Gatorade Experiment

[doctor j]

From our For-What-It's-Worth Department...

I'm one of those folks who owned up in a previous thread to using and liking subject brew. I get the powder at Wally World and mix my own. I always preferred the fruit punch variety.

The nice folks who supported the recent ride around Springfield supplied PowerAde in lemon/lime. Turns out the lemon/lime was to my liking, and I bought some Gatorade lemon/lime powder. This stuff turned out to be good as well.

On a recent Wally World run, I noticed what appeared to be about a cubic yard of limes, so I got one (lime). I added the juice of half a lime to one quart of the lemon/lime Gatorade and tried it. It added a little zip and flavor, and after having tried four quarts of said concoction, I've noticed no deleterious effects. I used it today in my first two water bottles during a 50-miler, and it worked well.

Anyone else augment sports drinks?

[Dellphinus]

I too use powdered G'ade, and I add 3/8 tsp salt to each 24 oz bottle. Solved my cramping problems on long rides. Have to try the lime juice trick...

[freako]

I use powedered Gatorade too, but I don't add anything because Gatorade is already balance perfectly. Even some sports writers commenting about the tour recommend Gatorade with nothing added. The best blended workout drinks should have no more then 6 percent Carbs, and Gatorade has 4%. The best blended sports drinks should have no more then 120 milligrams of salt, and Gatorade has 95mg's. So by adding salt your taking the salt balance too far. If your having to add salt due to cramps then your not hydrated enough BEFORE your ride. Your pee should be a very pale yellow, anything darker then that means your not drinking enough water.

Also Gatorade's formula was originally made for short quick intense sports like football etc; on long bike rides Gatorade can start to taste syrupy so you actually need to dilute it about 50% from the recommended directions. Thus you need to drink a large glass of strong Gatorade BEFORE the ride, then drink 50% diluted during the ride. I do a lot of touring and I'm over 60, I only drink 50% diluted on my rides and I don't have cramping issues; but I follow that up with 24oz's of full strength Gatorade then couple of 24oz's of water once I get stopped for the night; then in the morning I drink 24oz's of full strength Gatorade to prepare for my ride.

Gatorade is a balanced drink to provide the needed electrolytes your body needs being lost to sweat. This is a formula that was developed years ago in 1965 by the University of Florida doctors studying the contents of sweat and concluded after much research that a formula that eventually made it's way into Gatorade was the best...and that hasn't changed after all those years. Gatorade is a proven formula that all the others copied, then some add vitamins so they can charge more money, some add buffers to make it easier on the stomach again to charge more money, some add protein that has no proven effect but they can charge more money. All those other drinks on the market use the same basic ingredients as Gatorade does but they add stuff that does nothing and claim they do and that's why they charge more. IT'S MARKETING HYPE.

[LynnH]

Gatorade at 50% works for me.

[Frankenbiker]

I drink one lemon-lime Gatorade followed by two plain water bottles to maintain my hydration. So I guess that makes it 1/3 strength.

[bobkat]

Gatorade is balanced and will normally be all that is required. However, if conditions are VERY hot and you are sweating very profusely, you can lose more (even much more) sodium than gatorade supplies leading to lowering of your serum sodium. Then diluting it 50% or drinking copious amounts of pure water can screw up your fluid and electrolyte balance even worse! Your serum sodium levels go down, down, down because you are taking in relatively large amounts of water and relatively small amounts of sodium andthis can lead to all sorts of problems including convulsions and even death! When MORE gatorade or MORE pure water is encouraged by helpful bystanders and drunk by the already water intoxicated biker , it makes the problem worse.
In the Emergency rooms, when this is run into, intravenous solutions of twice or three times normal saline is given to replace salt without replacing water to try to balance your electrolytes at least to the point where your kidneys can do it.
So I would caution drinking it diluted 50% when you are in a really hot and profuse sweating state, and in those conditions I personally often add one or even two of those little fast food salt packages along with the gatorade. Normally I feel that my kidneys are much smarter than I am, but sometimes help them out a bit! Heh!

[freako]

That a huge a problem drinking too much water, I know at least a 100 people who have died from this.

Give me a break, a lot more people have been killed by lightening then by drinking too much water.

[epcolt]

I use GU2o It has a good balance of electrolytes and does not contain the sugars the "ades" have

[cyclezen]

turns out you;re never too old to learn somethin new.

this past century I learned that I need to get past my 'preferences' and go with stuff that works. For long (and even short) rides I've been combining water and electrolyte bottle/volume at about 70% water to 30% electrolyte - meaning 70% of what I would consume would be water and the remainder, 30%, would be an electrolyte drink. Why? mostly cause I really dislike the taste of most all the electrolyte drinks - gatorade or otherwise. A personal preference and dislike.
Well, on this century I reversed it. Did 70% of electrolyte mix or drink and 30% (maybe even less) as plain water.
I felt more powerful, lasted longer and generally never had the 'flat' spots I've come to expect at certain points. So I learned that what I had assumed were 'weaknesses' attributed to age were really weakness which should be attributed to stoopidity.
There was a lot of gatorade available at the rest stops. I forced myself from the start to hydrate with that crappy tastin stuff! Stuff still tastes like hell. Never expected to have much of a day, coming off some heavy riding/training. But I powered thru the day like I never expected.
Man, have I been stoopid for way too long!
From now on I'm on the sticky,gooey program, full bore!

