revtothelimit - motorbike forum

Probably a bit niche this.

Not just applicable to cycling though.

Apparently honey is, scientifically, as good as those gel packs in some circumstances and can be good for the recovery phase. It's quite a long read so only of interest to those that already ponder on sports nutrition.

https://theconversation.com/honey-may-b ... sation.com

I do a lot lot less on nutrition both before, during and after exercise than i ought to. Considering how much i exercise, my physique shows how poor that side of things is for me.

I'm not a massive fan of honey though.. but admittedly i'm even less of a fan of energy gells.

weeksy wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2026 7:57 am I do a lot lot less on nutrition both before, during and after exercise than i ought to. Considering how much i exercise, my physique shows how poor that side of things is for me.

I'm not a massive fan of honey though.. but admittedly i'm even less of a fan of energy gells.

Might be worth trying some different sorts of honey? The range of flavours is pretty big. Heather honey is pretty 'grown up', acacia honey is like a v light golden syrup. I don't like the opaque stuff, or more accurately haven't found any that I like.

You could try it in a post cycle cuppa...if you take any sugar in your tea.

Failing that...drink mead!

Count Steer wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2026 8:57 am

weeksy wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2026 7:57 am I do a lot lot less on nutrition both before, during and after exercise than i ought to. Considering how much i exercise, my physique shows how poor that side of things is for me.

I'm not a massive fan of honey though.. but admittedly i'm even less of a fan of energy gells.

Might be worth trying some different sorts of honey? The range of flavours is pretty big. Heather honey is pretty 'grown up', acacia honey is like a v light golden syrup. I don't like the opaque stuff, or more accurately haven't found any that I like.

You could try it in a post cycle cuppa...if you take any sugar in your tea.

Failing that...drink mead!

Tea ? Post cycling comes in bottles and has 5.5% on the side

I have lots of honey (well, I will have in a few weeks time after I extract it) but don't eat very much of it at all.
It's 80% sugars, the ratio of the different sugars depends on what plants or comes from, which also dictates how quickly it crystallises.

Nutrition on a big ride is normally a bag of mini eggs or similar, so not brilliant but it's shite calories, and I proved to myself this weekend that if I'm doing a big ride and don't use isotonic in my drink I get a stinking headache that lasts until the next morning, with isotonic I'm all good

weeksy wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2026 11:52 am

Count Steer wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2026 8:57 am

weeksy wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2026 7:57 am I do a lot lot less on nutrition both before, during and after exercise than i ought to. Considering how much i exercise, my physique shows how poor that side of things is for me.

I'm not a massive fan of honey though.. but admittedly i'm even less of a fan of energy gells.

Might be worth trying some different sorts of honey? The range of flavours is pretty big. Heather honey is pretty 'grown up', acacia honey is like a v light golden syrup. I don't like the opaque stuff, or more accurately haven't found any that I like.

You could try it in a post cycle cuppa...if you take any sugar in your tea.

Failing that...drink mead!

Tea ? Post cycling comes in bottles and has 5.5% on the side

Even after the early morning ones?

Well impressed.

Count Steer wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2026 4:08 pm

weeksy wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2026 11:52 am

Count Steer wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2026 8:57 am

Might be worth trying some different sorts of honey? The range of flavours is pretty big. Heather honey is pretty 'grown up', acacia honey is like a v light golden syrup. I don't like the opaque stuff, or more accurately haven't found any that I like.

You could try it in a post cycle cuppa...if you take any sugar in your tea.

Failing that...drink mead!

Tea ? Post cycling comes in bottles and has 5.5% on the side

Even after the early morning ones?

Well impressed.

NAh, that's coffee and croissants/baked goods. I've not drunk tea in 50 years

With my er fussy/badly run Indian fertiliser factory of a bowel I have to be careful with gels and powders. The SIS stuff absolutely ruins me, Torq is OK but currently use Tailwind powder in my water bottles, the caffeinated stuff for the early doors commute and non caffeinated for afternoon rides. Mid ride food is usually Tangfastics or if its a big day out flap jacks an/or peanut butter sandwiches.

Beer is reserved for Sunday rides or Wednesday night excuse for many beers ride.

weeksy wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2026 11:52 am

Count Steer wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2026 8:57 am

weeksy wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2026 7:57 am I do a lot lot less on nutrition both before, during and after exercise than i ought to. Considering how much i exercise, my physique shows how poor that side of things is for me.

I'm not a massive fan of honey though.. but admittedly i'm even less of a fan of energy gells.

Might be worth trying some different sorts of honey? The range of flavours is pretty big. Heather honey is pretty 'grown up', acacia honey is like a v light golden syrup. I don't like the opaque stuff, or more accurately haven't found any that I like.

You could try it in a post cycle cuppa...if you take any sugar in your tea.

Failing that...drink mead!

Tea ? Post cycling comes in bottles and has 5.5% on the side

Mead comes in bottles and is 11 -14%, so you can drink half as much and save on calories.

