Training & Nutrition - I don't dilute my Gatorade

It's been really hot and I've been back on the Gatorade for cycling and golf. Everybody always says they cut their sports drinks with water, sometimes for cramping, sometimes for taste, sometimes just because .... people do it. It becomes automatic. Well, Gatorade, which is what I use and like on rides of 2-3 hours -- it works well for me -- is already diluted. It's mostly water. Way mostly water. I drink plain water, too, on my rides, but the Gatorade I drink straight. When I mix it with powder, which I often do, I mix it full strength and then get it real cold. I trust that the labs that came up with it back in the 60s figured out the ratio of water to salt/sugar/electrolytes. Notice the labels don't say, add water, or dilute.

By the way, I think the stuff tastes just awful unless it's really, really hot out and you're sweaty and you're drinking a lot of fluids.

I just wonder when I see so many cyclists drinking lots of water AND their sports drink is half diluted, are they getting the benefits? Maybe it's just a matter of taste.

I used to dilute it, because it just seemed too strong. Seems like it used to hit my gut and roil, if it was full strength. But now, I've gotten used to it, with all the hot weather lately, and sweating my ass off all the time. Now I drink it non-diluted, sometimes 6-7 bottles a ride.

It's been really hot and I've been back on the Gatorade for cycling and golf. Everybody always says they cut their sports drinks with water, sometimes for cramping, sometimes for taste, sometimes just because .... people do it. It becomes automatic. Well, Gatorade, which is what I use and like on rides of 2-3 hours -- it works well for me -- is already diluted. It's mostly water. Way mostly water. I drink plain water, too, on my rides, but the Gatorade I drink straight. When I mix it with powder, which I often do, I mix it full strength and then get it real cold. I trust that the labs that came up with it back in the 60s figured out the ratio of water to salt/sugar/electrolytes. Notice the labels don't say, add water, or dilute.

By the way, I think the stuff tastes just awful unless it's really, really hot out and you're sweaty and you're drinking a lot of fluids.

I just wonder when I see so many cyclists drinking lots of water AND their sports drink is half diluted, are they getting the benefits? Maybe it's just a matter of taste.
In my case, it's a matter of reducing the amount of sugars my GI tract has to deal with rapidly, due to surgical modifacation requirements. I don't use Gatorade though because GA uses High Fructose Corn Sweetener and I have to use a maltodextrin base (Same reason as for the dilution).

whenever i drink it straight, it seems to sit on my stomach and slosh.. and nobody likes a slosher. ill drink it 1/2 and 1/2, if its REAAAAAL hot, ill fill both bottles with a 50/50 mix, i figure its more then enough for what i need it for

I dilute it for taste while riding. Tastes like crap if I'm not riding though.

- i only use the powder form and dilute it upon advice of my doc... she said that water was fine, but during extreme workouts the gatorade can be used (in my case) at half-strength...

- i'm cool with that, and so far it works out just great (full strength makes me sick to my stomach, btw)...

I fill my water bottle with ice cubes and then straight Gatorade, so I guess I start out my ride with undiluted and by the time I finish it's diluted.

I don't use Gatorade though because GA uses High Fructose Corn Sweetener and I have to use a maltodextrin base (Same reason as for the dilution).

Can you explain more about why?

Hold on there, 'nother, I try to avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup like the plague, and because of that I always read labels, and although the Gatorade label says fructose (or something, I can't remember), Powerade says HFCS up front, so I go Gatorade. Am I being naive?

Actually, Im responding to Tom Stormcrowe.

Gatorade sits funny in my stomach most of the time so I make my own kool-aid version. If I run out then I will normally stop for gatorade and deal with it. If I can find a water fountain along the way I dilute it.

I dilute it for taste while riding. Tastes like crap if I'm not riding though.

Im the opposite, it sux diluted.

just me tho

Now I drink it non-diluted, sometimes 6-7 bottles a ride.

200 calories in a 24 oz bottle.

Rather than make a meal of Gatorade, I just freeze 8 oz in a 24 ox bottle, then add about 16 oz of filtered water before I leave the house.

Stacy

I fill my water bottle with ice cubes and then straight Gatorade, so I guess I start out my ride with undiluted and by the time I finish it's diluted.

Same here. And if I'm mixing the Gatorade myself, I make it extra-strong so it still tastes like Gatorade with the melting ice.

I'm the opposite. I mix mine extra-strong. I figure if some sugar/salt is good, more is better. But, I also carry a plain water bottle with me too, so I guess I'm diluting it internally!

