Life In The Saddle

Alcohol free and low alcohol beers are finally catching on in the UK. I have been enjoying low alcohol or zero alcohol beers for many years now, and thought it would be nice to share three of my favourites. Alcohol free and low alcohol beers allow you to have a guilt-free drink—enjoying the taste and pleasure of having a beer, without the repercussions of a hangover or dehydration. Low alcohol beers also tend to be lower calorie, and some beers even claim to be isotonic to help you rehydrate. Small Beer Company Dark Larger The Small Beer Company are specialists in brewing classic styles of beer, below 2.8 percent ABV. The Small Beer Co. Dark Larger is just 1.0 percent ABV, but still delivers a beautiful taste and texture. Smooth and dark, with hints of coffee and dark chocolate; the Original Small Beer Dark Lager drinks like a stout lager and leaves a roasted toasted finish. At just 60 calories and 7 grams of carbohydrate per 350ml bottle, this beer is dark in colour and strong on tas...

Not all bicycle water bottles are made equal. In my opinion, you should look for a BPA free, insulated bottle; with a soft silicone mouthpiece and an easy to use and clean valve. The Pro Bike Tool Insulated Bike Water Bottle is a great example. A bike water bottle should not be an expensive piece of kit, but ultimately you do get what you pay for. The Pro Bike Tool Insulated Bottle retails for £14.99 (although there are multi-buy savings and discount codes at present) — that is quite a price, but then this bottle does deliver a lot more than most simple bidons. Firstly, consider the plastic that the bottle is made from — you want it to be soft and squeezable, but crucially it should be BPA free so that it does not leach harmful chemicals into your drinks. Second, consider the mouthpiece on the bike bottle — you want it to be soft and easy to clean; so that you do not risk chipping teeth on it when you drink, and you can also clean the nozzle to avoid bacteria build-up. Finally,...

I have a new favourite post-workout/ride drink, and it is not a powdered recovery shake. CocoPro is a light, refreshing, and low calorie electrolyte recovery drink, with a good amount of protein for muscle repair, and only natural sweeteners. I can honestly say that in the last year, I have given away at least ten times the amount of powdered recovery shakes than I have consumed myself (I have a lot of grateful friends). The reason is simple: I do not like the amount of sugar found in a lot of 'recovery' shakes, and I am also making a conscious effort to get as far away from processed foods as possible—instead, forming a diet with energy and protein sourced from natural wholefoods. Coconut water is wonderfully natural electrolyte drink; far removed from the 'energy exercise' drinks found saturating the market. So, what is an electrolyte drink? The essential electrolytes most commonly found in the human body are sodium, potassium, bicarbonate, chloride, calcium, ma...

Project E2 Nutrition is a new player in the sports nutrition market, but one that has set itself apart from the masses through a unique focus on endurance sports nutrition. I have been testing their products over the last few months, with some positive results and feedback. About the Brand Project E2 Nutrition is a fresh off-shoot of globally renowned brand CNP Nutrition. Using the knowledge and experience gained from years of producing industry-leading sports nutrition, CNP have created Project E2 Nutrition with a specific focus of fuel and recovery for endurance athletes. The Range The Project E2 collection is composed of a comprehensive range of pre, during, and post exercise products: PRE Workout Drink Powder HYDRO Drink Powder ENERGY Drink Powder RECOVER Drink Powder ENERGY GEL ENERGY GEL+ HYDRO GEL HYDRO GEL+ ENERGY BAR The Drinks The drinks range from Project E2 is designed to give endurance athletes a complete pre, during, and post workout/race hydratio...

Sports drinks may appear to be a homogeneous product; there are different brands and flavours, but don't they all do the same thing - supply our body with electrolytes and sugar to keep it going? The short answer is no. Within the 'sports drinks' market there is huge variety: different sugars, different electrolytes, different compositions, and of course different flavours. The universal fact I suppose is that most contain some kind of sugar, though that is a weak unifying fact at best. However, OSMO Nutrition breaks even that strand of similarity. The nutrition ethos behind this brand is that sugar should not come from your drink; rather drinks should be for hydration, and sugar should come from solids. It is an interesting approach and one that appeals to me as someone who suffers from gastric reflux with an overload of high-sugar drinks. OSMO Preload Hydration Powder The first component of the OSMO Nutrition range is the OSMO Preload Hydration Powder . This wo...

