Interesting vid, and a heroic effort by lab rat Hank! Three questions: 1. How do Pros have any teeth left, given they're fueling on basically sugar and syrup all day? 2. Does having so much sugar when riding put us at risk of diabetes, or is this offset by all the sugar intake being used up during exercise? 3. What did Dr B eat and drink to get through this cold, wet and long 6 hour ride?
I should add that I have bonked from both under hydrating and fueling despite stopping at Porvoo, Finland's most beautiful cafe Cafe Helmi and more than once on the way back to Helsinki totalling 100 k on a hilly road. Making commuting to Helsinki Porvoo residents traditionally the best Finnish riders. One Porvoo originating Finnish champ rode for Team Sky and DSs in Israel whatever it is called this season. But call me the bonk master 😅
@@JBuchmann Its possible of you dont try to get ne KOMs. slow and steady is key. Worst is if you start fast and have to slow down because of low blood sugar. Its very hard to recover from that without a break or food.
This video was so fantastic to see. Am an avid 62 yr old cyclist who road raced competitively. 4 yrs ago went down the, fueling while riding rabbit hole, primarily watching Neversecond videos. Now that I top off while riding I don’t suffer energy drop offs like I use to on 160 km+ (100 mile) rides at all anymore. Also maintain higher pace so much easier during 3 hour rides. Wish I had better understood the science of topping off 42 years ago. Younger riders probably saying, “Thanks Captain obvious.” but if you are a dinosaur like me consider trying to top off at 60-90 grams an hour. Nothing like riding stronger longer and feeling good when you are done. Thanks for the video!
@@MrMars121- Getting in carbs every hour of riding at an amount that works for you. For me it has been isotonic gel shots (so I can drink plain water later) and/or carb drinks every hour. More carbs per hour on longer rides (3 hours of more) and less carbs per hour on shorter ones. 😁
It would be interesting to have seen a comparison with Conor also doing this challenge, given that everyone knows how much he loves his food (plus he's a giant, especially compared to Hank!). Other takeaways are that Ollie very much relishes the role of GCN's mad scientist/evil genius and that he's right that it's scary how good Hank is despite never fuelling properly.
One thing I always keep thinking is how GCN makes these shots while riding bikes. I know, probably two people on a motorcycle running in front. I'd like to see more behind the scenes sometimes. Like showing a challenging shot or another curiosities.
@@Abnsdllnnlosnfd Sugar water and gels mostly plus a couple of large bananas, bag of snakes, pockets were very full. After you drain one bidon keep it water only to rinse mouth out regularly. Also a servo stop with an hour to go. Powerade/gatorade are not concentrated enough but if its hot you can use them.
As mentioned it takes time to build this up. Yesterday I did a 6 hour ride taking in 120g CHO per hour. Felt strong a bit was stuffed after. In my experience makes me not crave any ‘crap’ when off the bike and doesn’t lead to post ride binges.
@@LouieBaLLz when i raced long course triathlon i would do max 60 grams and i will say i felt pretty crappy after finishing races, but these are triathlons and i couldn't take anything on run so it probably dropped off further if i averaged 5 hr race. having said that i agree on binges but i also wouldn't call the gels and other type food confusing good proper food, generally its shit filled with tons of sugar.
@3:55 Hanks expression is the same as mine when I start loading my fuel in my jersey pockets for my Gran Fondo Events haha. You guys and GCN are awesome!
Thanks for this video. Many early lessons come to my mind here. My experience from more than 40 years ago is that you cannot fuel solely on carbs in very long races or tours; your body will start to reject pure carbs, causing nausea and no fuel being available anyway. Mix the carbs in with some fat and/or stuff like bread, or cookies, that will deliver carbs at a later hour. Even sweet rolls filled with cream will be excellent. Then, there is a huge difference between cycling in cold or very hot conditions. To me, on very hot days the normal mix of performance liquids will not replace the amount of salt lost, let alone have enough calories to compensate what you are losing, whilst many times you don't feel any craving for food. The solution is to eat less and drink more, but then the calories have to be in the bottle... Last, don't sub estimate the effect of rain; in long races with continuous rain you have to anticipate, eating and or drinking more before it is too late.
I am a type 2 diabetic and gels and things are like kryptonite to me as they massively spike my sugar. That said, I do need to eat and I possibly need more electolytes than other people. For me, cycling is one of the few times I can eat 'naughty' food like sausage rolls etc but, I can't just carb load like other people. Would be good to see a show that covered diabetic cyclists because cycling is really good for diabetics but fueling is a complicated issue.
Reduce your fat intake to under 30g a day mate and watch your insulin sensitivity come to all new best levels. Ive been working with diabetics since 1999.
I was pre-diabetic a few years ago and have been working with an exercise nutritionist since then. 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat is my goal. Can’t find those ratios in most bars. I eat every 20 minutes after the first hour of a ride. I start earlier if there’s a lot of climbing. Works out to about 600 calories per hour, but I’m not fast or powerful! 150w typical average power for a ride.
Hank what a trooper!! I've been riding for years and have always underfed until recently. For long rides now I aim for 90g per hour and it's been a revelation, not only for the end of the ride but for recovery too, easing that feeling of being completely wiped out and unable to move for the rest of the day.
Ollie's challenge should be equally physically taxing...how about cycling til bonk and then using minimum possible carbs to recover, then ride til bonk - repeat as necessary.
My experience is just like that. I recently started to fuel my longer rides (2+ h so for me it is Friday and Saturday or Sunday) The difference is so big... I still feel so good after the ride, that I started to do intervals after my long rides if there is not enough time for it through the week. First thing I noticed is that my HR stay the same for the same power in the end of my rides.. and my weight is still the same and I don't need to go and clean everything from the fridge... Sugar water with lemon and salt is the strategy I use.. + I take 1 bar and banana with me always... I started with 60 g for hour and I would like to get to around 90g so o can use 90-100 on race days. such a great thing, that also after hard day i still don't feel destroyed. And that is what my heart rate variability say ... So guys don't be afraid of sugar 😊
@@chillipepperoni You have to sip water after each sugar sip and kind of "wash your mouth" .. It also keeps you hydrated through out the ride :) And wash those teeth after ride (at least some chew gum?) :)
I’ve been training with a coach for the past 6 months, for a gravel race in May, gradually increasing carb intake to 100g per hour for 5 hours, I’m 70 so power output is not that great but what a difference this has made not only during the ride but the recovery time is much quicker. I’m able to maintain my meagre power for the full 5 hours, fantastic.
