sport drinks for hydration

[Otofreq]

My wife and I will be doing our first century ride (perhaps more) in May at Detroit's Belle Isle. It is a marathon. I would like to know what experienced riders think of sport drinks such as Gatorade or G-Push etc. Is there one that stands out as best? Or, is it just a matter of taste?

Thanks for your help.

Don.

 

[SLS]

Originally posted by Otofreq
My wife and I will be doing our first century ride (perhaps more) in May at Detroit's Belle Isle. It is a marathon. I would like to know what experienced riders think of sport drinks such as Gatorade or G-Push etc. Is there one that stands out as best? Or, is it just a matter of taste?

Thanks for your help.

Don.

My vote is matter of taste or what is on sale - I switch between Poweraid & Gatorade all the time. I haven't tried some of the other ones so I might be a bad example. The best thing is stay properly hydrated & eat as needed. Just my .02

 

[ibike73]

I use Powerade or Gatorade also, just add a bit of water. I have used Accelerade on some long rides. It was he!! on my stomach, so I do not use it anymore. The best thing to do is try out drinks on your short rides, and try them after they get hot.

Ron

 

[chrispopovic]

I've done quite a few centuries and regularly ride 60-70 miles on the weekend. I wouldn't recommend Powerade or Gatorade. They tend to be very sugary and can upset your stomach. A friend of mine turned me on to Accelerade. It's a little off at first but I've actually grown to like it. It comes in powder and you just mix it up. You can pick it up at Nashbar and Peformance pretty cheap. GNC carries it but you'll spend an arm and a leg. In fact, Performance regularly bundles the Accelerade and Endurox muscle recovery in the big jugs combined for about $50. It's by far the best deal going. The Endurox is great for muscle recovery after a long ride. If you're worried about cramps make sure to stop regularly and eat a banana or two. Good luck on the century!

 

[Pimpanolie]

I would also stay away from gatorade or powerade which contain too many simple sugars that cause more harm than good during aerobic exercise.

"When insulin is secreted, it must be metabolized by the liver. When this occurs, your body is unable to convert stored fat into glycogen, the fuel of the muscles."

That quote is from ultimareplenisher.com a new hydration/energy drink that has worked awesome for me. Check out the site and see how it compares to other sports drinks. I do not work for the company or have any affiliation with them except I use their product and it works for me.

 

[dhk]

Agree not everyone can tolerate simple sugars well. Too much sugar at once is a problem for me, whether it's from a banana, fig bars, or sports drink. I've found I have to minimize what I take in at the rest stops; much better to carry the carbs and nibble.

Key is small quantities, frequently. Gatorade/Powerade works for me as long as I take a small sip about every 10-15 minutes.

 

[acoggan]

Originally posted by Pimpanolie
I would also stay away from gatorade or powerade which contain too many simple sugars that cause more harm than good during aerobic exercise.

"When insulin is secreted, it must be metabolized by the liver. When this occurs, your body is unable to convert stored fat into glycogen, the fuel of the muscles."

That quote is from ultimareplenisher.com a new hydration/energy drink that has worked awesome for me. Check out the site and see how it compares to other sports drinks. I do not work for the company or have any affiliation with them except I use their product and it works for me.

First, it is impossible to convert fat into carbohydrate, as the necessary metabolic pathways don't exist. Second, insulin secretion is markedly suppressed during exercise, so worrying about the effects of "simple sugars" on insulin levels is a waste of time. Third, carbohydrates, not fats, are the preferred fuel of working muscle, so having a little extra insulin secreted and thus stimulating glucose uptake during exercise is a good, not a bad, thing.

Gatorade was the first widely popular/distributed sports drink, and nothing has been /developed/marketed since that can be shown to be better than their simple formula of water, sucrose, salt. If you don't like the taste of Gatorade, then pick something you do like - but definitely drink something other than plain water.

 

[brightgarden]

I generally take one or two bottles of accelerade. sometimes one accelerade and one gatorade. i like the taste of powerade better personally, but it is hard to find around here.

I've done best stocking up on breads (bagel usually) with water as a backup. On long rides, I do the unthinkable and load up a camelbak full of accelerade, one bottle of plain water, and two pockets full of bagel. not being much of a fruit person.

but definitely test out what works best over your endurance rides. i test saddle comfort, shorts, food, hydration, etc. i notice that it sometimes shifts around, so what worked one time doesn't really work several weeks later. the key thing is not to suddenly try something new the day of a long ride.

 

[tanggoman]

Premixing my sports drink with 3parts water and 1part gatorade does wonders for me.

 

[dhk]

Good tips here; agree everyone has a different response to the hi-glycemic carbs and needs to experiment a bit.

I like to have bottles of H20 and Gatorade, and alternate sips of them. Good for electrolytes, but to get the recommended 250-300 calories/hour from Gatorade, you'd have to drink about a L/hour of Gatorade....I can't handle that much.

For the extra carbs, my rest stop favorite is the little packs of wheat cracker sandwiches, with peanut butter or cheese filling. Once they are pre-opened, easy to pull the pack out and grab a cracker or two while riding. Will have to try carrying bagels or biscuits from home....those would work for me also.

 

[firegooroo]

I must agree with some of the posts as far as gatorade and powerade. Too much sugar, I didn't like the taste of accelerade so I tried something new just the other day that was really good and reasonably cheap only $1 U.S., its called GU20 it has 38g of carbs and only 6g of sugar loaded with electrolytes. I felt great after my 65 mile ride.

 

[wendyedie]

I may be a little late in responding.......


Stay away from GPUSH.........i tried it and liked it but then after about a week of using it started to realize that it was ruining the inside of my mouth.........my mouth would burn and sting.......i couldnt drink wine......or eat anything spicy .......basicaly it was hell.....

soo anyway.........gatorade is fine.......but liek the others have ssaid.....it gets sweet.......etc...i cant drink it all day long.....i have tried Accelerade and am liking that

pre-ride i drink 16 0z of gatorade.........then i mix 16 oz of Accelerade...to take with me..and carry some packets of Accelerade with me for the rest of the day........ sometimes i will have some gatorade too again through out the day.........the accelerade has some protein in it .......which helps with recovery....... its mildy fruity.......i think the taste is fine.......its a nice change from teh sugary gatorade........thats hard to drink when you working your butt off and thirsty ....... anohter option is to just add water to your gatordade.....

 

[Chris52686]

Endurox and accelerade are great products...here is the very best place on the internet to but them too
http://www.1fast400.com