[Beverly]

There was a lot of gatorade available at the rest stops. I forced myself from the start to hydrate with that crappy tastin stuff! Stuff still tastes like hell. Never expected to have much of a day, coming off some heavy riding/training. But I powered thru the day like I never expected.
Man, have I been stoopid for way too long!
From now on I'm on the sticky,gooey program, full bore!

Have you tried the Gatorade Rain variety? I never liked the taste of the regular G'ade but do like the Rain as it doesn't taste as sweet.

[bobkat]

Actually, Freako, overhydration and hyponatremia can be a lethal problem in the right circumstances! This is particularly relevant in the over 50's age group as many are on various antihypertensives and other meds that potentially could screw thing up! Trust me!
Just a bit of basic fluid and electrolyte balance physiology. There are plenty of excellent references in the sports medicine and physiology and ER medical literature if you are interested.
Most times gatorade or your own lookalike concoction like is discussed on another thread is adequate and as good as you can get! I mostly use the crystals but don't dilute it even though after a long hot tour I don't want to look at a gatorade bottle in the face again! Get pretty sick of the taste!
But as Delphinus and others have pointed out, don't be afraid to add a bit of salt to it if you are really working and sweating very profusely! Remember that your kidneys are generally smarter and better at handling your fluid and electrolyte balance than you are, but just because you are voiding copiously, it doesn't mean that you are not hyponatremic and actually overhydrated. I rest my case......and I'm not an attorney! Heh!

[Pat]

Gatorade is balanced and will normally be all that is required. However, if conditions are VERY hot and you are sweating very profusely, you can lose more (even much more) sodium than gatorade supplies leading to lowering of your serum sodium. Then diluting it 50% or drinking copious amounts of pure water can screw up your fluid and electrolyte balance even worse! Your serum sodium levels go down, down, down because you are taking in relatively large amounts of water and relatively small amounts of sodium andthis can lead to all sorts of problems including convulsions and even death! When MORE gatorade or MORE pure water is encouraged by helpful bystanders and drunk by the already water intoxicated biker , it makes the problem worse.
In the Emergency rooms, when this is run into, intravenous solutions of twice or three times normal saline is given to replace salt without replacing water to try to balance your electrolytes at least to the point where your kidneys can do it.
So I would caution drinking it diluted 50% when you are in a really hot and profuse sweating state, and in those conditions I personally often add one or even two of those little fast food salt packages along with the gatorade. Normally I feel that my kidneys are much smarter than I am, but sometimes help them out a bit! Heh!


Actually Gatoraide is not balanced at all. The major electrolyte in human fluids is sodium. Gatoraide does not provide a meaningful amount of sodium. The guy who developed gatoraide knew this but when he put in enough sodium to replace losses that product tasted way too salty for people to drink it.

Your trick of adding salt to gatoraide will work if you add enough.

Here in Central Florida, I have not seen local cyclists having problems with what is sometimes called water intoxication but really is hyponatrimia. I think most of them do not drink enough water to get hyponatrimia. I think they are more at risk to sun stroke and heat exhaustion (dehydration). During the summer here, on a hot day and a hard long ride, I can get hyponatriumia. But that is because I sweat profusely and have to drink copious amounts of water to replace water loss. I have found just carrying salt and eating it works as well as anything. But what works even better is not doing a long hard ride and a really hot humid day. I think there is an old saying about "mad dogs and englishmen out in the noon day sun".

[cyclezen]

Have you tried the Gatorade Rain variety? I never liked the taste of the regular G'ade but do like the Rain as it doesn't taste as sweet.

Not familiar with G-ade 'Rain', but I'll give it a try when I run out of the current Powerbar 'Endurance' Powder I have. Thanks for the tip.

[freako]

Actually, Freako, overhydration and hyponatremia can be a lethal problem in the right circumstances! This is particularly relevant in the over 50's age group as many are on various antihypertensives and other meds that potentially could screw thing up! Trust me!
Just a bit of basic fluid and electrolyte balance physiology. There are plenty of excellent references in the sports medicine and physiology and ER medical literature if you are interested.
Most times gatorade or your own lookalike concoction like is discussed on another thread is adequate and as good as you can get! I mostly use the crystals but don't dilute it even though after a long hot tour I don't want to look at a gatorade bottle in the face again! Get pretty sick of the taste!
But as Delphinus and others have pointed out, don't be afraid to add a bit of salt to it if you are really working and sweating very profusely! Remember that your kidneys are generally smarter and better at handling your fluid and electrolyte balance than you are, but just because you are voiding copiously, it doesn't mean that you are not hyponatremic and actually overhydrated. I rest my case......and I'm not an attorney! Heh!