Summer months mean (hopefully) hotter weather, longer rides, and post ride BBQ beers. The issue with all three of those, is that they will likely leave you dehydrated. Dehydration negatively affects performance and recovery, so to get the most from your cycling, you really need to avoid it. Luckily, Erdinger have a solution... Erdinger Alkoholfrei is an alcohol free weissbrau beer, which actually has isotonic properties. That means it officially classifies as a recovery drink. Here's the technical side... What are isotonic drinks? Isotonic drinks are those that have a similar osmotic pressure to blood; that means a similar number of dissolved particles per litre. This characteristic means they can be absorbed into the blood stream faster than other liquids. Dissolved particles include polyphenols, vitamins, electrolytes, carbohydrates, sugar, and protein particles. If the concentration of these particles is correct, then isotonic drinks can be absorbed up to four time...

The German company Multipower  produces some of the best tasting protein powders, bars, and smoothies that I have tried to date. I have mentioned their huge 50 gram protein bar and quality protein powders in my two previous blogs ' Fuelling on Fat and Protein ' and ' Five of the Best Drinks for Cyclists '; I have also used their products in recipes like my ' High Protein Banana Bread ' and ' Protein Ice-cream ' recipe. The Multipower products use quality ingredients, and have a more natural taste and texture than a lot of protein products on the market today. In this blog post, I want to give a mention to three new products from Multipower: the 53% Protein Bar, the Multipower Protein Fruit Smoothies, and the Power Layer Protein Snack Bars. These are all again great tasting products, and each great for a cyclists' diet... The 53% Protein Bar The huge 100 gram Multipower 50% Protein Bar packs a serious protein punch, and I found it to be an...

I'm generally moving away from using sports drinks; their high sugar content, acidic nature and synthetic feel, no longer have an appeal for my style of endurance riding (read my blog post on ' Fuelling on Fat and Protein '). This said, hydration remains a priority for me; and we all know that water alone is not enough to hydrate your body properly. As a result, I'm always on the lookout for hydration solutions; mixes that offer a low-sugar, natural and electrolyte supplementing drink, but without the sugary calories of most. Skratch Labs Exercise Hydration Mix seems to tick all of these boxes, and so I was keen to test it out… Skratch Labs are an American company, founded on the principals of simple, natural and effective sports nutrition. Their products are made using real, natural ingredients; with no artificial colours or preservatives. There are no E-numbers or 15 letter word ingredients in their product; just the essentials, to keep your body firing on all cyl...

This year, Optimum Nutrition turned 30 years old. They are celebrating three decades of delivering 'Gold Standard' nutrition, including the famous Gold Standard 100% Whey - the most popular whey protein product out there today. Within the ON range, there are numerous other 'Gold Standard' products though; which can create a complete 'optimal nutrition strategy', whether you're a gym goer or endurance cyclist. In this blog post, I thought I'd look through my favourites… Gold Standard Pre-Workout To kick things off, quite literally, there is the Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre-Workout. This product is designed to ignite your body before you commence vigorous activity. It contains 175mg of caffeine, from natural sources, to help increase alertness and focus. It also contains creatine, for added power output; then vitamins B1, B3, B5, B6 and B12, which all contribute to energy yielding metabolism. Additional ingredients include Beta-Alanine, Ci...

There has long been a tradition for a 'recovery beer' amongst amateur bike riders, and even many professionals. The refreshing chilled beverage has the ability to revive, rejuvenate and relax you after a hard effort. The positive effects of alcoholic beer after exercise, are primarily psychological though; its benefits in terms of real physical recovery are very limited, or even negative. What you really need after a prolonged effort, is a drink that will re-hydrate you, and replace depleted muscle glycogen stores; so you're ready to fire on all cylinders again, sometime soon. Erdinger Alkoholfrei is the only 'beer' that can actually be labelled an effective sports drink; aiding re-hydration and re-fuelling through isotonic benefits. What are isotonic drinks? Isotonic drinks are those that have a similar osmotic pressure to blood; that means a similar number of dissolved particles per litre. This characteristic means they can be absorbed into the blood stre...

