You need to find out where you are with Perpetuem. Maybe a full dose is too much? Maybe too little? I usually use HEED early on and then switch to a HEED-Perpetuem mix later on during a ride. Everybody is different. Find your mix, then enjoy the ride. Ive been using Hammer products, namely HEED and Perpetuem for quite a while (20 years) and Ive found my "mix". Once you find your sweet spot you will be good to go. I like to get my calories and nutrition from a liquid and not a solid as I don't want to have to waste energy digesting solids during a long ride. Hammer is science for endurance athletes. You do the fine tuning.
I follow GU's suggested uses. 1 Gel before ridiing & one at my mid-way turn around place. Between the Gels & an energy bar with a cheese stick. I've never bonked on any ride. Longer or as scheduled. Fast & easy to absorb & tastes great when room temp or out of the back of my jersey pouch. Starting my outdoor riding season. I always have two boxes of mandarin orange,Gels. That way I'm covered for the season & stationary bicycling days during bad weather.
I am sure this works well as electrolytes, but it really doesn't taste very good. I got all three - orange, lime, and lemon-lime, at least I think that's what the 3 options were. Regardless of the names they really don't taste like much. The orange tasted kinda like soap. The lime one is better, but not great.
If all you want is electrolytes and with a tiny squeeze of real fruit flavor that you need 2+ scoops to even recognize, then that's what this is. It's just not very satisfying to drink.