I have spent A LOT of time with untra endurance cyclists (where the event is 300-800 miles). The single biggest thing that dictates success is the rider's stomach. MOST people's stomachs just can't function while under stress, especially for long periods. The blood is too busy doing other things besides digestion.
@@gcn I regret to inform you that every stomach is unique. The only way to find out what works for you is experimentation. I also regret to inform you that I don't think anyone has figured it out yet, and that 'just suffering through it' appears to be the magic trick. "Real" food does seam to work better in genral though.. Pumping your body full of gels/salt tablets/energy drinks seams to really upset the stomach after awhile. That stuff 'packs up', and your stomach starts to reject it. Just like your man threw up in this video, a lot of ultra people throw up in the 9-12 hour range. For really long rides it seams eat well for 3-4 hours, then give your stomach a break for 1-2 hours. Repeat.
Great video! I raced during the late 80s and early 90s. I definitely did not fuel properly back then. I am interested to learn more about how to train your gut. Perhaps in a future video you can go more in depth about that topic. Thank you both!
I think an interesting topic for a video (or even paper) brought up withing this video would be to further investigate the potential relationship (or lack there of) between the prevalence of disordered eating within pro-sports and attitudes towards consuming so many carbs during races or high performance training. I know disordered eating is prevalent in both men's and women's pelotons, but I think bring a video forward about this shift would likely help a lot of young athletes, especially women, that might be genuinely scared to up their carb intake, whether it be pre/during/post performance. Thanks for the great video!
Absolutely! I started cycling (totally non-competitively) shortly after having recovered from intense disordered eating. I bonked nearly every ride I did with my now-husband. It was scary to eat so many calories, and exercise was to use up calories, not to take in more.....right? Seems I was wrong. I wonder how much more I could have enjoyed cycling if I had just eaten properly, let along fuel with pure carbs....
Good on you Hank! Being the test dummy is not easy. We usually stop for our carbs, coffee and treat. On long rides a stop for a good cold pint is not ruled out! Keep up the good work. Cheers!
Serious question guys- I get eating more on the road, but how much does it cost to eat like Hank in this video? How many can afford four or five $5 gels every longer ride? Plus drinks. It gets crazy.
You can buy 1kg of white sugar and mix it with water and lemon juice. It does not get cheaper than that. You can check Jesse Coyle's video "I used sugar as my sports drink for 2 years, why?"; he is practising this and getting good results.
Why buy all those expensive energy gels when you can just make your very own sugar water? Or any other carbohydrate dissolved in water would do. If you care about all the other stuff, maybe normal iso-drink from tabs, which is not that expensive and add tons of carbs to it. Those energy gels seem like highly marketed pseudo-science to me, at least until it's tested (by a neutral party) against DIY alternatives.
Conor did a video a couple of days ago on gas station fuelling. Worth a watch for cheaper fuelling. Gummy bears/Haribo are functionally the same as chews, and way cheaper. Personally I mix my own drink mix with table sugar, a little bit of Gatorade powder for flavour and some salt for a few cents per ride. I have also heard of people using bulk maltodextrin from a brewing supplies store for cheap drink mix.
I think Ollie should either replicate this ride, showing different things for different people, or he should have to do a massive fasted or low carb ride (something like 30g or less) to show just what the difference is
Bang on there. Hank is an ex pro racer, so it was good to see the effects. But, to have a balanced experiment, we need to have someone who is not an ex pro racer. So, Mr Bridgewwod, it's time to step up to the plate to balance out the experiment.🤔 As I take a step back and listen to all the excuses as to why he shouldn't.🤨
Fueling is such a hard thing to work out, as a cyclist. I will be checking out that calculation tool from Precision. I'm amazed Hank managed to get all that carbs down and keep going
I started riding before gels and water bottle juices. We hydrated with bananas and drank water. Eddy B recommended ham sandwiches for longer rides. Two slices of dense bread packed with ham, cream cheese and jam and quartered into bite size pieces. Heavenly. Warmed up for two hours in a sandwich bag in a jersey pocket , all the flavors come through in all their glory. Jam kicks in right away, then cream cheese, then bread, then ham protein, all working to get you home. Snickers candy bars and Coca Cola Classic in emergencies if on the edge of bonk. Keep heart rate aerobic, sit up, relax, enjoy the eating, and the digestive system works like it should. Go into anaerobic and you might throw up that nice ham sandwich. So I guess it's different strokes for different folks.
I remember going out with a load of bananas. An hour later, my saddlebag contained a pudding consisting of the bananas, my wallet and keys, and spare tube and tools. Yummy.
Had a go at 4wk structured training and upped my fuel intake to alternating a gel and a bar every 1/2 hr in addition sipping on 1 electrolyte bottle and 1 carb bottle (sorry, bidon). Worked a treat on the long weekend Z2-3 ride. Impressed with Hank's effort and reaction. Certainly, food for thought, cheers Ollie
I remember years ago in Mallorca we met Eric Zabel and rode together. Over 100 km, he ate nothing, did not drink much. The pace was comfortable but still 🙂
4 місяці тому
Those were the days! In the 90th the riders weren't allowed to fuel up, and they were/are still used to it.
