by hattenburrow | Jun 26, 2014 | Kit Reviews, Nutrition
This week my mission is to cover 100 miles so far in the last two days I have covered 55miles so well on my way to achieving my goal as its only Wednesday!
Yesterday I decided to go on a hilly 25 mile ride. The weather was hot so I used an electrolyte drink and a Protein, Nuts & Seeds bar from USN. Butser Hill is the highest point in the South Downs National Park and one of my favourite climbs, mainly for the view from the top!
I have only recently got back on my road bike and this was the first time, in a long time that I had climbed Butser Hill. When I reached the top I ate half of my USN energy bar whilst taking in the view. The first thing I noticed about this bar is even with 14g of protein it has no ‘protein bar’ taste to it. The nuts and seeds are covered in delicious honey making this a sweet nutritious treat. I really like the inclusion of pumpkin seeds which balance the sweetness.
After eating half I carried on my journey downhill and started to make my way back home. When I got home I ate the other half which was the perfect snack to keep my reaching for anything unhealthy while I cooked dinner.
The benefits of this as a snack on a longer ride is it felt substantial where a gel is a quick energy fix it does not leave you feeling nourished like the USN bar did.
At 65grams it’s a large bar which can be eaten in stages making it a handy thing to carry.
For long training rides and sportives I would highly recommend this bar and will be looking to use them as part of my nutrition plan during Ride London in August.
Check out my other USN reviews here.
by hattenburrow | May 2, 2014 | Kit Reviews, Nutrition
As a cyclist I do a lot of my training on my bike out on the roads and trails taking my bike on the back of my car to the forest.
After a hard session out on the trails or road, I know that it’s key to refuel quickly with good quality protein and carbohydrate. Often I have around a 30 minute journey home and like to eat something on the way as the first 20 minutes after exercise are the most key to recovery.
This is where a pre mixed shake like the USN protein fuel is really handy! The no fuss ease of pre mixed shakes is great.
I have used protein powder and mixed it before a ride, but when you are leaving it mixed in a car for an hour or two it just isn’t the same when you arrive back! Especially in hot weather this is not an ideal combination.
I have before mentioned using protein bars these are good but tend to be hard to digest and very chewy!
The USN pre mixed protein fuel has 27 grams of protein and no fat making it a great choice for me after a training session when I can’t mix powdered protein in a shaker.
I have tried a couple of makes of protein shakes and find some rather bloating a bit like the bars they hit your stomach and fill you up quickly. This then means you don’t fancy eating a healthy meal which is key to sustaining high levels of training and competition.
The USN shake has a velvety smooth texture and glides down like milkshake. The strawberry taste is actually quite refreshing and doesn’t have that whey protein taste or smell which can be off putting!
Check out my other reviews here.
by hattenburrow | Apr 23, 2014 | Kit Reviews, Nutrition
I have recently discovered Bounce Balls, these convenient natural energy balls come in a variety of interesting flavours packed with protein, complex carbs and the vitamins and minerals we all need to keep our bodies fuelled and raring to go. Whether your about to exercise, have just exercised or just need a pick me up there is a Bounce Ball that has got nutrition covered.
So far I have tried most of the flavours and will give a summary of each and its benefits but here are my favourites first;
The ‘Orange’ one: Almond Protein Hit.
This has become my go to snack as I leave the gym and head for the showers or after a ride as I’m washing my bike I grab a almond Bounce Ball. With 12g of protein and 100% natural ingredients this tasty mixture of whey protein and almonds (my favourite nut) is the perfect size (49g) to eat on the go. The outside is coated in crunchy almonds with a chewy centre packed with protein and carbohydrate to help you recover quickly. The ball is naturally sweet with grape juice and leaves you feeling satisfyingly full which means you wont snack on anything naughty before you have time to make a well balanced post workout meal.
The ‘Blue’ one: Coconut and Macadamia Protein Bliss.
The most indulgent of them all! This little ball tastes naughty but is packed with healthy natural ingredients. Only 9g of protein and slightly more sugar but it beats any biscuit, chocolate bar or sweet treat you might usually reach for on nutritional values so I would highly recommend putting some of these in your office draw for those days when there is plenty of cakes sitting around, instead reach for your Protein Bliss Ball and feel great for avoiding the cakes but get that sugar craving you needed! I think on a long ride these would be perfect for those moments when you feel like you need something sweet and energising I will be packing those for Ride London that is for sure.
The ‘Green’ one: Spirulina and Ginseng Defence Boost.
