The last resort is on the Bundesstraße 5: Martin Hansmann clicks off the pedals and staggers to the front door of the petrol station. He hasn't eaten for three hours. "Fasting training", he had preached before the start of the ride, was the best way to activate the fat metabolism. The 31-year-old no longer wants to know anything about that. He slides across the tiled floor on his cleats until he is standing in front of the sugar shelf at the checkout. Then everything happens at lightning speed: Hansmann fishes his money out of his jersey pocket with shaky fingers, seconds later he munches on Haribo, Snickers and Kinderbar - his salvation for the last 13 kilometres to the sofa at home.
Today, nutrition in endurance sports is a complex science. While Tour de France racers in the heroic era of the 1930s still resorted to red wine with egg, today's athletes are coached by nutrition experts and gulp down highly-tuned carbohydrate drinks. Amateur cyclists, however, are at a loss when faced with bulging shelves full of cans, sachets and boxes. Protein or high-performance? Liquid or solid? What is actually in the advertised miracle products? And when should they be used? BIKE explains what the ingredients mean and which gel, bar or powder works best in which situation.
DID YOU ACTUALLY KNOW ...?
Stomach rumbling - The two most common reasons:
1. intolerance to fructose. This carbohydrate (KH) can cause stomach cramps from 20 g/hour.
2. water retention in the intestine due to dextrose (from 30 g/hour). Therefore be careful with dextrose.
Isotonic, hypertonic, hypotonic:
From isotonic Everyone has heard of electrolyte drinks, but what does that mean? In these sports drinks, the proportion of electrolytes in the drink is the same as in the blood - which is ideal.
Hypertonic has too high a concentration - this removes fluid from the gastrointestinal tract and dehydrates the body.
Drinks that have a lower concentration of dissolved particles compared to the blood are called hypotonic. You need to drink more of it to get enough electrolytes.
When do I eat what? The right timing on a bike tour
Basics about bars, gels and powders
Now you're standing in front of the supermarket shelves and are confronted with a flood of bars, gels and powders. So what to take? What are the differences between the products? And when do they make sense? You can find the answers here.
GEL
For what: Energy gels provide fast, concentrated energy, usually consisting of a glucose, maltodextrin and fructose mixture. Ideal for competitions and tough tours or training sessions.
When: Immediately consume a whole gel during hard exercise. Depending on the size, you can take up to three gels per hour (60 grams of carbohydrates).
What to look out for: Choose gels that are suitable for the required load. There are basically two types available: concentrated, syrupy gels and liquid gels that do not require any water. The more solid ones are more suitable for hard races as they have a higher energy density. Drink with it!
ENERGY LABEL
For what: The classic is suitable for training (with moderate exertion), for long tours or for recovery. Depending on its composition, it may contain more or less fibre. The lower the proportion, the better for high loads.
When: Eat a bar in stages to maintain a steady supply of energy. Suitable for longer breaks or for regeneration (note the protein content).
What to look out for: The more grains a bar has, the slower you get energy. Pure performance bars are soft in consistency and are suitable for harder rounds. Protein bars (recovery) are not for training, but for regeneration.
DRINK POWDER
For what: Classic drink powders can do many things: maintain performance, have a regenerative effect or serve to replenish carbohydrate stores before exercise.
When: Sports drinks during exercise are regarded by competitive athletes as the main source of nutrition during the race. They also compensate for mineral losses. Recovery shakes should be taken as soon as possible after exercise.
What to look out for: Do not confuse the purpose of the powders (performance during, recovery after exercise). The proportion of protein plays a major role here (the higher, the better for recovery).
How to nourish yourself in...
... Training
During easy training, 30 grams per hour (small bar or a gel) is sufficient, when it gets faster (GA2/Sweet Spot) increase to 40 to 50 grams (large bar or 2 gels). For very hard training sessions, at least 70 grams (3 gels) should be consumed. From a duration of two hours, 5 grams of protein per hour can be useful - choose the appropriate drink powder!
... Race
Aim for 70 to 90 grams of carbohydrates per hour (2 gels and 750 ml of water with 50 g of powder). Important: Test products beforehand!