Just like PW, I dilute mine internally. I carry two bottles of Gatorade and one bottle of water. I alter which bottle I hit off of at each traffic light.

Could it be that maltodextrin has larger molecules than HFCS and gets through the stomach faster (gastric emptying)? That typically is a function of osmality or particles per volume.

I was hoping you'd chime in on this. But now I'm even more confused. He said he needs to reduce "the amount of sugars my GI tract has to deal with rapidly". If maltodextrin gets to/through the stomach faster, isn't that exactly the opposite of what he needs? Maybe I've misunderstood both of you, if so my apologies, just trying to understand.

Anyhow I also like the maltodextrin stuff (HEED and Hammergels are my new faves) for the same reasons as you: it is not as sticky sweet, goes down a little easier and keeps the calories coming. I have never gone for Gatorade but I used to mix my Cytomax and other stuff more diluted for that reason.

i do 50/50 mix just like my auto radiator

I use a half strength Gatorade mix simply to avoid drinking straight water, which causes me stomach distress. Since it has only a few calories and electrolytes it is only a supplement to my energy intake. My main energy source I will get from either a maltodextrin based drink, or from solid food. For additional electrolytes I will use Hammer's Endurolytes.

I buy the gallon jugs of Gatorade and don't dilute it. I put Gatorade in my water bottles and water in my CamelBak. What I do is drink the Gatorade, then take sips of water to swish out the sugar from my teeth. It will get diluted in my stomach. :D

I also don't understand why people recommended to dilute their Gatorade, unless they aren't carrying water separately.

Check out this article Advanced Training Nutrition:Why Are You Still Drinking Gatorade? by Dr John Berardi, CSCS at:

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1173228

Here is part of it:

“Unbelievable, especially considering the huge body of literature demonstrating the benefit of drinking something during training. Now, add some carbohydrate to that something and athletes can expect to see:
• Improved aerobic and anaerobic endurance during training, practices, and games
• Decreased stress response to training, practices and games
• Improved immune function post training and competition
• Decreased acute phase inflammatory damage after training, practices, and games
• Improved whole body rehydration
• Improved muscle and liver glycogen resythesis
That's a pretty impressive laundry list of benefits, isn't it? We're now talking athletes who have better staying power, better hydration, less likelihood of overtraining, fewer colds, and more overall energy.
However, while carb drinks during and after training are good — athletes shouldn't be stopping with carbs — they should be adding protein. Oh, I know, I know. Gatorade and Powerade have convinced you that carbs alone are the way to go. They've also told ya that the extra protein is either useless or will build bulky muscles.
Well, frankly, that's nonsense.
What you're witnessing are the attempts of companies selling carb-only drinks to justify their existence. The longer they keep the wool over your eyes, the more profits they can make from inferior carb-only drinks before their product becomes obsolete.
After all, the writing is on the wall. Enlightened athletes are starting to realize that if they want to really supercharge their nutrition and recovery, they need to go to the next step. And the next step is using targeted workout and post workout recovery drinks that include both carbohydrate and protein.
Why protein? Well check out this list of benefits:
• Increased muscle protein synthesis
• Better and faster recovery from endurance, strength, and interval training
• Reduced muscle soreness and perception of fatigue
• Decreased muscle protein breakdown
• Further enhanced glycogen resynthesis vs carbohydrate alone
• Further enhanced immune function vs carbohydrate alone
• Increased use of fat for energy at rest, as well as during training and competition
Now, at this point, we're talking about athletes with more muscle strength, less body fat, an even stronger immune system, and the ability to train at higher intensities, more frequently.”

I'm another who dilutes the Gatorade in my stomach. To me, at half strength it tastes even worse than at full strength. And I normally only use it when it's really hot.

why don't you guys just drink that Propel stuff? Similar to gatorade, less sugar/calories.

It is a bit sweeter though. I tried it once, and I didn't like it.

I usually put lots of ice into my gatorade, but I only drink it when I'm playing basketball. I drink straight water on my rides.

Water for me. Gatorade is mostly marketing. I eat well and regularly and I get everything I need from real food.

For those who race and don't have the time for ingestion and digestion, it may be convenient.

Az

Straight gatorade (and especially powerade), and even partially diluted versions, give me really intense stomach cramps at times. Gu2O has been way better on my stomach, and for longer rides I've been digging a "multi-hour" bottle of Hammer Sustained Energy (four hours of mix in one water bottle, roughly, for a four hour ride) with spare water bottles for hydration. Separating the calorie, electrolyte, and water components of the package makes it a little easier to cover your bases, I think.