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When looking at energy bars there is a fair old discrepancy between different makes - for example the well regarded Veloforte have a very high carbohydrates (of which sugars) content which in plain speak is basically simple carbs from sugar.
Zipvit while having circa 8g less carbs have a significantly lower carbohydrates (of which sugars) ratio.
This is either a simple one - the closer ratio of complex and simple carbs is better for an endurance ride - hence Veloforte win the day. Or a bar with a higher complex carb content to simple carb content ratio is better?
I don’t know? Anyone have any thoughts on this and what is ‘best’ or is 60g of carbs per hour simply 60g of carbs?
AIUI, the higher the ‘of which sugars’ the faster your body will process the energy.
eg gels, pretty much all sugar, work dead fast.
same amount of carbs from brown bread, tiny sugar, lasts ages.
Depends what you are doing I suppose. At rest, you aren't using up your glycogen so complex is better. But when you are cycling fast you are using your glycogen stores so you need them replenished asap. So simple is better. The insulin response that is bad for you at rest is good on the bike. Gets the carbs to your muscles quickly, and if you sip regularly you don't crash as if you'd necked a fizzy drinks on the sofa.
eg gels, pretty much all sugar, work dead fast.
They aren't sugar they are maltodextrin which is a long chain carb that has a high GI.
You'll come across varying ways of packaging the carbs - either in 30, 60 or 90g. Your system is able to process between 60-90g/hr & the only reason for packaging it differently is how you chose to take on board the carbs. 60 or 90g in one hit for most could well be too much & cause a potential gastric upset. IMHO you are better off taking the carbs on board in smaller more regular amounts, it's easier to control & monitor making it easier to avoid an upset stomach.
A long slow steady state ride you could argue that you don't need the rapid delivery of calories so could eat something other than energy gels etc, though that is because you aren't burning so many calories so your demands are less & your system is under less stress. I'd say you could also continue using the same energy gels etc that your are using for harder efforts, just less of them. It's down to personal taste but the science is the same: numbers out = numbers in. But for harder efforts you do want your calories to be in an easily accessible format..
The other thing to be aware of is why energy products are available in different forms. Gels & liquids are great for when it's hot or you are sweating copiously, bars & chews better for when it's colder as you don't have the same need to rehydrate so another form of delivery is often required.
This covers most bases & is pretty thorough:
https://www.torqfitness.co.uk/torq-fuelling-system#section-fillup-1
hey aren’t sugar they are maltodextrin which is a long chain carb that has a high GI
maltodextrin is a polysaccaride of glucose that is easily digestible and absorbed. It is a sugar.
carbohydate = saccaride = sugar
A long slow steady state ride you could argue that you don’t need the rapid delivery of calories so could eat something other than energy gels etc, though that is because you aren’t burning so many calories so your demands are less & your system is under less stress.
In my experience, if doing much more than a bimble, normal food is too hard to digest so I get indigestion. YMMV.
maltodextrin is a polysaccaride of glucose that is easily digestible and absorbed. It is a sugar.
A sugar, but not sugar. Surely sugar/glucose = monosaccharide = simple carb, and maltodextrin/starch = polysaccharide = complex (long chain) carb? This is the distinction the OP was talking about no?
Maltodextrin is not (always) high gi. Its a mix of polysaccarides and is effectivly simply refined sugar. Its usually much lower GI than most think. You do not know what mix of lengths of chain are in your maltodextrin. Maltodextrin is a byproduct of food processing.
"In my experience, if doing much more than a bimble, normal food is too hard to digest so I get indigestion. YMMV."
A common occurrence - it's only a few folks I've known who are different to your experiences (& mine)....though they are out there & will be happy munching on a pork pie or a ham & cheese sandwich....personally I like homemade fruit cake for those kind of rides.
You pay your money....
sugar, but not sugar. Surely sugar/glucose = monosaccharide = simple carb, and maltodextrin/starch = polysaccharide = complex (long chain) carb? This is the distinction the OP was talking about no?
a simple sugar would be fructose or glucose. This is a mono-saccharide.
"sugar" or sucrose is a disaccharide made up of one glucose and one fructose molecule. maltose is a disaccharide of glucose.
a polysaccharide is 3 or more molecules joined together.
Starch and maltodextrin are both polysaccharides of glucose but are different in length while starch can have branches. They are called carbohydrates because they are hydrates of carbon: C-O-H (minimum number of carbons = 3). There are also enantiomer's due to chirality of the carbon(s) which is why you see D-glucose rather than just glucose
Maltodextrin is not (always) high gi. Its a mix of polysaccarides and is effectivly simply refined sugar
it isn't effectively simply refined sugar assuming you are meaning white sugar what people sometimes put in their tea. The GI of dextrans falls into the high bracket, the exact number depends on its length (3-17 molecules) after a certain size it is classified as a different substance.
Polysaccharides are polymeric carbohydrate molecules composed of long chains of monosaccharides and on hydrolysis give the constituent monosaccharides or oligosaccharides
The crux is you do not know what mix is in your "maltodextrin" so you cannot know its GI index.
You can argue about sugar chain length all day, but the difference in speed of absorption is bugger all of a gnats cock. They're all fast.
Maltodextrin is not (always) high gi. Its a mix of polysaccarides and is effectivly simply refined sugar.
Well, what we normally call sugar is sucrose. Maltodextrin isn't sucrose, as far as I know.
but the difference in speed of absorption is bugger all of a gnats cock. They’re all fast.
True. However the reason we use maltodextrin is because it is easier to drink. You can't drink 60g of sugar in a bottle of water.. at least I can't!
The crux is you do not know what mix is in your “maltodextrin”
Doesn't matter much - it's high GI and drinkable, that's why it's used.
The crux is you do not know what mix is in your “maltodextrin” so you cannot know its GI index.
of the mix no but that's irrelevant given they are all in the high bracket.
Gels & liquids are great for when it’s hot or you are sweating copiously, bars & chews better for when it’s colder as you don’t have the same need to rehydrate so another form of delivery is often required.
Makes sense but I actually do the opposite, mostly because chewy things go rock hard in the cold and impossible to eat...
Hmm interesting chaps.......
i only wanted to know if Veloforte were worth the price over SIS etc and if the simple /fast carbs were an advantage or not for cycling.
Science o0fficer - sorry I got my high and low GI muddled - last time maltodextrin was discussed on here people were claiming it to be slow release which it is not - hence my comments.
i only wanted to know if Veloforte were worth the price over SIS etc and if the simple /fast carbs were an advantage or not for cycling.
Velforte looks like better food, but not better cycling fuel. Your gut has to work to break down real food, which is why we like maltodextrin cos it hardly needs any breaking down. Ideally we'd drink glucose, but that'd be intolerable.
Plain maltodextrin is nearly as good as fancy expensive energy drink, IMO. Electrolytes can help, and also some fructose (because it has a different transport pathway into the blood). But both those things are cheap as chips (cheaper) on the internet, as is maltodextrin. The only thing that I can't replace using cheap bulk powders is the taste. Using squash tastes good, but you need the liquid which is a bit less convenient on the go.
, bars & chews better for when it’s colder as you don’t have the same need to rehydrate so another form of delivery is often required.
Ever tried eating a powerbar when its cold, it'd be easier to try chewing a rhino!