Carbohydrate energy drinks for cycling
When it comes to energy drinks, there are many brands, all with different flavours, ingredients, unique properties and nutritional composition. How do you determine the best carbohydrate energy drink to fuel your cycling?
What’s the best carbohydrate energy drink to fuel your cycling?
The one you can drink!
A lot of sports nutrition comes down to individual tolerance. You have to be able tolerate any sports drink you like - both from a flavour and gut perspective.
There are MANY different brands out there for you to try and find the ones that suit you best.
Here’s a couple things for you to consider when choosing an energy drink
Flavour
Some drinks are really strong in flavour, others are mild. Which you prefer might depend on if you are doing 1 hour high intensity crit rides, or 5-6 hour plus endurance rides.
When it comes to actual flavours, there’s everything from lemon, matcha, blueberry, basil, pineapple, coconut… The world is your oyster to find the flavours you like best.
Don’t overestimate the impact flavour fatigue can have.
If you only ever use one flavour, it is easy to get sick of it and ruin that flavour for life - so I would recommend having a couple different options in your cupboard to fuel your rides.
Carbohydrate content
The amount and type of carbohydrate (aka sugar) in your sports drink can vary between 20 to 100g.
In recent years, Supercarb mixes with 80g + carbohydrate per bottle have been developed.
Perfect for high intensity short duration or situations where the weather is absolutely appalling like in the Spring classics and it’s just too dangerous or challenging to put your hand into your jersey and grab a bar and chew something solid.
Please test them out in practice before you use it in a race!
Carbohydrate type
Different sugars are absorbed at different rates, and some sugars can cause negative gut reactions.
They also taste different for example maltodextrin isn’t very sweet, which is why it is often used in sports drinks to avoid it being super sweet.
Test your carbohydrate drinks in training
Just because your best mate swears by it, doesn’t mean it’s right for you!
Like all things sports nutrition, you need to test them out and find the one/s that suit you best.
You don’t want to end up in the portaloo mid-race because your body is making it very clear your sports drink isn’t right for you!
Gemma
Fuel your cycling with confidence
Learn how to fuel before, during and after cycling with the Cycling Nutrition Framework for optimal body weight, recovery and performance.