Really interesting guys! I was glad you rounded the challenge off with some practical advice about how many carbs we "normal" riders should consume! We hear way too much about how the pros fuel, folk go out on a sportive thinking they should do the same then wonder why they're sat on the bog after 50mile!😂 Well done to Hank, dude you should enter one of those hotdog eating comps 😂😂 well done Ollie for carrying that huge rucksack! I thought you would've come up with a more Aero way of carrying all those Gels!😂 Cheers guys👍
"Did WE puke?" Surely it should've been "Did HANK puke?"! Seriously though, well done on doing that - as you pointed out, the pros train their GI tracts gradually to accept this level of fuelling, whereas Hank just went straight into it. Bravo! 👏 And although it was not good (!) by the end, you did learn something from it.
Can we have a ranking of Hank’s worst GCN experiences: * riding a penny farthing for an hour * drinking 10 coffees in 1 ride * puking after eating 120g carbs for 6 hours
This was really interesting. However, I would say that the amount you take in per hour depends on the intensity. I’ve spoken to a couple of ex-pros (now trainers) and a nutritionist for one of the big teams and they’ve all consistently said that it should be 45-90g per hour depending on intensity, but going up higher if competing at pro-level. One other thing I’d mention is that you often see the pros eating real food on the bike. Tadej Pogačar was seen several times in the Volta a Catalunha happily munching away. I imagine it’s more sustainable for the riders to have a mix of both. Well done Hank for being Ollie’s human Guinea pig, what a git he was forcing down that 90g in one go. Conversely, it was great to see he had much more energy and realises he was serially undereating. REDS is something athletes should be concerned about and it is extremely common in them, so at least he learned something about himself that will make a positive difference because it will catch up later if he keeps under fuelling. Great video guys!
eating loads while riding :D I did a "Tour de Donut" race a few times where you got 5 minutes off for every large glazed donut during the race… probably something like 30g carbs per donut and I ate 16 one year for the 34 mile race
Good entertainment! I've seen from multiple coaching sources a good starting point for carb intake is 50% of the calories you burn per hour, carbs are roughly 4 calories per gram; according to another GCN video featuring a rep from precision hydration you don't really need gels to supply the carbs, whole food works fine. Basic white sandwich bread with a bit of whole wheat is 14g per slice and strawberry preserves are 11g per tbsp. 600cal/hr/2=300/4=75g/js(39)=approx.2 js/hr/60min=1 Jamb Sandwich per 30 min=Easy.
The question is… are Hank and Ollie still friends after this? Really, this is a helpful video. I struggle to eat whilst exercising. I need to get better at that
Professional riders consuming these amounts of carbs should really be considering their dental health. I feel like this has to be something the teams have to take responsibility for. Providing riders with regular, thorough dental care. 🦷 Also a HUGE shout-out to Hank! What a legend! 💪
Yeah, I can see it being a problem on long rides. Letting gelled sugar sit on your teeth for 6+ hours is pretty bad for your teeth. Rinsing with plain water helps, and rinsing with mouth wash is even better. Some people brush their teeth during pit stops on long gravel races.
I have over-fueled and under-fueled. It's kinda hard to find the right balance. I ride the Grand Fondo's and it's hard to figure out how to fuel enough to come out the other side not feeling like I've been hit by a truck. I think I tend to fuel good during the first half or so and then kinda peter out my fueling as the ride progresses. That chart on the stem looks like it might be the answer. Or a screen on the Garmin, if there's one of those... Maybe an alarm (I've hard that exists... LOL!!!) Great video!! Hank taking another one for the team!!!
I've probably been under fueled for most of my rides as well. But I'd have to build up to it. No way I could take in the amount of carbs & calories that Hank did. Chapeau!
Nice video! I always love to see Hank on action. But I'm curious about the fueling strategy of Ollie? I'm also thinking that it will be great to repeat the experiment with glucose monitors, and with a control (Ollie fuelling normal)
Great work, thank you for sharing this it is very helpful. I wonder what would have been a regular food/fuel intake that felt "under-fueled" in comparison.
In the 90's, a local pro was famous for being able to complete a huge ride on a coke and a snickers bar. That was the "train your body to use fat first" days. I trained for years trying to replicate it. One of the side effects was that at the end of your ride, you are crushed, and the rest of the day is hosed. 120g is extreme, but I eat more and now the rest of the day is so much more productive.
One of the great things about Precision Fuel is that that gels are not like syrup. What I do is I use the 60g carb + 1000mg sodium drink mix in my bottles, but then depending on my ride, I add additional 30g carb gels to the bottles. I find the carbs easier to take in a drink than messing around with little packets. You can easily squeeze a gel or two into your bottle and give it a shake, and you are good to go.
Smashing 90 grams of carbs in 5 seconds seems very different on the digestive tract than taking in 90 over the course of an hour. Both are 90 per hour but not really.
Hi GCN , thanks so much for posting this up!. Love pushing myself to the max and now having a understanding of how to fuel ⛽️ up . Well done chaps ❤….🚴♀️…🚴♀️
The first time I rode 200 km I ate 12 bananas. Damn, for the next 3 years I couldn't even look at a banana :/My friend, who often says "Cycling starts after 300km" and has been cycling since 1991 always has tea with lemon and a bit of honey in his bottle, and in addition to sweets, he also has a roll with sausage or cheese to eat. Now I do the same and I never feel nausea.
I still remember the TDF stage 17 when Pogi bonked and lost a ton of time. Shows that even the best of the pros sometimes get this energy equation wrong.
Love any video with Hank in it. He's the ultimate 'don't do this at home, kids', presenter. A regular Tim Allen, "Home Improvement" actor of cycling., and not bad on the eyes. ..Lucky girl Emma. I will take this much fuel hiking or trail running where I'm gaining a couple thousand feet per mile but not on the bike. Even then, I try to mix it with some real food in smaller quantities. Either 3 moon grapes or a date coconut square with four ounces of electrolytes will get me 30 min and not make me sick. This prepackaged stuff is convenient and space saving but most taste aweful. Goodness, I'm surprised Hank lasted five hours.
You have to work up to it. I did 70g for 4.5 hours this weekend & had no stomach problems. This coming weekend 72 mile 4,000ft on gravel & my goal is 100 carbs an hour.
