I'm 58 and try to stay fit through proper eating and vitamins. But all the claims and hype are confusing. After I take all my supplements, I often wonder if there will be room for breakfast! They're costly, too. What's your recommendation for a reasonable regimen of vitamins for guys our age? 

I don't care for commercial energy bars. What else can I use for fuel on long rides? -

I'm fairly fit and ride about 120 miles a week. Year before last, I lost 45 pounds on a high-protein diet. I ate carbohydrate at only one meal a day. This was the first time I had been able to lose weight consistently.   The problem is that I can't sustain a long ride at a high performance level with this diet. I run out of gas between 50 and 70 miles. I also crave carbs and eventually the weight loss stops, then I begin to gain weight. What's happening? 

I'm 6-foot-5, 180 pounds, 10% body fat, 46 years old. Is it a rational objective to lose weight to become a better climber? I love to eat, so it's hard to avoid the goodies -- especially if depriving myself won't help me improve. 

Since April I've been strictly watching my food intake, exercising and taking a weight-loss supplement with ephedra. But I've gained 30 pounds! I think the exercise is overdeveloping my quads and inner thighs.  I eat only 1,300 calories a day and try to burn most of it in the gym or on the bike. My gym's fitness manager thinks I'm not eating enough and my metabolic rate has either totally tanked or I have some type of food allergy. Why do you think I've gained this weight?

Last year I began doing intense indoor training intervals. I noticed a very strong ammonia smell moments after the end of the workout. Then I read in your column that this smell is a sign of overtraining and cannibalizing muscles. Yikes! How much time do I need to take off the bike once I notice this smell?

Several years ago, I heard Coach Fred talk about his participation in the Team Race Across America. He mentioned how he and his three teammates had planned to eat carbs but craved fat and even started wolfing down potato chips.  What's the scoop on nutrition for ultras? Are fatty foods necessary?

I've lost 40 pounds in the last year. I weigh myself daily and have noticed that if I eat something salty (like pizza with anchovies), my weight can be up 3 or 4 pounds. I assume this is caused by water retention.  So here's the question: Would it be a good idea to eat something salty a day or so before a long ride in the summer to help stay hydrated with the extra water and also provide extra salt? 

On rides of 60-100 miles, should I drink water and sports drink or just sports drink? Is there some optimal mix of the two? How much should I drink per hour? What about energy bars?

Is there a way to determine the taste of a sports drink by looking at its list of ingredients?

I love to ride in the winter but sure wish I could have something hot to drink about an hour out. My bottles freeze even if I start with them filled with hot tea. What are my options?

Last summer I guzzled four bottles on a hilly 75-miler. I just rode the loop again for the first time this year and drank only one bottle. Does cooler weather have that great an affect on fluid needs?

I'm careful to keep myself hydrated. I drink two large bottles every 30 miles, using both water and sports drink. On a 50-mile ride, I refill both bottles, making up a new batch of sweet stuff with a pre-measured amount of the powder.  I ride with a friend who drinks about the same amount I do. However, I urinate about four times during a 50-mile ride, while my friend doesn't go at all. Am I consuming too much fluid? 

I know this question must have a couple of obvious answers, but no one can give me a direct solution. On long rides, how can I replenish my fluid supply when the two bottles that I can carry aren't enough? I don't want to carry a back-mounted hydration pack while riding on the road.

I'm training for the LoToJa race from Logan, Utah, to Jackson, Wyoming. It's a one-day event of 188 miles. I've ridden half-a-dozen centuries this year and nutrition isn't an issue for that distance, but eating and drinking after about 120 miles is a pain. I tend to bonk and cramp because no food is appetizing. Can you suggest solids and fluids that work for really long rides?