Home-made maltodextrin-based energy gel

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Anonymous
Home-made maltodextrin-based energy gel 2016-07-04 18:52:23 Post No. 1017922
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Home-made maltodextrin-based energy gel Anonymous 2016-07-04 18:52:23 Post No. 1017922 [Report]

You might be able to give me some insight as to what I'm doing wrong here, /diy/.

Some background: I'm on a bicycle racing team, and many of the races we do have significant climbs on them, and the lighter you and your bike are overall, the faster you can climb.

Water is heavy (a full bike bottle is about a pound and a half), so a common trick is to use a condensed gel-type carbohydrate source instead of water bottles, and get your water at the feedzones instead.

I'm racing on a budget, and buy maltodextrin 50 pounds at a time, to mix my own bottles (for training and flat races) for a tiny fraction of what commercial endurance fuels otherwise cost.

I've been trying to make my own maltodextrin-based energy gels, but the problem I'm having, is that they get too thick to be usable at the concentration I need it to be in. A typical single-serving of commercial energy gel is about 30 grams for 90 calories. When I mix it at that concentration, it's more like paste than anything you can squeeze out of a bottle.

What am I doing wrong, /diy/?

For reference here's what I'm trying to emulate (minus any flavoring, of course): http://www.hammernutrition.com/products/hammer-gel-reg.hg.html

Any constructive input you can give is appreciated.

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Anonymous 2016-07-04 19:33:27 Post No.1017947
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Anonymous 2016-07-04 19:33:27 Post No.1017947 [Report]

Google tells me that alcohol and heat both help it dissolve.

Did you even try?

http://runwithperseverance.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-to-make-your-own-energy-gel.html

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Anonymous 2016-07-04 19:44:17 Post No.1017953
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Anonymous 2016-07-04 19:44:17 Post No.1017953 [Report]

>>1017947
Yes, I've 'tried' several times, and yes, heat in some form or another was involved, either a pot on the stove, or in the microwave, or boiling water from my electric kettle.

NOTE: I am NOT having problems getting it to dissolve. It's the viscosity that's the problem.

I've used an electric mixer (the traditional type, with two beaters) to mix it.

Once I get the concentration right, and it comes back down to room temperature, it's too thick, more paste-like than gel-like, and as such it's not usable; you can't even get the majority out of the squeeze-flask you're supposed to put it in, so you can use it while you're riding.

In order to get it back out of the flask to clean it, I had to put it in the microwave to get it thin enough to pour back out.

The viscosity at room temperature needs to be about equivalent to maple syrup at room temperature. A little thicker is OK, it just needs to be able to flow, but not much thicker than that or you won't be able to get it all out.

So far as your link is concerned:
Why the fructose?
Why the liquor?
Why the pectin?

I don't just do things blindly. I want to know what the purpose of those ingredients are.

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Anonymous 2016-07-04 19:54:56 Post No.1017957
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Anonymous 2016-07-04 19:54:56 Post No.1017957 [Report]

>>1017947
>So far as your link is concerned:
>Why the fructose?
>Why the liquor?
>Why the pectin?
You don't actually have to answer those questions if you don't want to, I've emailed the author at the link you posted with questions.