Loving the "scientist" tone that Ollie had. To be fair, sounds like a typical Hank fueling strategy should be attempted by Ollie. I've gotten to where my stomach just refused the added sugars ... not a fun feeling.
Pro tip from ultra endurance racing (12 hours to 6 days): have a dedicated bottle of plain water to rinse out your mouth after every feed, Also, I will usually consume gels watered down by putting 5 or so in a hand flask and topping up with water: makes them much more palatable.
I'm an older man (67), I typically ride 20 miles, about 75 mins of bike time. I don't fuel while riding. I typically go out about 90 mins after having a nice bowl of oatmeal for breakfast and have a plate of pasta for lunch after my ride.
The difference between this experiment and racing is the pace & effort, having now raced ( only twice ) I get how important taking in fluid and solids is, on normal ride days I eat, drink every 15 minutes, on race day every 10 minutes, but not energy gels.
The arena of cycling nutrition….quite simple but people make it all so complicated with the same foggy responses from ten years ago despite people out there showing results! Vegan for over ten years …i’ve trained for mostly endurance starting at 50 kms all the way up to easy 400km solo in 24hrs,fuelled on sugar,fruit,juice,dates,bananas,odd gels and electrolytes in summer….odd packet of crisps and peanut butter sandwiches….jam and bread etc….average weekend loop 200km…. My strava is Praw if you want to take a look and i’ve uploaded 100s of videos of these rides over ten years …..🙂
I am chronically under-fueled due to my low appetite. On morning rides to work, I often have the feel of "fuel in brain OR legs not both". Lifting? My trainer can tell when I didn't eat enough because I will just suddenly fail part way through a set. A distinct "you're out of mana, more aren't happening". On the days I remember to have normal food levels, I ROCK at the gym or on my rides! So.... more food would be good for me. But ugh I'd feel SO bloaty! Making me snack more would be good for sure to get fuel and not bloaty!
I’ve done the Death Ride 7 times, used to be a 125 mile event with 15,000 ft climbing. Usually took me 10-11 hrs. Training with lots of carbs etc, I found I needed some solid food at right about the 6 hour mark. Uncrustables brand peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were provided at the aid station at about that 6 hr mark for me. Perfect. Then I could go back to gels / chews.
Side note, this video is a PERFECT example of why top end road helmets SHOULD HAVE A VISOR OPTION. Keeps the rain out, keeps the sun out, you don't have to ride with 'solar eclipse dark' sunglasses....
I don't use gels so i know for sure but I don't think the carb gels are sugar but rather high molecular weight complex carbs that act fast like glucose. Examples would be Karbolyn, Vitargo, or even waxy maize. I personally have used karbolyn and it works really well and easy on the gut.
What did you think about Hank's fuelling strategy? 🤔What has your experience been like with fuelling? Let us know!👇
I personally use the eat my ride app to calculate my fuelling for each ride
I think I'd rather "fuel" with a Big Mac 😁😁
Ollie you naughty boy 90 g in one go plus 30. Ayayay! My experience? If you have rye bread and protein bars use the wind assists on hills 😂
Interesting vid, and a heroic effort by lab rat Hank! Three questions:
1. How do Pros have any teeth left, given they're fueling on basically sugar and syrup all day?
2. Does having so much sugar when riding put us at risk of diabetes, or is this offset by all the sugar intake being used up during exercise?
3. What did Dr B eat and drink to get through this cold, wet and long 6 hour ride?
I should add that I have bonked from both under hydrating and fueling despite stopping at Porvoo, Finland's most beautiful cafe Cafe Helmi and more than once on the way back to Helsinki totalling 100 k on a hilly road. Making commuting to Helsinki Porvoo residents traditionally the best Finnish riders. One Porvoo originating Finnish champ rode for Team Sky and DSs in Israel whatever it is called this season. But call me the bonk master 😅
I think that in return Ollie should do a six-hour ride with NO carbs.
Didn't Hank do that one already? Or Connor maybe, I'm sure I've watched that movie
@@AutiSam1974 believe it was Connor. Ollie just designs the tests it seems 😂
It was Ollie, but I think he rode like 100 miles (or until he bonked) with no food at all
@@JBuchmann Its possible of you dont try to get ne KOMs. slow and steady is key. Worst is if you start fast and have to slow down because of low blood sugar. Its very hard to recover from that without a break or food.
Absolutely, this was just cruel for Hank.
Ollie's fitness has advanced to the point where he can double as Hank's team car and still keep up. 👏Ollie!
He's certainly got the pace 💨
he has come along way has our Ollie,
This video was so fantastic to see. Am an avid 62 yr old cyclist who road raced competitively. 4 yrs ago went down the, fueling while riding rabbit hole, primarily watching Neversecond videos.
Now that I top off while riding I don’t suffer energy drop offs like I use to on 160 km+ (100 mile) rides at all anymore. Also maintain higher pace so much easier during 3 hour rides. Wish I had better understood the science of topping off 42 years ago.
Younger riders probably saying, “Thanks Captain obvious.” but if you are a dinosaur like me consider trying to top off at 60-90 grams an hour. Nothing like riding stronger longer and feeling good when you are done.
Thanks for the video!
Hi what do you mean by topping off
@@MrMars121- Getting in carbs every hour of riding at an amount that works for you. For me it has been isotonic gel shots (so I can drink plain water later) and/or carb drinks every hour. More carbs per hour on longer rides (3 hours of more) and less carbs per hour on shorter ones. 😁
I remember forty years ago being told by a coach “water only, no food on rides under three hours”.
@@prestachuck2867 - Ha, ha… true that, an old racing peer thinks lack of hydration is why many of us have pacemakers.
Proper fuelling has really come a long way in recent years. Do you think that's helping to boost the speed of the average pro?
It would be interesting to have seen a comparison with Conor also doing this challenge, given that everyone knows how much he loves his food (plus he's a giant, especially compared to Hank!). Other takeaways are that Ollie very much relishes the role of GCN's mad scientist/evil genius and that he's right that it's scary how good Hank is despite never fuelling properly.