With hundreds of different 'sports drinks' on the market, it can be a bit daunting to the consumer. How do you know what works best for recovery? What tastes best? What is the best value? A lot comes down to personal preference; but, the ingredients and quality of the product are also paramount to getting the most from sports drinks. In this blog post, I've picked out five of my favourites… The 'Everyday Hydration Aid' Drink: O.R.S Hydration Tablets First up, a drink which you can use every day; whether or not you are out on the bike. These simple effervescent electrolyte tablets from O.R.S. are the best that I've tried. They're not too strongly flavoured, and not too acidic; but most importantly, they do a great job of replenishing lost salts. They'll help ward off cramp, and probably encourage you to drink more than if you were using water alone. View O.R.S Hydration tablets at Wiggle (Link) The 'During Exercise' Drink: Optimum...

Most of us know (deep down) that alcohol and endurance sports don't mix. Alcohol dehydrates your body; it reduces your reaction times and suppresses your immune system; it contains empty calories and lots of sugar; it even affects hormone production. Whether consumed before or after exercise, alcohol can negatively affect your performance, and your recovery. I first sampled Erdinger Alkoholfrei at the Mallorca 312 Challenge  last year; you got a refreshing pint of the stuff at the finish line! It instantly surprised me; both because it tasted great (not normally the case for alcohol-free beer), and it also genuinely seemed to help with rehydration, after a tough 10 hours in the saddle. Erdinger Alkoholfrei is a German Weissbier, it is made in the Erdinger brewery, which also produces a great range of normal strength beers, and they use the same skills and expertise to make the alcohol free version. Although it is branded as alcohol free, it actually contains less than 0.5% vo...

Protein is a key nutrient in any person's diet, whether they are a Pro athlete, or gentle exerciser. Protein is responsible for renewing and rejuvenating your body's muscles, skin, hair and bones; without it, we simply wouldn't be able to survive. In a recent post , I talked about how I have made the switch to fuelling with more fat and protein, particularly on endurance rides. The change has had a notable positive impact for me, both on my energy levels, as well as on my recovery. With this in mind, and with recent research showing that most people would actually do well to reduce the sugar in their diet, in favour of more protein, it seems that products like the fresh dairy protein drinks from Upbeat, should be a great hit. Upbeat's drinks are different from many pre-made protein drinks, which you can find on the shelves in the supermarket. They aren't packed full of sugar and preservatives, and they aren't sickeningly sweet or gloopy. Rather, they are m...

Earlier in the year, I reviewed the STEALTH Hydration Mix and Energy Gels , from UK brand Secret Training . They proved to be great products, which followed my line of thought on effective sports nutrition; using primarily natural ingredients, and a reduced quantity of refined sugar. The latest addition to Dr. Tim Lawson's Secret Training line-up, is the STEALTH Whey Protein Drink Mix. Similar to the Hydration Mix and Energy Gels, its ingredients are focussed on simple, effective nutrition and hydration. Each 33 gram serving of the drink mix contains 20 grams of protein, around 10 grams of carbohydrates, and trace amounts of fat. In addition, each pack also contains an impressive electrolyte blend, as well as vitamins such as zinc, magnesium, potassium and B vitamins. Flavouring comes from dried real fruit powders, and both the cherry and banana flavours I tried had a great natural smell and taste. The thinking behind the Whey Protein Drink Mix, is that in the recovery phas...

Some will question whether a cycling blog is the place to review appliances like a blender. Well, I'm going to explain why it is... I have no problem wolfing down a bowl of porridge before most rides, but after a hard training session, I often find it difficult to stomach a solid meal; even though I know that it is optimal for recovery. I know others who struggle with the reverse, and as a result tend not to fuel up optimally before they head out. Blending could be the answer... NutriBullet blenders have become a very fashionable item over the last year or so; with people tweeting pictures of their bright green kale smoothies, and raspberry ripple shakes on a daily basis. I'm a big fan of milkshakes, and my NutriBullet makes an awesome banana and peanut butter shake; but what I really wanted to highlight to cyclists, is the benefit of a blender like this, for making prep and recovery easier. Pre-ride raspberry, yoghurt and oat "porridge smoothie" Pre-Rid...

