fiddler
Reged: 26/03/2008
Posts: 9
|
|
Having considered the cost of energy drinks, I have been wondering about making up the equivalent type of drink without the inherent cost.
Would anyone care to comment on the following recipe:
4 tbs glucose powder (available at any high street pharmacist
1 tps salt
Any additive free diluteable juice for flavour
1 Litre of water
As far as i can tell most of the needed nutrients are included, but i'm sure wiser people than me to help to clarify. 
|
El_Cid
Reged: 02/08/2007
Posts: 871
Loc: Ilkley, Yorks
|
|
Thats how they make it at SIS, only with spades and buckets
--------------------
"TODAY, WE RIDE"
|
andrewj100
Reged: 08/08/2007
Posts: 514
|
|
Large pan, pudding rice, lot's of milk and some salt.
Boil it up so it nice and smooth, pour into a bottle along with a dolop of jam (seedless).
|
thatwomanagain
Reged: 30/07/2006
Posts: 1959
Loc: Hugh Porter country...
|
|
I'm not so sure about the salt. There's a whole mythology developed about its use but it's not a natural part of our diet at all and we don't need it. It started off merely as a preserver of food in Roman times. Prior to that we didn't add it to anything and survived quite happily without. The reason that we sweat - or in my case 'perspire'  - salt is because we've got so much in our system. So why bother replacing it??
|
watchyourback
Reged: 16/04/2008
Posts: 119
|
|
Mix up half a bottle of fresh orange juice with half a bottle of coca-cola. Leave the top off it overnight so it goes flat in the fridge. Rocket fuel for the last hour of a ride
|
tonybv9
Reged: 08/10/2007
Posts: 531
Loc: Craggy Island
|
|
Quote:
Mix up half a bottle of fresh orange juice with half a bottle of coca-cola. Leave the top off it overnight so it goes flat in the fridge. Rocket fuel for the last hour of a ride
yes, flat cola mixed 50/50 with water is pretty good, and readily available when you are out on a ride.
|
simon9000
Reged: 07/01/2007
Posts: 229
Loc: Lincolnshire
|
|
Sounds revolting  !
Why is it so good??
|
tonybv9
Reged: 08/10/2007
Posts: 531
Loc: Craggy Island
|
|
I think it just gives a good, useable sugar boost, with a bit of caffeine for good measure, whereas undiluted Coke would be too sweet, and would give you a boost followed by a slump.
Edited by tonybv9 (28/04/2008 21:21)
|
watchyourback
Reged: 16/04/2008
Posts: 119
|
|
Quote:
Sounds revolting !
Why is it so good??
Tastes good as well
|
zagadka
Reged: 29/05/2008
Posts: 4
|
|
Sorry to contradict you andrewj100 but you are quite wrong. Salt is a critical part of an energy drink and to suggest that it is unnecessary is dangerous. This is because if you do not replace the salt you sweat out you are diluting the salt you have left; this has and will kill, look up "water intoxication".
I did some research about this whole subject and basically fiddler you are in the area. The only things that are proven to reduce fatigue are carbohydrate water and salt.
I use 8% carbohydrate split half glucose and half sucrose (table sugar) but it doesn't really matter what type. I use a salt concentration of 20 mmol/L which equates to about 1/2 a teaspoon per litre but higher is okay (see refs).
Here are some useful references:
This (http://tinyurl.com/66jq38) is the EU scientific committee report on energy drinks. Section 7.6 of it is the EU specification for energy drinks. If you can get access to it the document referenced here (http://tinyurl.com/5f7znw) has an excellent discussion of energy drinks... M
|
Sly
Reged: 07/02/2008
Posts: 730
|
|
Quote:
Sorry to contradict you andrewj100 but you are quite wrong. Salt is a critical part of an energy drink and to suggest that it is unnecessary is dangerous.
I think Andrew DID use salt in his concoction.
|
zagadka
Reged: 29/05/2008
Posts: 4
|
|
Just to add that I recommend that anyone who is making their own energy drink read the references I gave. Also and probably most importantly test the stuff you make on a short ride before trying to do an all dayer in the stuff... M
|
winegoblin
Reged: 31/03/2007
Posts: 1058
Loc: down yur me anzum
|
|
Quote:
Quote:
Sorry to contradict you andrewj100 but you are quite wrong. Salt is a critical part of an energy drink and to suggest that it is unnecessary is dangerous.
I think Andrew DID use salt in his concoction.