Fuelling Conor is another challenge! Did you see how much he ate on this challenge? 👉ua-cam.com/video/_q23eOGtJU8/v-deo.html
One thing I always keep thinking is how GCN makes these shots while riding bikes. I know, probably two people on a motorcycle running in front. I'd like to see more behind the scenes sometimes. Like showing a challenging shot or another curiosities.
90g/hr for 7hrs. I couldn’t believe how good I felt. And recovery was so much better too
Game changer isn't it! 🤯
How on earth do you take so much food, gels etc. with you?
@@Abnsdllnnlosnfd Sugar water and gels mostly plus a couple of large bananas, bag of snakes, pockets were very full. After you drain one bidon keep it water only to rinse mouth out regularly. Also a servo stop with an hour to go. Powerade/gatorade are not concentrated enough but if its hot you can use them.
I so, so much wanted Ollie to say 'yesterday' when Hank asked him when he'd made the porridge.
Yesterday probably would have been a more truthful answer. 😂
As mentioned it takes time to build this up. Yesterday I did a 6 hour ride taking in 120g CHO per hour. Felt strong a bit was stuffed after. In my experience makes me not crave any ‘crap’ when off the bike and doesn’t lead to post ride binges.
That sounds about right. I remember seeing something that said you know you're fueling right if you don't feel hungry/crave food after a ride. 👍
But the post ride binges just hit different
@@LouieBaLLz when i raced long course triathlon i would do max 60 grams and i will say i felt pretty crappy after finishing races, but these are triathlons and i couldn't take anything on run so it probably dropped off further if i averaged 5 hr race.
having said that i agree on binges but i also wouldn't call the gels and other type food confusing good proper food, generally its shit filled with tons of sugar.
Ad or not, this is the kind of content we want. Nice work, boys.
Thanks! We love creating content like this, is there anything else you would like to see us cover?
@3:55 Hanks expression is the same as mine when I start loading my fuel in my jersey pockets for my Gran Fondo Events haha. You guys and GCN are awesome!
Thanks for this video. Many early lessons come to my mind here. My experience from more than 40 years ago is that you cannot fuel solely on carbs in very long races or tours; your body will start to reject pure carbs, causing nausea and no fuel being available anyway. Mix the carbs in with some fat and/or stuff like bread, or cookies, that will deliver carbs at a later hour. Even sweet rolls filled with cream will be excellent. Then, there is a huge difference between cycling in cold or very hot conditions. To me, on very hot days the normal mix of performance liquids will not replace the amount of salt lost, let alone have enough calories to compensate what you are losing, whilst many times you don't feel any craving for food. The solution is to eat less and drink more, but then the calories have to be in the bottle... Last, don't sub estimate the effect of rain; in long races with continuous rain you have to anticipate, eating and or drinking more before it is too late.
I am a type 2 diabetic and gels and things are like kryptonite to me as they massively spike my sugar. That said, I do need to eat and I possibly need more electolytes than other people. For me, cycling is one of the few times I can eat 'naughty' food like sausage rolls etc but, I can't just carb load like other people. Would be good to see a show that covered diabetic cyclists because cycling is really good for diabetics but fueling is a complicated issue.
Reduce your fat intake to under 30g a day mate and watch your insulin sensitivity come to all new best levels. Ive been working with diabetics since 1999.
Same here but I am type1 , really tricky to preload with carbs and avoid massive highs.
I was pre-diabetic a few years ago and have been working with an exercise nutritionist since then. 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat is my goal. Can’t find those ratios in most bars. I eat every 20 minutes after the first hour of a ride. I start earlier if there’s a lot of climbing. Works out to about 600 calories per hour, but I’m not fast or powerful! 150w typical average power for a ride.
That must be tricky! Have you found a fuelling system that works for you? 👀
@@DurianriderCyclingTips🙂👍🏻
Hank what a trooper!! I've been riding for years and have always underfed until recently. For long rides now I aim for 90g per hour and it's been a revelation, not only for the end of the ride but for recovery too, easing that feeling of being completely wiped out and unable to move for the rest of the day.
That nasty bonk feeling at the end of a ride is never fun! Great to hear that you've nailed your fuelling 🙌
Ollie's challenge should be equally physically taxing...how about cycling til bonk and then using minimum possible carbs to recover, then ride til bonk - repeat as necessary.
Now it's Ollie"s turn. Different people react to fuel in different ways. We need to see a comparison. Foe Science.
Thanks
Right Hank?
agreed
My experience is just like that. I recently started to fuel my longer rides (2+ h so for me it is Friday and Saturday or Sunday)
The difference is so big... I still feel so good after the ride, that I started to do intervals after my long rides if there is not enough time for it through the week.
First thing I noticed is that my HR stay the same for the same power in the end of my rides.. and my weight is still the same and I don't need to go and clean everything from the fridge... Sugar water with lemon and salt is the strategy I use.. + I take 1 bar and banana with me always... I started with 60 g for hour and I would like to get to around 90g so o can use 90-100 on race days. such a great thing, that also after hard day i still don't feel destroyed. And that is what my heart rate variability say ... So guys don't be afraid of sugar 😊
One more thing I forgot to mention is that you should carry plain water with you so you can wash your mouth after each sip ;)
@@mrsmradoch9584 yep because of the risk of cavities I see
@@chillipepperoni You have to sip water after each sugar sip and kind of "wash your mouth" .. It also keeps you hydrated through out the ride :)
And wash those teeth after ride (at least some chew gum?) :)
I’ve been training with a coach for the past 6 months, for a gravel race in May, gradually increasing carb intake to 100g per hour for 5 hours, I’m 70 so power output is not that great but what a difference this has made not only during the ride but the recovery time is much quicker. I’m able to maintain my meagre power for the full 5 hours, fantastic.
I have spent A LOT of time with untra endurance cyclists (where the event is 300-800 miles). The single biggest thing that dictates success is the rider's stomach. MOST people's stomachs just can't function while under stress, especially for long periods. The blood is too busy doing other things besides digestion.
