Supplements. Believe the hype?

When I first started cycling, I was desperate to spend money on the sport. So much so, that if you took a shit and stamped a picture of a bicycle on it, I'd probably try to buy it from you.

I think the majority of humans are insatiable - we always want more and are never happy with what we have got. The grass is always greener on the other side (or the tarmac is always smoother if you're more a roadie than a mountain biker).

I am fairly obsessed with cycling and so if I can't be outside riding my bike, I want to be reading about bikes or planning routes to cycle or arranging rides or buying things to do with my bike or cycling or that vaguely resemble cycling. The buying part brings me onto the purpose of today's topic - supplements.

The reason I've been thinking about this is because my sister is training to run a marathon and is currently completing training runs of around 15 miles. She has read a few articles about fueling and decided to ask me what I use whilst I'm cycling.

It's an interesting topic. When I first started to cycle, I used to take a bottle of water and even though the distances were short and one could argue that I was cycling on"stored" energy, I didn't die from hunger or exhaustion.
A couple of months into my new found hobby, I joined ,my local cycling club (Addiscombe CC http://www.addiscombe.org/ ) and threw myself into a 50 mile club run, cheating death with a cup of tea and a Kit Kat.

I read some magazines and found out that I shouldn't be content with merely cheating death, I needed to stick two fingers up and poke death in his/her eyes (no sexism here - I don't work for Sky Sports). My mind was opened to the world of nutritional supplements. In the blink of an eye, I had found a whole new avenue to spend money on. I could almost hear the accountants of Wiggle rubbing their hands with glee.

So, I dived in and bought gels, powders, bars galore and used them whenever I could on a ride and do you know what? I didn't die but I didn't win the Tour de France either.

I'm not saying that supplements are wrong or don't work but I think it's all too easy to get caught up in the hype that goes with them. I've learned that I don't need to take an energy drink on every ride, sometimes a banana is better than a sports packaged cereal bar.

Now, I follow a simple strategy:
30 miles or less - water.
30 - 60 miles - water, a banana or flapjack or an energy drink.
60 plus miles, whatever the media want to throw at me.......

My advice to you, do whatever makes you happy and you think works but respect your body and always have something left in reserve.