General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Chocolate as fuel for 70.3? Plus--vintage gu question! Rss Feed  
Moderators: k9car363, alicefoeller Reply
2015-02-01 4:16 AM

User image

Master
8247
50002000100010010025
Eugene, Oregon
Bronze member
Subject: Chocolate as fuel for 70.3? Plus--vintage gu question!
Curious if anyone has tried this? I have a long history of struggling to get gu down on the bike leg of races long enough to demand nutrition on the bike, and an equally sorry experience with tolerating liquid nutrition. This morning I found I was out of my favored gu flavors except for a few packets in a baggie labeled 2012 (?!) so I grabbed a half bar of chocolate that happened to be in my fridge (Ritter Sport dark chocolate with mint filling). Had a few squares at 60, 90, and 120 minutes of a 2:30 ride, which contained about an hour of riding faster than HIM pace, and enjoyed both the taste and ease of taking it in. My long ride route is kind of dull and found I was really looking forward to the "chocolate breaks"! No stomach issues during ride or 30 minute brick run after.

Ritter Sport is formulated so it doesn't melt in the heat (at least it didn't today)--thus the "Sport" name and popular with hikers in Europe. I recall one of the top women at Kona (Rinny? Leanda Cave?) mentioned in an interview eating a bar of dark chocolate on the bike. Are there any compelling reasons why I couldn't use this as fuel on the bike leg of my upcoming 70.3? (Thinking in combo with a non-chocolate energy bar pre-cut into chunks, and maybe carrying a gu or two for backup; otherwise saving the gu for the run. II keep my nutrition in a bento box. This AM I had the chocolate broken into square chunks inside a folded plastic wrapper in the box.)

On a related topic, would I be safe using the 2012 gus? Hate to waste!

Edited by Hot Runner 2015-02-01 4:19 AM


2015-02-01 4:13 PM
in reply to: 0

User image

New user
324
100100100
Subject: RE: Chocolate as fuel for 70.3? Plus--vintage gu question!
Never had it in a tri but at the marathon I did volunteers during the back end of the race were handing out chocolate. it was great. little mini's. i think they may have been hershey bars and nestle crunch. really nice surprise and they went down easy.

i've also eaten really old gu and i'm still kickin, although i'm no expert on what those things might have done to me.

Edited by braciole 2015-02-01 4:13 PM
2015-02-02 7:01 AM
in reply to: Hot Runner

User image

Champion
7542
5000200050025
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Bronze member
Subject: RE: Chocolate as fuel for 70.3? Plus--vintage gu question!

How many calories do you expect to ingest during your race and will you get enough from the chocolate?  Chocolate plus sports drink?  

If you can get enough calories and it doesn't turn into a horrible mess, I don't think it would be worse than GU's.  

As for a 2012 GU?  Sure...but then again, I'm finishing up some I got from my brother back in 2007/2008.  (I don't use them a lot...)  It isn't like they'll taste worse.  

2015-02-02 7:34 AM
in reply to: 0

User image

Master
8247
50002000100010010025
Eugene, Oregon
Bronze member
Subject: RE: Chocolate as fuel for 70.3? Plus--vintage gu question!
In my first HIM I took in two gus and an energy bar on the bike, plus a few almonds in my bento box, and another gu plus a couple orange slices and pretzel sticks for variety on the run. Maybe 600 calories. That's kind of minimal but I'm ligtweight, fairly fast (my goal would be in the 5:40 range) and in this case racing in fairly extreme heat/humidity. I had a great run and a strong finish, no "bonking". So I'm thinking basically of replacing the bike gus with the chocolate bar.