Happy tum happy ride 🙌 What fuelling tips would you offer up to new riders that are ultra curious?
@@gcn I regret to inform you that every stomach is unique. The only way to find out what works for you is experimentation. I also regret to inform you that I don't think anyone has figured it out yet, and that 'just suffering through it' appears to be the magic trick. "Real" food does seam to work better in genral though.. Pumping your body full of gels/salt tablets/energy drinks seams to really upset the stomach after awhile. That stuff 'packs up', and your stomach starts to reject it. Just like your man threw up in this video, a lot of ultra people throw up in the 9-12 hour range. For really long rides it seams eat well for 3-4 hours, then give your stomach a break for 1-2 hours. Repeat.
Patiently waiting for Durianrider's response. CTFU!
Durianrider has been saying 100 grams of carbs per hour for 12 years! 😂
@@dkelly7159 Longer than that!
Hank eating his bodyweight in carbs!!! 🤣
Great video! I raced during the late 80s and early 90s. I definitely did not fuel properly back then. I am interested to learn more about how to train your gut. Perhaps in a future video you can go more in depth about that topic. Thank you both!
I think an interesting topic for a video (or even paper) brought up withing this video would be to further investigate the potential relationship (or lack there of) between the prevalence of disordered eating within pro-sports and attitudes towards consuming so many carbs during races or high performance training. I know disordered eating is prevalent in both men's and women's pelotons, but I think bring a video forward about this shift would likely help a lot of young athletes, especially women, that might be genuinely scared to up their carb intake, whether it be pre/during/post performance. Thanks for the great video!
Absolutely! I started cycling (totally non-competitively) shortly after having recovered from intense disordered eating. I bonked nearly every ride I did with my now-husband. It was scary to eat so many calories, and exercise was to use up calories, not to take in more.....right? Seems I was wrong. I wonder how much more I could have enjoyed cycling if I had just eaten properly, let along fuel with pure carbs....
Hank looked like he was happy - about none of it… 😂🍻
hahaha
Good on you Hank! Being the test dummy is not easy. We usually stop for our carbs, coffee and treat. On long rides a stop for a good cold pint is not ruled out! Keep up the good work. Cheers!
Hey! I did not know about the precision calculator....thanks for sharing that...Awresome video👍
Glad it was helpful!
Why is it, when I see Hank with Dr. Bridgewood, my first thought is always, "Poor Hank. Poor, poor Hank..."😂😂😂
hahaahaha I do to,
Serious question guys- I get eating more on the road, but how much does it cost to eat like Hank in this video? How many can afford four or five $5 gels every longer ride? Plus drinks. It gets crazy.
You can make homemade snacks
You can buy 1kg of white sugar and mix it with water and lemon juice. It does not get cheaper than that. You can check Jesse Coyle's video "I used sugar as my sports drink for 2 years, why?"; he is practising this and getting good results.
Why buy all those expensive energy gels when you can just make your very own sugar water? Or any other carbohydrate dissolved in water would do.
If you care about all the other stuff, maybe normal iso-drink from tabs, which is not that expensive and add tons of carbs to it.
Those energy gels seem like highly marketed pseudo-science to me, at least until it's tested (by a neutral party) against DIY alternatives.
Just eat mixed fruit and nuts.
Conor did a video a couple of days ago on gas station fuelling. Worth a watch for cheaper fuelling. Gummy bears/Haribo are functionally the same as chews, and way cheaper.
Personally I mix my own drink mix with table sugar, a little bit of Gatorade powder for flavour and some salt for a few cents per ride. I have also heard of people using bulk maltodextrin from a brewing supplies store for cheap drink mix.
I think Ollie should either replicate this ride, showing different things for different people, or he should have to do a massive fasted or low carb ride (something like 30g or less) to show just what the difference is
Bang on there. Hank is an ex pro racer, so it was good to see the effects. But, to have a balanced experiment, we need to have someone who is not an ex pro racer. So, Mr Bridgewwod, it's time to step up to the plate to balance out the experiment.🤔 As I take a step back and listen to all the excuses as to why he shouldn't.🤨
When the video started, I was thinking “how the hell did they find a day where it’s not raining?” But England never disappoints!
Fueling is such a hard thing to work out, as a cyclist. I will be checking out that calculation tool from Precision.
I'm amazed Hank managed to get all that carbs down and keep going
Great video really interesting as I’m thinking about fuelling for my longer rides. Hank is a legend
One could say, Hank was GCN's best tool for the job 😆
Hat tip Ollie.
I started riding before gels and water bottle juices. We hydrated with bananas and drank water. Eddy B recommended ham sandwiches for longer rides. Two slices of dense bread packed with ham, cream cheese and jam and quartered into bite size pieces. Heavenly. Warmed up for two hours in a sandwich bag in a jersey pocket , all the flavors come through in all their glory. Jam kicks in right away, then cream cheese, then bread, then ham protein, all working to get you home. Snickers candy bars and Coca Cola Classic in emergencies if on the edge of bonk. Keep heart rate aerobic, sit up, relax, enjoy the eating, and the digestive system works like it should. Go into anaerobic and you might throw up that nice ham sandwich. So I guess it's different strokes for different folks.
I remember going out with a load of bananas. An hour later, my saddlebag contained a pudding consisting of the bananas, my wallet and keys, and spare tube and tools. Yummy.
Had a go at 4wk structured training and upped my fuel intake to alternating a gel and a bar every 1/2 hr in addition sipping on 1 electrolyte bottle and 1 carb bottle (sorry, bidon). Worked a treat on the long weekend Z2-3 ride. Impressed with Hank's effort and reaction. Certainly, food for thought, cheers Ollie
I remember years ago in Mallorca we met Eric Zabel and rode together. Over 100 km, he ate nothing, did not drink much. The pace was comfortable but still 🙂
Those were the days!
In the 90th the riders weren't allowed to fuel up, and they were/are still used to it.
