Eating on the run

I am currently experimenting with nutrition products to train for the Portland Marathon.  Some goals i have in mind are to utilize my body’s fat stores efficiently, minimize GI distress, and to get faster!

I recently tried Perpetuem Solids by Hammer Nutrition on an 11 mile run on a brutally hot day.  (I had also taken two Hammer Endurance Amino Acids prior to heading out.)  It tasted horrible - a cross between horse food and chalk.  The solid is actually quite a large square so eating on the run might actually take some mastication skills especially since it doesn’t melt in your mouth like, say Gu products would (hence it keeps quite well in extreme temps and doesn’t have a time limit on stability or palatability).  There are also no refined sugars in Perpetuem Solids so that would probably explain the taste of chalk.  You absolutely need water to help break down this solid because it’s very chewy, grainy, and sticks to your teeth (and not in a good way). 

But if you can get over some of the taste issues consuming Perpetuem may have some benefits.  One of the ingredients in Perpetuem is Carnosine which acts as an acid buffer and a free radical scavenger.  It also comes in three flavors; i tried the caffe latte one because it contained caffeine.  It may also be easier on the gut without all the refined sugars to digest. 

I will say that the combination of the endurance amino acids and perpeteum helped with acid buffering (my muscles didn’t feel as cramped toward the end) and I felt really focused mentally. 

Bottom line: i think perpeteum solids are better for cycling

I’ve been reading about Generation UCAN and just ordered some products.  I am very excited.