of maltodextrin which can be utilised by the body before it begins to store as fat? Could it then be beneficial to have a combination of bananas and gels?

I promise im not being difficult just want to understand my nutrition better

Fructose is not the same as maltodextrin. Fructose is a straight sugar derived from fruit.. It is widely used in the fizzy drinks industry specially in america as people select things based on words they understand such as sugar. Fructose it is claimed is partly responsible for Americas current obesity issues and many people have concerns regarding health with claims that large doses increase your chance of cancer.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/21/fructose-poison-sugar-industry-pseudoscience

I'm not of the belief that gels are truely a bad thing in moderation, but I personally do not depend upon them. I enjoy dried nuts, dates and home made flap jacks.. The biggest reason is that I know exactly what goes into it and my choice is natural substances. I put honey in my flap jacks, but I know this comes from bee's. I also use Cranberries and things I can relate to the natural world.
Maltodextrin requires an extensive process to manufacture. It is refined and produced and like many others I have concerns over its use and the use of Fructose.

I would advise googling the ingredients to see what they really are and how the ingredients are produced as well as googling for 'flapjacks for cyclists' try a few, spend some time tweaking them for your needs and tastes and eat heathy.

 

[Dave Carey]

Flapjacks - easiest things to make ever

The majority aren't racers. There is a point where you are riding hard enough that you just can't eat solid food. In that situation, you can suck down a gel or slow down enough to be able to eat solids. Slowing down isn't terribly attractive at a critical point of a race, not so much on a leisure ride or Sportive.

The few pre made flapjacks I have looked at seem to contain a lot of fat and sugar. I take it if you make them yourself you can control this a bit better so you get the optimum carbs with less sugar and fat? Do you happen to have an easy flapjack recipe?