Ollie being devious is his strength, he’s too smart to just sit around acting polite 😆😆. “For science 😉”
Really interesting guys! I was glad you rounded the challenge off with some practical advice about how many carbs we "normal" riders should consume! We hear way too much about how the pros fuel, folk go out on a sportive thinking they should do the same then wonder why they're sat on the bog after 50mile!😂 Well done to Hank, dude you should enter one of those hotdog eating comps 😂😂 well done Ollie for carrying that huge rucksack! I thought you would've come up with a more Aero way of carrying all those Gels!😂 Cheers guys👍
"Did WE puke?" Surely it should've been "Did HANK puke?"!
Seriously though, well done on doing that - as you pointed out, the pros train their GI tracts gradually to accept this level of fuelling, whereas Hank just went straight into it. Bravo! 👏
And although it was not good (!) by the end, you did learn something from it.
Ollie , made effort to fuel right for my century Sunday and it went awesome. All the credit to GCN
Can we have a ranking of Hank’s worst GCN experiences:
* riding a penny farthing for an hour
* drinking 10 coffees in 1 ride
* puking after eating 120g carbs for 6 hours
This was really interesting. However, I would say that the amount you take in per hour depends on the intensity. I’ve spoken to a couple of ex-pros (now trainers) and a nutritionist for one of the big teams and they’ve all consistently said that it should be 45-90g per hour depending on intensity, but going up higher if competing at pro-level.
One other thing I’d mention is that you often see the pros eating real food on the bike. Tadej Pogačar was seen several times in the Volta a Catalunha happily munching away. I imagine it’s more sustainable for the riders to have a mix of both.
Well done Hank for being Ollie’s human Guinea pig, what a git he was forcing down that 90g in one go. Conversely, it was great to see he had much more energy and realises he was serially undereating. REDS is something athletes should be concerned about and it is extremely common in them, so at least he learned something about himself that will make a positive difference because it will catch up later if he keeps under fuelling. Great video guys!
That look on the face when he said "athletes train their guts 6-8 weeks prior to any event" is hilarious
eating loads while riding :D I did a "Tour de Donut" race a few times where you got 5 minutes off for every large glazed donut during the race… probably something like 30g carbs per donut and I ate 16 one year for the 34 mile race
Ollie summoning A Flock of Seagulls with his hair.
still the best hair. Conor is a decent second, but Ollie's going to continue to take that accolade
true
Good entertainment! I've seen from multiple coaching sources a good starting point for carb intake is 50% of the calories you burn per hour, carbs are roughly 4 calories per gram; according to another GCN video featuring a rep from precision hydration you don't really need gels to supply the carbs, whole food works fine.
Basic white sandwich bread with a bit of whole wheat is 14g per slice and strawberry preserves are 11g per tbsp.
600cal/hr/2=300/4=75g/js(39)=approx.2 js/hr/60min=1 Jamb Sandwich per 30 min=Easy.
The question is… are Hank and Ollie still friends after this?
Really, this is a helpful video. I struggle to eat whilst exercising. I need to get better at that
If you want to try this, pay for a fasting Insulin test, if you have elevated fasting insulin, forget this ultra-high sugar fuel strategy.
Professional riders consuming these amounts of carbs should really be considering their dental health. I feel like this has to be something the teams have to take responsibility for. Providing riders with regular, thorough dental care. 🦷 Also a HUGE shout-out to Hank! What a legend! 💪
Yeah, I can see it being a problem on long rides. Letting gelled sugar sit on your teeth for 6+ hours is pretty bad for your teeth. Rinsing with plain water helps, and rinsing with mouth wash is even better. Some people brush their teeth during pit stops on long gravel races.
Rinse it’s that simple! also watch out if you are eating dried fruit etc 👍🏻
I seriously upped my fueling last year and was shocked at how much better my performance immediately was plus how much I improved over the whole year
As a fair revenge Ollie needs to do a race with the most unaero bike GCN can get their hands on.
Hank: "Sometimes... I wonder... why I put my body through this."
Zev: "Because you know you would feel worse if you didnt."
I have over-fueled and under-fueled. It's kinda hard to find the right balance. I ride the Grand Fondo's and it's hard to figure out how to fuel enough to come out the other side not feeling like I've been hit by a truck. I think I tend to fuel good during the first half or so and then kinda peter out my fueling as the ride progresses. That chart on the stem looks like it might be the answer. Or a screen on the Garmin, if there's one of those... Maybe an alarm (I've hard that exists... LOL!!!) Great video!! Hank taking another one for the team!!!
I've probably been under fueled for most of my rides as well. But I'd have to build up to it. No way I could take in the amount of carbs & calories that Hank did. Chapeau!
Nice video! I always love to see Hank on action. But I'm curious about the fueling strategy of Ollie? I'm also thinking that it will be great to repeat the experiment with glucose monitors, and with a control (Ollie fuelling normal)
2 of my favourite GCN presenters in a video! What a treat
Great work, thank you for sharing this it is very helpful. I wonder what would have been a regular food/fuel intake that felt "under-fueled" in comparison.
I learnt that ollie didnt fuel and rode alongside hank for six hours....i'm sold!
Hank - Thank you for your service!!
The debut of backwards cap Hank. Nice.
Hank you are a peach so sweet !!! Tell GCN you want a big raise for the duress you are putting your body through!!
hahaha done
Great video Boys👏🏼I am willing to do the test like that, as long as someone is paying for the fueling😂
In the 90's, a local pro was famous for being able to complete a huge ride on a coke and a snickers bar. That was the "train your body to use fat first" days. I trained for years trying to replicate it. One of the side effects was that at the end of your ride, you are crushed, and the rest of the day is hosed. 120g is extreme, but I eat more and now the rest of the day is so much more productive.
Yeah, fat sucks as a fuel for hard efforts.
One of the great things about Precision Fuel is that that gels are not like syrup. What I do is I use the 60g carb + 1000mg sodium drink mix in my bottles, but then depending on my ride, I add additional 30g carb gels to the bottles. I find the carbs easier to take in a drink than messing around with little packets. You can easily squeeze a gel or two into your bottle and give it a shake, and you are good to go.
