Training & Nutrition - Sports drinks without all the chemicals?

Hey guys I want to buy some sports drink mix and dont want to get anything with high fructose corn syrup or all the other horrible chemicals. I know gatorade has HFCS but what doesnt?

Accelerade? HEED? What are the other options of mixes?

Thanks

cytomax (http://www.endurancezone.com/?i=browse&search=cytomax&x=0&y=0)

friend uses it who is allergenic to processed sugars. or something like that. regardless, the sugar content is very low. and the carbs are derived elsewhere in the drink. i use it too and have noticed a difference during rides.

Why dont you fuel up with carbs and take plain water on the ride? cheaper and probably equally effective.

RR

My favorite:

http://www.clifbar.com/eat/eat.cfm?location=shot&id=303

The July '07 issue of Outside had an article on hydration which included a simple recipe for a mix-your-own sport drink:

http://outside.away.com/outside/bodywork/200707/hydration.html

The same issue also had a review of various sport drinks and their ingredients:

http://outside.away.com/outside/bodywork/200707/sports-drinks.html

+1 to a tradition pre-ride meal and sticking to chilled water and fruit during the ride itself.

Hey guys I want to buy some sports drink mix and dont want to get anything with high fructose corn syrup or all the other horrible chemicals. I know gatorade has HFCS but what doesnt?

Accelerade? HEED? What are the other options of mixes?

Thanks

Who told you that Gatorade drink mix has HFCS???

I don't know what other chemicals you consider "horrible", but maybe you should read the ingredients on a package of powdered Gatorade.

Hint: Powdered Gatorade is not the same as premixed Gatorade.

+1 to a tradition pre-ride meal and sticking to chilled water and fruit during the ride itself.

you could also take real fruit juice, although that might end up being pretty expensive.

HEED is my current choice. me loves it. later.

Hey guys I want to buy some sports drink mix and dont want to get anything with high fructose corn syrup or all the other horrible chemicals. I know gatorade has HFCS but what doesnt?

Accelerade? HEED? What are the other options of mixes?

Thanks

Just so we are clear what do you consider "horrible chemicals". Probably will make suggestions more useful, as it stands now most people will just post their favorite drinks. Since most of them don't have HFCS. Which honestly is not that bad. Problem with HFCS isn't that it's some kind of evil chemical that will eventually kill you, it's that it is added to everything. So a normal person gets way to many calories from simple sugars which leads to gaining weight more easily. Since you are riding and expanding energy at a descent rate, it's not that big of a problem.

nuun, is my favorite.

Just so we are clear what do you consider "horrible chemicals". Probably will make suggestions more useful, as it stands now most people will just post their favorite drinks. Since most of them don't have HFCS. Which honestly is not that bad. Problem with HFCS isn't that it's some kind of evil chemical that will eventually kill you, it's that it is added to everything. So a normal person gets way to many calories from simple sugars which leads to gaining weight more easily. Since you are riding and expanding energy at a descent rate, it's not that big of a problem.

Good post.

HEED. I think most, if not all, of the Hammer products eschew HFCS.

Try CARBO-Pro .....works very well

I take the aproach of taking just water with me + seperate food for calories. I do add some minerals to the water though. A little unrefined sea salt for sodium + a range of trace minerals and I sometimes add some coloidal magnesium.

Regards, Anthony

I like HEED. However with 2 scoops it is a wee bit strong.

With our temps lately I sweat so much I need an electrolyte replacement on any decent length ride.
That and figs. Lots and lots of figs. yummy

Gatorade premixed liquid = HFCS
Gatorade powdered bags = sucrose (table sugar)

Hey guys I want to buy some sports drink mix and dont want to get anything with high fructose corn syrup or all the other horrible chemicals. I know gatorade has HFCS but what doesnt?

Accelerade? HEED? What are the other options of mixes?

Thanks

Here's my opinion on what makes a good hydration drink

http://riderx.info/blogs/riderx/archive/2007/07/13/what-makes-a-good-hydration-drink.aspx

Gu2O has little to no simple sugar, and has higher electrolyte levels than Heed, and is a mite cheaper.

It's also available in tubs of mix locally, so I have just been using that. The Heed seemed good, but it seems like Hammer sets up the nutritional values on their products such that you pretty much have to get a whole "system" from them if you want to properly maintain your hydration, nutrition and electrolytes.

I like to drink a mix of juices on my ride. I have a Jack Lalane juicer which can hook me up pretty well. Gatorade contains HFCS in regular form, and trans fat in powdered form, so no, it's not in me. Grape juice, pear juice, pommegranate acai juice, blueberry juice, apple juice, that's the kinda stuff I drink on rides. Plus I bring along a jar of salty peanut butter to replace the sodium lost by sweating and to provide some protein.

I suppose for most rides it's not even necesary to worry about nutrition like I do, but lately, all I've done are MTB centuries, so I need some calories on the road and trail.

+1 on nuun. easy to use and make on the go, light taste, and no energy (so i can separate the two). i'm still trying to figure out the energy bit between bars/blocks/gels/etc.

Infinit.
And you can customize it.