CONTENTS
Are you confused when you look at the packaging of gels, bars and powders? We show you what you need to look out for. Proteins are crucial for the immune system and regeneration. Carbohydrates are considered the most important fuel during exercise, as they bind less oxygen to provide energy.
PROTEINS: the differences
Collagen protein: Biological value* of 20, hardly any utilisable protein - a pity for the money.
Soya protein: Biological value of 70, good for vegans and vegetarians.
Milk protein (casein)Biological value of 77, digested slowly - ideal before going to bed, not so good in a recovery shake where proteins are needed immediately.
Hen's egg (albumin, egg white only): Biological value of 88. Contains leucine, which is extremely important for building new tissue. Good protein in a recovery shake.
Whey protein (lactalbumin): Biological value of 103, the highest quality protein from a component with the best amino acid profile. Ideal for recovery.
CARBON HYDRATE
Maltodextrin: Advantage: Allows large amounts of calories to be absorbed quickly. Disadvantage: neutral flavour, i.e. no sweetness - which is unusual for some athletes.
Glucose, dextrose: Advantage: Quickly available. Disadvantage: Larger quantities (30 grams) of dextrose often lead to stomach problems.
Fructose: Advantage: Increases energy intake in combination with other carbohydrates. Disadvantage: If the intake is too high (20 grams or more), there is a risk of diarrhoea.
Amylopectin: Advantage: quick availability, very well tolerated. Disadvantage: tends to form lumps if not thoroughly dissolved.
* (the efficiency with which dietary proteins can be converted into the body's own proteins. 100 is the most complete. However, the value can be increased by a combination of animal and vegetable proteins, e.g. egg with potato has 136).
THE BARS IN THE TEST
Energy bars fit in every jersey pocket and provide quick energy. Our test shows which bar is right for which biker and how good the energy bars really are.
The classic among energy suppliers: the energy bar. Together with nutritionist Uwe Schröder (German Institute for Sports Nutrition), BIKE analysed eleven energy packs and assessed them in terms of their intended use. Basically, the bars differ in whether they are suitable for racing or touring. The decisive criterion for this is the proportion of fibre (non-degradable carbohydrates) and the amount of carbohydrates and their composition. Ideally, the proportion of carbohydrates should be around 70 per cent, while fats should be less than 20 per cent so that the stomach empties quickly under stress. To round off the ideal bar, the electrolyte content (especially sodium) should be high enough to compensate for sweat loss.
Aktiv3 Energy Rice Bar www.aktiv3.de
Price per bar / per 100 g 1,50 / 3 Euro
Pack size 50 grammes
Carbohydrates (per 100 g) 72 grammes
Fat (per 100 g) 6.6 grammes
Energy (per 100 g) 372 kcal
Flavours ¹ Raspberry, mango, apple
Expert judgement ² Good composition of protein, carbohydrates and fats. Lactose free. Good for high intensities (competition or training), but oat flakes, crisps or sultanas could be swallowed under stress.
Chimpanzee Energy Bar www.chimpanzeebar.com
Price per bar / per 100 g 1.95 / 3.55 Euro
Pack size 55 grammes
Carbohydrates (per 100 g) 50.5 grammes
Fat (per 100 g) 14.5 grammes
Energy (per 100 g) 398 kcal
Flavours ¹ Beet Root & Carrot, Cashew Caramel, Rasin Walnut, Lemon etc.
Expert judgement ² High fat content, low carbohydrate content, therefore not ideal for heavy loads. Gluten-free, natural ingredients. Very good for long, relaxed tours.
Clif Bar Energy Bar www.clifbar.de
Price per bar / per 100 g 1,99 / 2,92 Euro
Pack size 68 grammes
Carbohydrates (per 100 g) 65 grammes
Fat (per 100 g) 703 grammes
Energy (per 100 g) 394 kcal
Flavours ¹ Cool Mint Chocolate, Coconut Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Rasin Walnut and more.
Expert judgement ² Ideal calcium-magnesium ratio of 2:1, well suited for tours or recovery. Higher fibre content - not ideal for strenuous exercise.