I never said it wasn't a lethal problem, what I said was its rarer to die from overhydration and hyponatremia then being hit by lightening. Both of those circumstances are lethal but one is more rarer then the other. If anything more people have died from the lack of water then too much! For gads sake man, you could die if you ate too much! or drank too much booze, in fact way more people have died from drinking too much booze all at once then water.

We don't need to become paranoid about riding our bikes, I stand a way far greater chance being killed while riding due to an accident then drinking too much water, does this mean I should stay home and not ride anymore?

Come-on, education is one thing but trying to inject fear is another. Most people that workout have more of a problem of not hydrating enough not too much...and even those people rarely die from it.

[bobkat]

I agree 99% with you Freako! Sure not trying to scare anyone here! Just cautioning people that it is not a brilliant idea to follow internet advice and dilute gatorade or any other sports drink 50% and especially drink buckets of water along with it Especially with older people on certain meds you can sure cause yourself a serious problem doing this, especially if you drink a lot of pure water to slake your thirst. This can be as bad as only drinking gallons of pure water without replacing electrolyte you are losing during the long hot ride! The designer of gatorade knew what he was doing when he designed gatorade for the Florida Gators and got the sodium replacement right, as long as you don't dilute it and further dilute it with even more water, as some are a bit dangerously advising here. As I said, if you want to do that, fine, but don't hesitate to add a bit of sodium to it. Please! Sure wouldn't hurt! Why does OSHA make people working in extrememy hot environments take extra sodium pills as well as electrolyte containing drinks and lots of water?? For a good reason.
I can't intelligently comment on the sugar stuff in it! Have no opinion on it.
A common problem? No! But I have personally been peripherally involved in one case several years ago where a rider did exactly that, ultimately lost consciousness, convulsed, and apparently has not been the 'same' since. And everyone involved was saying "But he was drinking LOTS and LOTS of water....." Tragic and avoidable..................Much better to err on the 'a bit too much sodium' side!

THE BOTTOM LINE - Remember, drink lots of fluids/water containing adequate electrolytes in some form or another, and your kidneys will sort it out as they are much smarter than any internet advice, including mine!
'Nuff said.........

[bobkat]

And get inside or in some shelter during lightning storms! Heh!

[rsd212]

I find adding a little lime and salt to a water bottle full of tequila produces interesting results, especially on the longer rides.

[freako]

Funny thing about the diluting part, all racing cyclists that I've ever known diluted it 50/50. Some signs that you are not getting enough sodium in you is a bloating feeling because fluids may not be empting out of the stomach, and/or side stitch. When fluids are staying in the stomach, it put pressure on the diaphram, thus the side stitch pain. When this happens you need more sodium, a lot of bikers and runners will take in chicken broth to take care of that because it contains more sodium that your body is needing.

Even Pedialyte is a good subsitute if Gatorade is not available.

Also see: http://www.trifuel.com/triathlon/nutrition/train-to-eat-fueling-on-the-bike-001458.php

And: http://www.cptips.com/fluids.htm

[oilman_15106]

I find adding a little lime and salt to a water bottle full of tequila produces interesting results, especially on the longer rides.

I have read that pickle juice works also.

[Garfield Cat]

Try sea salt instead of regular iodized table salt. Or try Hawaiian sea salt.

[Pat]

About hyponatriumia, it is possible to get it. I have done a pile of riding in Central Florida. It is horribly hot and humid here in the summer. I am the only person I know who has suffered from hyponatrimia. I sweat profusely in hot weather when I exercise. In facts, I think I could probably win sweating competititons. I believe that sun stroke and heat exhaustion are bigger threats to most riders and those are caused by not drinking enough water.

Hyponatriumia has a suite of symtoms that range from nausea, weakness, vomitting, disorientation, convulsions and death. Having suffered from this, I believe that a person would have to persevere through some pretty unpleasant symptoms to kill themselves. Of course, it has been done. So is it a risk? Yes it is. But it can only happen if you drink a very large amount of water and neglect to take in any electrolytes with it.

[rsd212]

Try sea salt instead of regular iodized table salt. Or try Hawaiian sea salt.

For what purpose, make it dissolve better or do you believe it has better anti-cramping properties? I would think iodized salt would be better, gives you the potassium (iodine in salt is in the form of KI). Sea salt is mostly NaCl, just generally in a flaky or coarse-ground form. May dissolve quicker having better surface/volume ratio, but doesn't seem to have any ionic advantage...

[rsd212]

I have read that pickle juice works also.

Tequila chased by pickle juice makes the whole lime and salt thing obsolete. Best. Drink. Evar.