Two issues with gu--I really don't have much of a sweet tooth, and find most sweet tastes nauseating. My interest in sweets basically begins and ends with dark chocolate. Then there's texture--I'm a world-class gagger, especially when pushing the pace in an event. In training, I like Gu Roctane Chocolate Raspberry and Cliff Turbo Chocolate Cherry, but these are not only difficult to find (and impossible in Vietnam,) but have a thicker texture than most and at times in races I can't get them down. I can also put up with Hammer Apple-Cinnamon and (marginally) Power Bar Tangerine, but can't say I really like them, I like chocolate! Just wondering if there's something I'm not thinking of like wrong kind of sugar, too much fat, etc. or just trust my gut.

Guess I'll go ahead and use the 2012 stuff, then! Besides races, I use gu only for some rides over 2 hours (sometimes just take real food) or runs over 90 minutes, and various departing runner colleagues have left me their stashes, so I've accumulated a very random collection.


Edited by Hot Runner 2015-02-02 7:37 AM
2015-02-03 3:23 PM
in reply to: 0

Master
5557
50005002525
, California
Subject: RE: Chocolate as fuel for 70.3? Plus--vintage gu question!

Consistency is thicker for Gu brand, in the middle for Hammer Gels and thin for Powerbar gels.  The powerbar gels have a chocolate flavor and a latte flavor, but I haven't tried them so I'm not sure how sweet they are.

Another thing I sometimes do: put a couple gels in a 4oz flask and shake them up with a little water to thin the consistency.



Edited by spudone 2015-02-03 3:24 PM
2015-02-08 1:00 AM
in reply to: spudone

User image

Master
8247
50002000100010010025
Eugene, Oregon
Bronze member
Subject: RE: Chocolate as fuel for 70.3? Plus--vintage gu question!
In the interests of science (someone's got to do this tough job!) I replicated the chocolate ride today (since one should always replicate a successful experiment). 2:30 trainer ride with about an hour of HIM pace and under, this time ate about 2/3 of the bar, had an awesome run afterwards, even though I've been struggling with tired legs and a mild cold this week. Also put the chocolate bar and a Cliff Turbo gu side by side for comparison purposes. The former has 493 calories (if I eat the whole bar, which I probably would in 90 km, plus maybe 100-150 other calories in the form of a non-chocolate energy bar, or maybe sports drink), 52 grams of carbs, and 27 grams of fat. The gu has 100 calories, 24 grams of carbs, and 0 grams of fat. Observations:.

*I would have to take in five gus to get the same amount of calories as eating the whole chocolate bar (in stages, of course). I can easily envision consuming a whole bar over a 90 km ride that I expect to take between 3 hours and 3:20, depending on conditions. I have never managed to ingest more than two gus on the bike, or three gus total in a race, up to and including HIM. I have had two sorry situations where, due to gagging/nausea, I got through a nearly four hour race on only two gu packets, maybe a few cups of sports drink on the run, and nothing else. Ugh!

*That is quite a lot of calories from fat, nearly 50% of total. Is my body able to utilize those in a race of 5-6 hours duration? Or would I be better served with an energy source that is more purely carbs? Or maybe it works better in my case? (I tend to suffer high/low swings in energy plus sometimes nausea if I eat too many sweets when not training, which is one reason besides taste that I avoid them. Maybe the fat in the chocolate would slow the rate at which it hits me and prevent this?)

*Absolutely zero issues with taking the chocolate in, or GI issues on bike or run.




2015-02-09 12:34 AM
in reply to: Hot Runner

User image

Elite
5316
5000100100100
Alturas, California
Subject: RE: Chocolate as fuel for 70.3? Plus--vintage gu question!
Chocolate wont have the sodium and potassium you need .... many types of chocholate melt. It makes me thirsty. They do have chocholate flavored powerbars that are good.
2015-02-09 7:08 AM
in reply to: Baowolf

User image

Master
8247
50002000100010010025
Eugene, Oregon
Bronze member
Subject: RE: Chocolate as fuel for 70.3? Plus--vintage gu question!
I'm using Nuun or Hammer Endurolyte Fizz on the bike and run, which I know I can tolerate and has the electrolytes. Used those last time and train with them in conditions that sometimes go to Kona-esque (heat index above 110, etc.) with no problems, so no desire to change that up. I'm also using PowerBar Tangerine gel on the run--it's thin enough for me to get down and also packs a punch of electrolytes and caffeine. Will probably carry a bottle of Nuun or Endurolyte on the run, and supplement with water from the aid stations. I get sick on Exceed and have had bad issues with some sweeter sports drinks--stuffed served on course in Asia tends to be very random, and very sweet.