It was actually twa who made the comment. Does zagadka know the consequences of contradicting a woman.  No matter how right he may be .. He will obviously be wrong
--------------------
"Wine can of their wits the wise beguile, Make the sage frolic, and the serious smile."
|
thatwomanagain
Reged: 30/07/2006
Posts: 1959
Loc: Hugh Porter country...
|
|
Quote:
Sorry to contradict you andrewj100 but you are quite wrong. Salt is a critical part of an energy drink and to suggest that it is unnecessary is dangerous. This is because if you do not replace the salt you sweat out you are diluting the salt you have left
That's complete nonsense. The only reason you sweat out so much salt is because you've got an unnaturally high concentration of it in your body to start with. Your body's probably glad to get rid of it! Salt - sodium chloride- table salt- isn't a natural component of our diet at all. We all have far, far more than we need.
Salt wasn't used at all until Roman times, when the Romans started extracting it from sea water, simply to use it as a food preservative. If it were crucial how come the human race didn't die out before this time?? I'm sure early man had loads of exercise and sweated buckets running around after sabre-tooted tigers! But they didn't add any salt to their diets at all.
In severe cases of dehydration e.g. dysentry, a solution of electrolytes is prescribed. Why don't they just recommend table salt instead, if that's all that's needed?. (Although in cases of severe dehydration, with nothing else available, a pinch of table salt can help to increase the osmotic balance in the blood and assist in fluid absorption.In some cases people find a bit of salt helps palatability too.)
But we're talking about energy drinks here, not severe rehydration therapy. So of course I'm right. Salt's not needed. ElCid's orange juice/flat coke mix is a far more suitable recipe for that purpose.
|
watchyourback
Reged: 16/04/2008
Posts: 119
|
|
Quote:
ElCid's orange juice/flat coke mix is a far more suitable recipe for that purpose.
cough. credit where its due luv
|
zagadka
Reged: 29/05/2008
Posts: 4
|
|
Are you just going to spout your personal opinion or are you going to actually provide some evidence (and by evidence I mean peer reviewed articles rather than "Joe Blog's" blog).
If you actually bothered to read either of the articles I linked to you would see that salt is a very important part of energy drinks. It increases the rate at which the body can adsorb carbohydrate and water and prevents water intoxication.
For example look at section 7.5 of the EU scientific committee report on energy drinks (http://tinyurl.com/66jq38). It is free so there are no excuses.
I hope that anyone who is thinking of making their own drink actually reads the literature. Section 7.6 of the above article is a good place to start.
P.S. salt has been harvested since long before the Romans; try 6000BC (http://tinyurl.com/6xvyp5) ...M
|
watchyourback
Reged: 16/04/2008
Posts: 119
|
|
Another article
http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/salt.html
But totally unscientific like, if you need something for the last hour of a ride, the flat coke/fresh orange 50:50 mix tastes ok and works well. This is based on a scientific study of one bloke in 80/90 mile road races, 3 hour MTB races, 5 hour training rides and stage races. works for me, might not work for you, other stuff probably works better, but I fear change
|
thatwomanagain
Reged: 30/07/2006
Posts: 1959
Loc: Hugh Porter country...
|
|
But to claim that it's 'dangerous' not to add salt to an energy drink is completely over-the-top. The above link posted by watchyourback is about the reydration needs of ultra-endurance athletes in hot conditions. We're talking here about a drink to give you a boost at the end of a long ride under British conditions.
The end of the article below distinguishes nicely between isotonic drinks, energy drinks, and recovery drinks ('sports drinks jargon buster') -
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/sports-drinks.htm
|
zagadka
Reged: 29/05/2008
Posts: 4
|
|
Thatwomanagain, the original poster didn't specify how (s)he was was going to use the energy drink. Perhaps it was, as you suggest, for a quick drink at the end of a long leisurely ride in UK conditions; in this case, I agree with you. Even plain water would be safe for this circumstance (though it wouldn't maximise performance).
Alternatively the OP could have been using it as his sole nutritional intake for a 200km sportive in summer conditions. In this case if he used a non-salt containing beverage there is a genuine risk of hyponatraemia which can kill. For all we know the OP may live in Hawaii and be having a go at the Ironman; unlikely but possible (and if you are doing this I would get some professional advice!).
For what it is worth I am doing a 200km sportive next weekend (That has over 2000m of climbing, the Wicklow 200) and I will be fuelled solely by a home made energy drink. It will contain salt as it is safer and more effective.
I am not for one moment suggesting that you liberally salt every meal you eat, there are clear health implications to doing this but energy drinks should contain salt.
BTW both of the articles posted by the previous posters look like useful articles... M
|
watchyourback
Reged: 16/04/2008
Posts: 119
|
|
In my errant youth I have done 30-40 mile rides with a 500ml drink bottle containing industrial strength French white table wine, with a likeminded training colleague (it was a nice day, season was over, why not?)
White wine also gives you energy, and a wider volcabulary for passing motorists.
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
Edit
Reply
Quote
