Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

has anyone ever done this?
I am considering doing it for my long bike rides since it adds carbs+sugar, good things for biking.

that stuff just sticks to the bottom of my blender

shucks. good point. thanks!

i tried using them instead of dates once and that's what happened.

the problem with dates though is they don't blend particularly well. i think if you were to blend them then drain it through a sieve to get rid of the lumps it'd prob be quite a good sports drink with lemon/lime juice. Not for taste, but it'd do the job.

dates blend in a vitamix just fine for me

i was going to suggest that over the molasses idea.

medjool dates > other glucose sources

they are enough by themselves for an hour of weightlifting.. biking might be more of a complex carb+simple carb combination though. so dont forget to add pancakes or something.

I have a blendtec and was gutted that they don't handle dates very well at all.

I eat bobs red mill 8 grain cereal, 2 dates, 1/4 cup of frozen blueberries, redstar yeast, 1 cup unsweetened soymilk, 1-2 dried apricot, & either 1 or 1/2 banana before the rides.

I eat dates along the ride [only 2-3], but sometimes I think my intake during the ride isnt enough [i only started riding in august], every 30 min i eat something, 1 gel, next 30 min, 1 luna bar. Oh also i use Hammer's fizz tabs in my water. I think I just need more riding experience to build up endurance.

hmm :/

If I'm using molasses, and dates too for that matter, I usually soak in warm water first. Dissolves the molasses, and softens the dates

Yeah, I was going to suggest soaking the dates beforehand. I haven't done it myself, but I would think that would help.

Good point! But I eat the dates whole on my rides

Dates!!! I live in Savannah and I cannot find fresh dates anywhere... I found one place with dried, chopped dates. What kind of climate do they grow in?

Calfornia climate? Lol, I am talking about dried dates

Hello everyone! I don't put anything in my water but what I do is make my own gels. I use brown rice syrup or agave nectar for carbs, blackstrap molasses for potassium, sea salt for sodium, and chia seeds. I put this mixture into 3"x4" plastic ziplocs and just bite the corner off and suck the goodie out. I then follow with a few nice gulps from my water bottle. These have helped stave off fatigue and cramps while on rides up to 75 miles. YMMV. Hope this helps.

-runningeek

I like to use gel flasks like this on the bike, because they have a grippy shape


personally i don't like to have sugary stuff in my water. i keep water and electrolytes separate, and if I want something sugary, i can grab it out of my pocket. it ends up being better on your teeth too, if you're not constantly bathing them in sugar water.

I was listening to the No Meat Athlete podcast this morning and one guy said he blends half a banana in water and drinks it on the bike (or maybe it was while he runs, I don't remember). Anyway, it made me think of this thread.