Will experiment to see if the chocolate makes me thirstier than gu as weather gets hotter. Right now my feeling is that it's less so due to a less sticky texture. It's very dark chocolate. Also not sure exactly to what temps that "don't melt" promise will hold LOL. I've hiked (in Europe and US) with this stuff a lot and sure it "holds" into the mid 80's for several hours, possible it wouldn't with tropical humidity, though.
2015-02-09 3:12 PM
in reply to: Hot Runner

User image

Not a Coach
11473
5000500010001001001001002525
Media, PA
Subject: RE: Chocolate as fuel for 70.3? Plus--vintage gu question!

The fat in the choclate really aren't the ideal calories to take in.  But if you're not eating too much of it and it makes your experience more enjoyable, then it's not likely to be a major performance isssue either--it does have carbs that you are looking for.  You could also consider mixing gels with water in a flask or water bottle.  Helps to ease the sweetness you taste and get them down easier.

2015-02-09 6:57 PM
in reply to: JohnnyKay

Master
5557
50005002525
, California
Subject: RE: Chocolate as fuel for 70.3? Plus--vintage gu question!

Hammer also makes an "unflavored" version of their Perpetuem drink mix.  You can mix it with whatever you want, but by itself it is completely bland.  Might be worth a try if sweet stuff makes you ill.

2015-02-11 1:56 PM
in reply to: Hot Runner

User image

Master
2855
20005001001001002525
Kailua, Hawaii
Subject: RE: Chocolate as fuel for 70.3? Plus--vintage gu question!
For me it comes down to how I feel with the foods / hydration choices I use on my training rides and runs.

If you are training with these foods / hydration and it works for you, then go for it.

As for chocolate, I'd think too much could cause diarrhea. But if you aren't getting that on your "chocolate" training rides, then maybe not a problem.

Melting aspect could also be a problem. I've had that problem and it's quite messy. Also exploding gel packets aren't fun on the bike either.


2015-02-12 6:51 AM
in reply to: metafizx

User image

Master
8247
50002000100010010025
Eugene, Oregon
Bronze member
Subject: RE: Chocolate as fuel for 70.3? Plus--vintage gu question!
Exploding gel packets?? OMG. That's a new one for me. I imagine in Hawaii you train in pretty similar conditions to here sometimes. (I lived in Honolulu for two years and find Saigon much hotter, but isn't Kailua side hotter?) I don't do full IM, and rarely ride over 100 km here, so maybe it takes more than three hours and change to get to that stage. My tri-buddies and I did have a situation several years ago with liquid nutrition (some kind of Hammer product) precipitating into a chalky goo and putrid liquid during an Oly in triple digit heat/humidity. They drank it anyway and got sick, I dumped it and did the whole race on one fruit leather after my other nutrition fell off the bike when the duct tape failed. Live and learn! I will have to investigate the possibility of the choco melting into useless goo, including when it is sitting out while I swim. My SWIM CAP started melting (and got seriously stuck to my hair in transition) when I left it in the sun for a while before my last tropical race, so guess I shouldn't assume that Ritter Sport chocolate will survive either!
2015-02-16 12:31 PM
in reply to: Hot Runner

User image

Master
2855
20005001001001002525
Kailua, Hawaii
Subject: RE: Chocolate as fuel for 70.3? Plus--vintage gu question!
the melting problems all happened on the Big Island ...way hotter over there than Kailua/Oahu in general. basically just tossed my bento box after.
2015-03-07 11:58 PM
in reply to: metafizx