There is ice in the puddles, as you make the final push to the top of the climb. You take a swig from your bottle, and the Slush Puppie style energy drink inside suddenly numbs your mouth; you gasp for air, and quickly return the bottle to its holder. It's cold, anyway, so you don't need to drink... right? Wrong. Hydration and drinking are just as important in the colder months. Indeed, winter is one of the times when we often get hydration seriously wrong, and end up training with heavily depleted water levels, damaging the effectiveness of that training in the process. During the windy and cold conditions of winter, it is possible for you to lose almost as much fluid through perspiration and breathing, as you do in the hotter months. Those winter layers might do a good job of soaking up your sweat, and taking it away from your body, but you are still perspiring. The strong winter winds also do a good job of drying out your skin and depleting water levels. Oh yes, and...

After a cold and arduous winter ride, the thing on most people's mind is how quickly they can get to a hot shower. Because of this, I've decided that having a pre-mixed or pre-prepared protein shake made for when you get home, is a very good idea. Grab it, down it and run for the warmth. That's exactly the thinking behind products like ProMax Milk; convenience is key to avoid the temptation to shirk good recovery. I've been keeping a stock of ProMax Milk close to hand, so that when I get back from a ride and have forgotten to make a shake before I leave, I've got something quick to kick-start the recovery process. Made from UHT milk and whey protein isolate, these little bottles contain a significant 30 grams of high quality protein as well as a multitude of BCAAs. They're not too high in sugar and they're fat free. They taste pretty good too. In effect, they're a protein shake that is pre-mixed with milk. On the days when I do shirk recovery, ...

Back to back weekend challenge rides with the New Forest 200 and then the Falmouth to London ride left me feeling rather weak and worn down last week. Time to bring in the serious recovery tools. Pre-made protein shakes like Cyclone Milk are certainly the most convenient and least messy way to get your protein hit post-ride, or to top up your protein intake as a snack. Put one of these in your kit bag or commuting rucksack, and you don't have to worry about used shakers or needing milk to put in your shake. Cyclone Milk is made of UHT skimmed milk and whey protein powder pre-mixed into a drink. It contains 3 grams of creatine per drink, a massive 30 grams of protein, and it's fat-free. It tastes like a proper milkshake, although you do need to give it a really good shake to avoid gloopy bits at the bottom. I've always preferred protein shakes mixed with milk rather than water, so this is a great solution when you're away from a fridge. It seems to work at ai...

MaxiNutrition is the new incarnation/combination of MaxiMuscle and MaxiFuel; two iconic brands that provided sports supplements to some of the best athletes in the world. Maximuscle was the most well known brand though, and of the Maxifuel products that I tried, it was the muscular recovery shakes and bars that I was most fond of and found most effective. With the new Maxinutrition Promax Lean range looking like a great option for cyclists then, I was keen to try it out and see how it aided recovery. Promax was my preferred protein shake when I was rowing (although the price was often an issue as a student); it proved to be the most effective at mass-gain and muscle growth. Promax Lean is a stripped down, low-fat and low-sugar option; which is perfect for a cyclist that is wanting to put on lean muscle without the mass gain. As has historically been the case, Maxi products follow some of the latest science research. Owned by Glaxo Smith Klein, this is a firm founded in science. P...

CherryActive is a UK based brand, which started in 2005 to provide both sports people and the general public with the natural benefits of cherry juice. The anti-oxidant properties, melatonin content and anthocyanins found in cherries have been shown to benefit recovery for sports people; as well as being beneficial for joint care, sleep and protection from 'free radicals' which may contribute to cancer and heart disease. The product comes in a concentrated juice, that can be added to water, yoghurt or smoothies. It provides a convenient and tasty way to get some natural goodness. In the last year the company has grown their range to include BlueberryActive and BeetActive, two juices that are also renowned for their anti-oxidant properties and beneficial effects for athletes. I've sampled each of the three concentrates and they are a convenient and pretty yummy way to get your antioxidants. The Benefits: These are just a few of the natural benefits of these juice con...