Comments on: Carbohydrate days

By: Chad

Chad — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 06:28:26 +0000

Chris-
How much Water did you use in the pan that you heated the mixture in? I am going to try this for my 1st Outrigger race of 2011. looks good.

Thnx again for the info & btw your pictures are awesome.

Stay safe in Japan.

By: The Final Countdown: Heading Out in Less than a Week | Traverse Japan

The Final Countdown: Heading Out in Less than a Week | Traverse Japan — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 02:47:05 +0000

[...] batch of Chris’s Carbo-Gel w/ Green Tea…so good when it hits your [...]

By: Hamilton Shields

Hamilton Shields — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 06:39:07 +0000

Just　made my first batch, delicious!

I added some green tea powder instead of coffee for both caffeine and anti-oxidants. And the bitter flavor is nice too.

Also, I heated the brown rice syrup and honey in a pan before putting into the squeeze pouch which made the process pretty quick. Just had to tilt the funnel and pouch so the air bubbles could burp out.

I read the Hammer guide for nutrition for endurance athletes before making this, and it really syncs with what they recommend for consumption during activity. Since I will be getting my protein from bars/nuts/jerky through the day the only things I am considering adding are amino acids (but you mentioned the draw backs very nicely, not sure how my body will do)and a wider spectrum of electrolytes for the end of day gel-tea you mentioned to help with overnight recovery.

I’m also wondering if I’ll want to innovate new flavors after a few weeks of these…and now I just need to get my hands on about 23 squeeze bottles…

Thanks for posting this, is saving me a load of money and is a great idea. I’ll let you know how it works over weeks walking. Cheers!

By: cjw

cjw — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 05:22:06 +0000

Hi Philip – I did look into malt extract, but it’s just not commonly available in Japan (whereas brown rice syrup is). Chemically speaking, there’s not much difference between the two, either one will do fine in the recipe.

I thought you’d like the Twight book. A hard, complex man, but what he put in that book is pure gold.

By: Philip Werner

Philip Werner — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 13:16:53 +0000

I always wondered why you reverse engineered GU, but now I fully understand – from a nutritional standpoint, not just from the obvious economic one. Did you look into using malt extract instead of brown rice syrup? Having brewed a lot of beer in the past, I know how to procure this. Thanks for recommending the Twight book, BTW. breakthroughs on multiple fronts.

By: damian

damian — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 10:51:18 +0000

Not yet, but I will be soon (if only I could remember what I wanted to do from one day to the next)

By: cjw

cjw — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:30:52 +0000

Yup, they’re back (finally!). I’m doing great on the homemade gel, though. Did you manage to mix up a batch?

By: damian

damian — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 10:08:42 +0000

I am seeing Snickels Bars back on the shelf at Lawsons.

By: cjw

cjw — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 09:12:03 +0000

Hi David – I quite agree, onigiri are great. I often take a couple with me for lunch on a one-dayer, or for the first day of a multi-day trip. I just can’t stomach them on the move, hence the gels (and prior to gels, Snickers).

The downside as you mention is that onigiri don’t survive in very hot (or very cold) weather, and they have a tendency to get mashed in your pack. On a kcal/gram basis they also come a distant second to carb gels.

Ultimately, though, it’s very much a question of personal preference. In hindsight I’m quite glad of the Snickers famine of 2008 as it forced me to do a lot of theoretical and empirical research into what works for me.

By: David

David — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 02:52:13 +0000

I have used a variety of similar foods, both store bought and home made, for long distance cycling at intense levels—competitive and otherwise—and for long treks outdoors. That includes the Weider energy gel things too.

In my experience, considering how effective they are in reality in preventing bonking and keeping my energy levels sufficiently high, plain old rice balls are every bit as good if not better. The only downside is that they can go bad in hot weather. (I believe the Japanese Weider chemical pack says something along the lines of having the “same energy as a rice ball”—without all of the nutrients.)