This ball is like nothing I have ever tasted, in a good way! The colour maybe off putting to some but never judge a good snack by its colour. This ball is a chewy mix of almonds, oats and sesame seeds, combined with the super foods spirulina and ginseng. It is the perfect snack at any time of day to boost your energy levels. This ball has plenty of anti oxidants so is great as a defence against any nasty bugs that might keep you off the top of your game.
The ‘Yellow’ one: Peanut Protein Blast.
With the most protein at 14g like the almond Bounce Ball it is a great post workout snack to help on the way to recovery. The texture is more chewy than the almond Bounce Ball. The peanut taste is delicious and I like the crunch of the nuts on the outside too.
by hattenburrow | Apr 19, 2014 | Kit Reviews, Nutrition
This high performance energy drink which comes in powered form, is mixed with water to create a sweet orange tasting drink.
The Cyto Power HP from USN has key electrolytes and 40 grams of carbohydrate to help your body refuel and sustain high intensity training.
I used the 50g servings with 500ml of water (as directed) and drank whilst out on a training ride over the course of 1 hour 45 minutes.
I found that although this product is highly sweet it is easy to drink and has a really nice orange flavour.
I didn’t, as suggested, start taking 20 – 30 minutes before my training ride but took at regular intervals during training, this seemed to work well for me.
I have been recovering from a elbow injury and this was my first proper training ride out on single track. I felt a bit nervous and didn’t eat much because of this.
Arriving at the trail I felt a bit shaky and put this down to a mixture of nerves and not eating enough I had some of the Cyto Power HP just before we started to ride. About 20 minutes into the ride I noticed that I felt more energised and focused on my riding instead of the jelly leg feeling I had, had previously.
Overall I think USN Cyto Power HP is a great training aid to refuel and energise you.
It would be good in races as long as you also carried water as I think personally I wouldn’t want to drink it continually during a race as it is rather sweet so being able to alternate between this and water on longer races would be advisable.
I will certainly be using it during Ride London this year!
Check out my other reviews here.
by hattenburrow | Apr 13, 2014 | Nutrition
Cross country mountain biking is fast paced and the ground is often rough with roots, rocks and other obstacles which make opportunities to refuel few and far between.
Races last around 1 hour 30/40 minuets so taking on board fluid and energy is very important for maintaining race pace and also not feeling like death afterwards!
My go to snack for during races is energy gels. They are really handy because you can bite the top off, hold it (usually squirting it all over yourself and your bike) and drink/swallow it when ever possible.
My first ever gel was a sticky sweet mouth drying disaster! It was like trying to swallow superglue, not pleasant and distracting in a race!
Since this first experience I have tried a variety of different makes of gels from Holland & Barrett and other stores with no real luck.
Then I tried the Science in Sport energy gels which have a more jelly like consistency and are not as sweet they contain 22g of carbohydrate and mostly are caffeine free. They are easy to digest and during a race can be swallowed easily. During an average race of 1 hour 30 mins I would eat two or three of these to maintain my energy levels.
The other gels I have found work really well are High Five these gels have 23g of carbohydrate and are as easy to use as the SIS ones. The big difference is actually something simple and that is the packaging design, I have had a couple of issues trying to rip the tops off and cycle at the same time with the High Five gels. Once the top is off however the High Five gels are brilliant and give a great tasting energy boost. My favourite flavour has to be the Mojito although you really have to drink after taking this as its slightly too sweet.
As with all performance products especially gels I think some of the energy they give you is phycological! However in a race if this works then that is all that matters.
I would recommend trying out a couple of different brands during training and see how they sit with you, this is the best way to pick your race energy products.
Happy Racing!
by hattenburrow | Mar 29, 2014 | Kit Reviews, Nutrition
I was sceptical when I got my Zip Vit ZV9 protein bar, I liked the idea of chocolate orange, who wouldn’t, but after trying many flavour protein bars the overwhelming taste in all was the protein and the consistency was also chewy and thick.
The ZipVit ZV9 bar was a totally new sensation, the taste was chocolate with a zingy orange tone with no hint of protein taste. The most important factor after how it tastes was the consistency unlike over chewy, dry bars this one was smooth and almost moist.
It was easy to eat the whole bar and when I arrived home I felt satisfied but not bloated and able to eat dinner.
The Zip Vit ZV9 bar has 20g of high quality protein (milk & whey) alongside 25g of easily digestible carbohydrates and a blend of vitamins and antioxidants to help protect against harmful free radicals.
The ZipVit ZV9 is a great grab and go protein source the silver foil keeps the bar in tact in warm weather and although it crumbled in the packet slightly it was easy to eat whilst stretching.
During a race i would still find this difficult to chew, however during a sportive or training ride it would be easy to eat whilst riding.