Or you could just eat some normal food. You're probably a middle aged, middle class bloke out for short bike ride, not an Olympic athlete in training.

It’s all just sugar - maybe slightly different forms but sugar all the same

MingtheMerciless wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2026 4:16 pm With my er fussy/badly run Indian fertiliser factory of a bowel ... currently use Tailwind ...

Mr Moofo wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2026 9:23 pm It’s all just sugar - maybe slightly different forms but sugar all the same

Which the body treats in different ways. If you want to do reductio ad absurdum all carbohydrates are just carbon, hydrogen and oxygen

The point was though that honey is cheaper 'just sugars' than gels and works just the same, if not better because of the other stuff in it. (+ you aren't paying for the marketing, fancy packaging and advertising of the honey ).

PS I have a recipe for 'balanced-electrolyte hydration' drinks that costs pence too.

I'd be interested in that electrolyte recipe, I hadn't thought of a cheapo DIY option.

Taff wrote: Wed Jun 03, 2026 7:55 am I'd be interested in that electrolyte recipe, I hadn't thought of a cheapo DIY option.

TBH I nicked it from Martina Navratilova

She called it 'Quick-fix'. It's basically a slug of 'fresh' orange juice (out of a carton) diluted with
with water, add a pinch of salt (NaCl) and a pinch of salt substitute (KCl) and hey presto! A balanced electrolyte thirst quencher.

Having read the honey thing though I might be tempted to add a bit of sucrose to the fructose from the orange*.

A quick google reminds me that I got it from a book:

Robert Haas - "Eat to Win: The Sports Nutrition Bible" published waaay back in 1983.

(He was a nutritionist and advised the likes of Martina N and Ivan Lendl).

* Edit - on second thoughts, I wouldn't bother with the sucrose. I find that there's more sucrose than fructose in oranges...which was a bit of a surprise tbh.

Count Steer wrote: Wed Jun 03, 2026 6:15 am

Mr Moofo wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2026 9:23 pm It’s all just sugar - maybe slightly different forms but sugar all the same

Which the body treats in different ways. If you want to do reductio ad absurdum all carbohydrates are just carbon, hydrogen and oxygen

The point was though that honey is cheaper 'just sugars' than gels and works just the same, if not better because of the other stuff in it. (+ you aren't paying for the marketing, fancy packaging and advertising of the honey ).

PS I have a recipe for 'balanced-electrolyte hydration' drinks that costs pence too.

Sugars all have different properties, and maybe different sweetness etc but they are all not a million miles away from each other in structure . Obviously if the are in the monomer, dimer or polymer format it will affect how they are metabolised.
Just one point in honey - it’s expensive! Orange juice , apple juice , etc are all a much cheaper was of getting a sugar intake

Mr Moofo wrote: Wed Jun 03, 2026 8:26 am

Count Steer wrote: Wed Jun 03, 2026 6:15 am

Mr Moofo wrote: Tue Jun 02, 2026 9:23 pm It’s all just sugar - maybe slightly different forms but sugar all the same

Which the body treats in different ways. If you want to do reductio ad absurdum all carbohydrates are just carbon, hydrogen and oxygen

The point was though that honey is cheaper 'just sugars' than gels and works just the same, if not better because of the other stuff in it. (+ you aren't paying for the marketing, fancy packaging and advertising of the honey ).

PS I have a recipe for 'balanced-electrolyte hydration' drinks that costs pence too.

Sugars all have different properties, and maybe different sweetness etc but they are all not a million miles away from each other in structure . Obviously if the are in the monomer, dimer or polymer format it will affect how they are metabolised.
Just one point in honey - it’s expensive! Orange juice , apple juice , etc are all a much cheaper was of getting a sugar intake

True, oranges have glucose, fructose and sucrose in. The carb concentration in honey is a bit more gel like though.

(For me, one of the main attractions of DiY would be saving on plastic waste too).

Count Steer wrote: Wed Jun 03, 2026 9:15 am

Mr Moofo wrote: Wed Jun 03, 2026 8:26 am

Count Steer wrote: Wed Jun 03, 2026 6:15 am

Which the body treats in different ways. If you want to do reductio ad absurdum all carbohydrates are just carbon, hydrogen and oxygen

The point was though that honey is cheaper 'just sugars' than gels and works just the same, if not better because of the other stuff in it. (+ you aren't paying for the marketing, fancy packaging and advertising of the honey ).

PS I have a recipe for 'balanced-electrolyte hydration' drinks that costs pence too.

Sugars all have different properties, and maybe different sweetness etc but they are all not a million miles away from each other in structure . Obviously if the are in the monomer, dimer or polymer format it will affect how they are metabolised.
Just one point in honey - it’s expensive! Orange juice , apple juice , etc are all a much cheaper was of getting a sugar intake

True, oranges have glucose, fructose and sucrose in. The carb concentration in honey is a bit more gel like though.

(For me, one of the main attractions of DiY would be saving on plastic waste too).

Just carry beehive with you