High5 4:1 bar www.highfive.co.uk
Price per bar / per 100 g 2.19 / 4.38 Euro
Pack size 50 grammes
Carbohydrates (per 100 g) 56 grammes
Fat (per 100 g) 14 grammes
Energy (per 100 g) 390 kcal
Flavours ¹ Cranberry
Expert judgement ² Composition of protein, carbohydrates and fats not ideal for competitions (CH content slightly too low, fat too high at 33%). Good for longer tours.
Isostar High Energy www.isostar.de
Price per bar / per 100 g 0.79 /1.98 Euro
Pack size 40 grammes
Carbohydrates (per 100 g) 72 grammes
Fat (per 100 g) 9.4 grammes
Energy (per 100 g) 394 kcal
Flavours ¹ Multifruit, Chocolate
Expert judgement ² High CH content of 75%, but also 22% fat (due to the chocolate coating). A good bar for longer and quite difficult tours. Less suitable for competitions.
Maxim Energy Bar www.maxim-sportnahrung.de
Price per bar / per 100 g 1.59 / 2.89 Euro
Pack size 55 grammes
Carbohydrates (per 100 g) 65 grammes
Fat (per 100 g) 9.6 grammes
Energy (per 100 g) 391 kcal
Flavours ¹ Oats, Almonds and Salty Nuts, Banana, Chocolate, Cappuccino etc.
Expert judgement ² High fat content (23 %), therefore more suitable for long tours. Also high sodium content, which makes the bar recommended for hot days (also slightly salty in flavour).
Mulebar Energy Bar www.mulebar.de
Price per bar / per 100 g 1,99 / 4,97 Euro
Pack size 40 grammes
Carbohydrates (per 100 g) 62 grammes
Fat (per 100 g) 8 grammes
Energy (per 100 g) 353 kcal
Flavours ¹ Mango & Cashew, Pinapple & Coconut Chip, Apple Rasin Cinnamon etc.
Expert judgement ² Vegan bar with natural ingredients. Fat content a little too high for a competition bar - better for tours. Still soft in consistency despite the cashew nuts.
Nutrixxion Energy Bar www.nutrixxion.de
Price per bar / per 100 g 1.99 / 3.62 Euro
Pack size 55 grammes
Carbohydrates (per 100 g) 64.1 grammes
Fat (per 100 g) 6.9 grammes
Energy (per 100 g) 364 kcal
Flavours ¹ Fruit, Cappuccino, Oat Raisin, Salty Nut etc.
Expert judgement ² High sugar content of 53 %. Isomaltulose as an ingredient (slowly digestible carbohydrate) - long-term energy supply. High fibre content. Good for long tours.
Powerbar New Energize www.powerbar.eu
Price per bar / per 100 g 1.99 / 3.62 Euro
Pack size 55 grammes
Carbohydrates (per 100 g) 67 grammes
Fat (per 100 g) 1.6 grammes
Energy (per 100 g) 372 kcal
Flavours ¹ Bella Italia, Gingerbread, Mango Tropical, Salty Peanut, etc.
Expert judgement ² High in KH and low in fat. Good sodium content, which makes the bar ideal for hot days. Good competition bar, but also for long tours - an all-rounder.
Squeezy Energy Super Bar www.squeezy.de
Price per bar / per 100 g 1,99 / 3,98 Euro
Pack size 50 grammes
Carbohydrates (per 100 g) 75 grammes
Fat (per 100 g) 2.3 grammes
Energy (per 100 g) 349 kcal
Flavours ¹ Cola
Expert judgement ² A very high proportion of KH and added caffeine make this bar ideal for competitions or for the last hour of very long tours. Low fat content.
Xenofit Carbohydrate Bar www.xenofit.de
Price per bar / per 100 g 1.80 / 2.65 Euro
Pack size 68 grammes
Carbohydrates (per 100 g) 66 grammes
Fat (per 100 g) 5.7 grammes
Energy (per 100 g) 358 kcal
Flavours ¹ Pineapple/carrot, chocolate/nut, wild berry, apricot, banana, passion fruit
Expert judgement ² Good KH content and higher protein content. This makes it a good bar for long, intensive rides, and the fibre content is also low. Good for stage races.
¹ Tested version bold
² The percentages refer to the proportion of the total quantity contained in the bar.
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