User image

Master
8247
50002000100010010025
Eugene, Oregon
Bronze member
Subject: RE: Chocolate as fuel for 70.3? Plus--vintage gu question!
Sad to report I found the fail point today for Ritter Sport's "no melt" claim. It made it for about 90 minutes but after that was just goo. Heat and humidity are picking up here and heat index was in the 90's, plus quite sunny. So if it is a part of race nutrition, it will have to be consumed early on the bike leg. Will have to rely on more conventional stuff for the rest of it. Have had a couple more awesome bricks with the stuff but looks like I will be back to gu as the heat picks up.

Just hope I can avoid the exploding gel packets--that has never happened, but I've never done a HIM here in May, which is absolutely the hottest time of the year. Did have an exploding water bottle on a very hot ride in Laos, though. (Not a bike bottle--stopped at a stand to buy extra bottled water, it was in my basket and the water apparently boiled inside the bottle, then the steam pressure exploded the cap off. I thought I'd been shot. Had no idea that could happen!)
2015-04-26 9:28 PM
in reply to: Hot Runner

User image

Master
8247
50002000100010010025
Eugene, Oregon
Bronze member
Subject: RE: Chocolate as fuel for 70.3? Plus--vintage gu question!
For all you choco lovers out there....the final results (well, training results): It has to be dark chocolate. Milk chocolate has a higher % of cocoa butter and a much lower melt point (the failure involved milk chocolate, since I'd gotten the wrong kind by mistake). Not sure if it has to be exactly what I use (Ritter Sport dark chocolate with mint). But that also has the advantage that the inside is mint goo, which probably ups the carb content and lowers the fat. The favored product hasn't melted in over 2:30 on the road in Kona- like conditions (heat index of 110+). For me, it works. Much easier to get down than gu or power bars, and somehow the fat content helps me avoid the sugar highs and crashes I sometimes get from those products. I've been doing most of my long rides on a mix of chocolate (a whole bar over 2-3 hours) and bananas. I can access and eat both in aero. No problems eating it even minutes before the run. (Ooh, I still have a few squares left. I'll just stuff them into my mouth before I go run 50 minutes in 100 degree heat!)

For the race, I'll probably put in a mix of Mojo bar chunks, chocolate squares, and a backup gu or two just in case. Also going to experiment next week with freezing the chocolate ahead of time to account for the time it's going to be sitting in transition while I swim.

Figured it had to work somehow in hot conditions if Chrissy talks in her book about eating a bar of dark chocolate on the bike in Kona. Maybe for my next long race I'll bring a bar of Ghirardelli dark chocolate with sea salt--that would hit the spot!
2015-05-01 3:45 AM
in reply to: 0

User image

Master
8247
50002000100010010025
Eugene, Oregon
Bronze member
Subject: RE: Chocolate as fuel for 70.3? Plus--vintage gu question!
OK Freezing appears to have no effect on consistency or taste of dark choco after 1:15 of thawing in tropical heat/humidity in my bento box. It just seemed like normal chocolate, the few squares I didn't consume on the bike were intact, though a little soft, after a 2:30 ride in pretty intense heat/humidity (29 at start 34 at end in Celcius, partly sunny, extremely humid), which is something like mid 80's to low 90's with a heat index pushing triple digits. Sadly, as one of my students pointed out, this miraculous performance may well be due to use of palm oil in the product, which tends to make things more stable at high temps, as well as being an absolute scourge on SE Asia's tropical forests (being cut down to clear land for oil palms).

Edited by Hot Runner 2015-05-01 3:48 AM


2015-05-16 12:15 AM
in reply to: Hot Runner

User image

Master
8247
50002000100010010025
Eugene, Oregon
Bronze member
Subject: RE: Chocolate as fuel for 70.3? Plus--vintage gu question!
Final report.....