Smashing 90 grams of carbs in 5 seconds seems very different on the digestive tract than taking in 90 over the course of an hour. Both are 90 per hour but not really.
They are even burning faster than normal human being
Hi GCN , thanks so much for posting this up!. Love pushing myself to the max and now having a understanding of how to fuel ⛽️ up . Well done chaps ❤….🚴♀️…🚴♀️
I've never seen Hank look this visibly nervous. Ollie triggering Hank's own Vietnam flashback.
The first time I rode 200 km I ate 12 bananas. Damn, for the next 3 years I couldn't even look at a banana :/My friend, who often says "Cycling starts after 300km" and has been cycling since 1991 always has tea with lemon and a bit of honey in his bottle, and in addition to sweets, he also has a roll with sausage or cheese to eat. Now I do the same and I never feel nausea.
I still remember the TDF stage 17 when Pogi bonked and lost a ton of time. Shows that even the best of the pros sometimes get this energy equation wrong.
A caffeinated one when his stomach is hurting, that’s just cruel
Love any video with Hank in it. He's the ultimate 'don't do this at home, kids', presenter. A regular Tim Allen, "Home Improvement" actor of cycling., and not bad on the eyes. ..Lucky girl Emma.
I will take this much fuel hiking or trail running where I'm gaining a couple thousand feet per mile but not on the bike. Even then, I try to mix it with some real food in smaller quantities. Either 3 moon grapes or a date coconut square with four ounces of electrolytes will get me 30 min and not make me sick. This prepackaged stuff is convenient and space saving but most taste aweful. Goodness, I'm surprised Hank lasted five hours.
Entertaining video!
Great video, fascinating stuff. PS dont know how you ride in that freezing weather gloveless...
The look Hank gives Ollie at the 14:40ish mark. 😂
"but I'm not doing Flanders..." Ollie is getting good at making his mates eat more than they want to. Maybe next vid, Connor just eats Hank.
Outstanding vid!
You have to work up to it. I did 70g for 4.5 hours this weekend & had no stomach problems. This coming weekend 72 mile 4,000ft on gravel & my goal is 100 carbs an hour.
I love you guys... The residents of Bath, probably not so much... There is always some poor schleb in a car stuck behind you guys...
Ollie you really do owe Hank for that 90g gel - why not do it in your area of strength? An ultra endurance challenge in the mountains?
I feel like one of those Nascar "fans who only watches the races to see the crashes, i.e. I will be spending the whole time waiting for Hank to spew.
Very informative. Thank you Hank for your contribution to science. Mighty fine if you.
Loving the "scientist" tone that Ollie had. To be fair, sounds like a typical Hank fueling strategy should be attempted by Ollie. I've gotten to where my stomach just refused the added sugars ... not a fun feeling.
Ollie should wear a pink princess dress and should be and tell everyone he's Hank's helper for the day. Also you need to post a short about it!
Ollie should eat an entire cheesecake as fast as possible and go for a Zwift Alp PR
Pro tip from ultra endurance racing (12 hours to 6 days): have a dedicated bottle of plain water to rinse out your mouth after every feed, Also, I will usually consume gels watered down by putting 5 or so in a hand flask and topping up with water: makes them much more palatable.
I'm an older man (67), I typically ride 20 miles, about 75 mins of bike time. I don't fuel while riding. I typically go out about 90 mins after having a nice bowl of oatmeal for breakfast and have a plate of pasta for lunch after my ride.
The difference between this experiment and racing is the pace & effort, having now raced ( only twice ) I get how important taking in fluid and solids is, on normal ride days I eat, drink every 15 minutes, on race day every 10 minutes, but not energy gels.
Poor Hank, lol. That man needs a raise
The arena of cycling nutrition….quite simple but people make it all so complicated with the same foggy responses from ten years ago despite people out there showing results!
Vegan for over ten years …i’ve trained for mostly endurance starting at 50 kms all the way up to easy 400km solo in 24hrs,fuelled on sugar,fruit,juice,dates,bananas,odd gels and electrolytes in summer….odd packet of crisps and peanut butter sandwiches….jam and bread etc….average weekend loop 200km….
My strava is Praw if you want to take a look and i’ve uploaded 100s of videos of these rides over ten years …..🙂
Hank's the best GCN presenter
thank you
@@JamesL-W Thank you for making GCN videos more fun to watch.
First! If only Dan Lloyd was that fast …
this one is so funny.. quote "i am not doing the Flanders , right?"
Ollie should do the same ride fuelling like the pros used to in the early days of the Tour etc. Cold lamb chops, red wine
I am chronically under-fueled due to my low appetite. On morning rides to work, I often have the feel of "fuel in brain OR legs not both". Lifting? My trainer can tell when I didn't eat enough because I will just suddenly fail part way through a set. A distinct "you're out of mana, more aren't happening". On the days I remember to have normal food levels, I ROCK at the gym or on my rides!
So.... more food would be good for me. But ugh I'd feel SO bloaty! Making me snack more would be good for sure to get fuel and not bloaty!
I’ve done the Death Ride 7 times, used to be a 125 mile event with 15,000 ft climbing. Usually took me 10-11 hrs. Training with lots of carbs etc, I found I needed some solid food at right about the 6 hour mark. Uncrustables brand peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were provided at the aid station at about that 6 hr mark for me. Perfect. Then I could go back to gels / chews.
About half way through the video I felt physically sick on Hank's behalf 😂
Side note, this video is a PERFECT example of why top end road helmets SHOULD HAVE A VISOR OPTION. Keeps the rain out, keeps the sun out, you don't have to ride with 'solar eclipse dark' sunglasses....
I don't use gels so i know for sure but I don't think the carb gels are sugar but rather high molecular weight complex carbs that act fast like glucose. Examples would be Karbolyn, Vitargo, or even waxy maize. I personally have used karbolyn and it works really well and easy on the gut.
Most people say that cycling is hard to due pain or fatigue but for me, eating is the most difficult thing on long rides.