I used a Ritter Sport dark chocolate with mint bar as my primary fuel for the bike leg of IM Vietnam 70.3. Forgot to pre-freeze it but it was fine until I reached for the last few pieces at about 70 km (about 2:20 into the bike leg). It solved all my issues with gagging and nausea. As it turned out, I was quite ill with cold/flu symptoms on race day (and for about three days before). But the chocolate went down well and did not aggravate raw throat and coughing. It did melt by 70 km and I ended up scraping the gooy remains out of my bento box and licking my fingers (while in aero, which is an awesome move). Aside from having to wash out the bento box in the sink (which I usually end up doing anyway with gu packets or energy bars) and wipe down my bars after the race, no cleaning issues. I also had one gu (my last Roctane Chocolate Raspberry) toward the end of the bike leg. No GI issues on run. I did have serious problems with heat on the run, probably partly due to being sick and meds I was taking as well as extreme conditions (95 F and high humidity at start, no cloud cover and very little shade!), but nothing that would have been caused by chocolate.

For me, it works. I think the fat helps control the release of sugar into my system and provides a good sustained energy source for a long event, and the texture allows me to get in more calories that I otherwise would. I would use it again for a HIM and above, especially in more moderate weather conditions, but probably not in a shorter race.
2015-07-16 10:28 PM
in reply to: Hot Runner

User image

Master
8247
50002000100010010025
Eugene, Oregon
Bronze member
Subject: RE: Chocolate as fuel for 70.3? Plus--vintage gu question!
For all you chocolate lovers out there: I repeated my "chocolate experiment" in another HIM with much more moderate conditions, this time as my only nutrition on the bike. (I took two gus in case somehow the choco lost its appeal, but that didn't happen.) No issues with melting this time as temps did not go above 62F on the bike leg! I ate the entire bar in 2-3 square increments over the course of a 3-hour bike leg. I do recommend taking some plain water to wash it down with--Cherry Limeade Nuun was not a great pairing! Nonetheless, it provided a steady supply of energy, with no GI issues or gagging. I had two Powerbar Tangerine gels (with caffeine and electrolytes) on the run, plus some more Nuun and water. Finished strong with a PB of 5:32 on a fast course though pretty windy conditions. N=1, of course, but maybe worth a try for others who struggle with gagging on gu!
New Thread
General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Chocolate as fuel for 70.3? Plus--vintage gu question! Rss Feed  
RELATED POSTS

Clearwater 70.3 question.....

Started by bryancd
Views: 2094 Posts: 11

2008-10-11 12:26 PM bryancd

austin 70.3 course question

Started by Focker out!
Views: 1043 Posts: 5

2008-09-06 3:38 PM tinkerbell57

Longhorn 70.3 - hills question

Started by irondreams
Views: 1633 Posts: 11

2008-07-26 1:45 AM AndrewMT

And yet another dumb Ironman 70.3 Question

Started by bvfrompc
Views: 983 Posts: 5

2008-06-11 3:20 PM bvfrompc

70.3 Course Hydration Questions

Started by bvfrompc
Views: 1378 Posts: 11

2008-05-29 3:03 PM VeganMan
RELATED ARTICLES
date : April 23, 2012
author : Nancy Clark
comments : 2
Lose weight by eating chocolate for breakfast. Refuel after your workouts not with a sports drink, but instead with chocolate milk.
 
date : August 10, 2010
author : Nancy Clark
comments : 3
Is chocolate healthy? Is it little more than an alluring form of refined sugar, saturated fat and empty calories? Or does chocolate have positive qualities to help athletes?
date : May 24, 2010
author : mrakes1
comments : 0
Discussion on chocolate milk for recovery after workouts and Ironman bike fueling.
 
date : January 30, 2005
author : DominiqueL
comments : 0
Energy bars and fluid replacement drinks have their place – and will surely be the subject of future reviews – but there is nothing quite like the immediate lift an energy gel can provide.