Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Gatoraide BAD?

HI,
I have been holding my weight the past few months and I don't seem to be loosing as fast as I used to ,
and then I thought hey, I am drinking that gatoraide before and after every daily ride, and that may be just enough calorie replacement to prevent any weight loss, so I dumped the Gator and left him for a non-sugar electrolyte drink , and within the first day I feel like I am thinner.
I read on a exercise for weight loss forum that you'll burn liquid fat till you consume sugar, and then body will shift to glucose it prefers the quick burn before going with fat.
Thats not entirely the whole truth cause its a blend of glucogen to liquid fat, the good is the less sugar you drink when you exercise the more liquid fats you'll burn,,it then becomes 20% glucogen to 80% liquid fats..
We'll see if it helps..
Doug

I would just mention that Gatorade has high-fructose corn syrup in it. Very high glycemic index. I avoid HFCS like the plague. Makes you more likely to get diabetes because it spikes your blood-sugar more quickly that other sugars (and especially unrefined sugars).

If you have to drink some sort of athletic drink like that, find one without HFCS, for the sake of your health. I think that the mixes for those drinks just use regular sugar, so they ought to be at least a bit better. Of course, I just drink water.

http://health.yahoo.com/experts/nutrition/12836/the-high-fructose-corn-syrup-myth/

HI,
I dumped the Gator and left him for a non-sugar electrolyte drink ,


Are you legally barred from mentioning the name of teh beverage you switched to? If not, please list it here. Thank you.

Tastes horrible. It's like drinking sweet swill. I stick to water or if desperate I'll get an iced lemonade or an iced coffee (mmm iced espresso!) when I'm out.

Gatoraid G2 seems less sweet and is lower in calories that the original. You could always water down the original. If you are a heavy sweater (I'm not talking Angora here), you'll probably need more than just water for electrolyte replacement.

water is fine too!

over 20,000 miles ridden in 2008, all I drink is gatorade. nuff said.

I stopped Gatoraid for the HFCS reason mentioned about. I use NUUN for electrolyte replacement and get carb boosts, when needed, from Gu Gel or something similar.

over 20,000 miles ridden in 2008, all I drink is Gatorade. nu ff said.

11,240 miles on Gatorade 2008.

Gosh, please tell me again what is bad about it?

I started using HEED and love it. After 30 miles i felt like I could go without stopping, only reason i did stop is to refill water bottles.

water is fine too!

Generally speaking, yes. Short rides on a comfortable day plain water should be no problem.
IF there is heavy sweating for an extended period ( as in Long rides on hot humid days in Virginia) then probably not so much.

A 17 year old football player in California died and the coroner's report stated that he died of electrolyte imbalance from drinking too much water during practice. A tragic case. As I understand it, as we sweat out elecrolytes and drink plain water, we further dilute the concentration of electrolytes that remain in our system. Not good.

http://www.healthline.com/blogs/diet_nutrition/2008/08/water-intoxication-death.html

I'm an insulin-dependent diabetic and I drink CarboRocket (http://www.carborocket.com/). It has a 2:1 ratio of complex carbohydrates (maltodextrin ) to fructose, which means that it doesn't spike my blood sugar like Gatorade. Plus, the flavor is much more palatable than Gatorade. I find that it tastes good warm or cold, which means that I'm willing to drink it all day long.

water

I have a stomach like an iron fuel tank, but gatorade gives me a slight gut ache. I usually just bring a couple of bottles of tap water, or buy something along the way like the afore mentioned lemonade. On a longer ride, I might buy some pretzels for the salt.

11,240 miles on Gatorade 2008.

Gosh, please tell me again what is bad about it?

It's loaded with sugar. That's fine if your rides are hard and over two hours. For shorter rides, all you need is fluids (water). If you go over an hour, replacement of electrolytes is good and salt (peanuts) for example is good.

On a 50-60 mile ride, I use water on th ride. Half a bottle of G-Ade at the rest stop (cycling bottle). Then back on water.

On hot days, I will drink a full bottle at the rest stop. On a century with 10,000ft, I will drink one to one while riding. But at some point, my tummy will not want to take any more, so it's water after that.

I buy G-Ade at Smart&Final, big tub for $10 (powder). I have buds that have high end sports drinks. Seems like a waste IMO. They are always showing off some new proiduct, $50 a container!:eek:....But usually after 30 miles, they are out of energy. I think it's more fitness level than anything.:p

One guy begged me to try his $50 tablets. Replaced electrolytes and cleaned your bottle at the same time!:roflmao2:..........I tried it and 15 minutes later, I was craving Gatorade!:p

On anything under two hours it's just water for me. I've used Heed and Gatorade and both bothe rmy guts. Gonna have to find something else. I do find if I use th egel packs I seem to get enough from them on hard rides. I also find chocolate milk really helps on or after hard ride. I've seen electrolyte gel tabs somewhere and may give them a try.

I prefer to dilute Gatorade with water. A 50/50 mix in my bottle. Goes down easier and sits better in my stomach.

I've used Gatorade and water. Like other posters to this thread, I find diluted Gatorade easier to digest. That said, I'm usually riding to ride, not to race, and so I drink any and everything. While on tour in August, I drank Gatorade, diet tea, diet soda, water, and flavored water, often a bottle of each - it can be 20 miles or more between towns on the GAP and C & O.

I would just mention that Gatorade has high-fructose corn syrup in it. Very high glycemic index. I avoid HFCS like the plague. Makes you more likely to get diabetes because it spikes your blood-sugar more quickly that other sugars (and especially unrefined sugars).

If you have to drink some sort of athletic drink like that, find one without HFCS, for the sake of your health. I think that the mixes for those drinks just use regular sugar, so they ought to be at least a bit better. Of course, I just drink water.

Gatorade is too sweet for me on long rides. It upsets my stomach.

I avoid HFCS as well. Its funny how even the new commercials out say there is nothing wrong with it in small doses. Only its in everything so how can you get it in small quantities. We found out my son is Type 1 diabetic two years ago and changed our eating habits. It is amazing how much more you spend on food without HFCS but it is worth it.

have you checked out powerade zero yet? it is sugar free and good tasting

I drink water; nothing like the real stuff! If you're eating a regular, balanced diet, nibbling enough snacks while on longer rides (my point seems to be over 2 hours of pushin' it in the saddle), and are in reasonably decent health, you should do fine. The few times I've tried to drink Gatorade, Powerade, or anything similar while working out, I've barfed it up. I have to dilute it down to about 25% strength before its tolerable.

As for that healthline.com article posted above about the 17 yo who died of a water overdose, don't read too much into it; its pretty light on factual information and (typical of media today) somewhat sensationalistic. The articles here in the local news in Orange County, CA where it happened had a little more detail, and he was found to have other medical problems that contributed to his death. Backtracking through his activities for that entire day showed he had around 1 to 1.5 gallons of water, not an excessive amount for an active kid. The media just latched onto the water item due to its uniqueness.

I have bonked on a less than 2 hour ride with just water on a route that I usually only have water. I checked through my eating and drinking during that time, as I was writing down everything, and everything was similar to the same ride three days earlier and my food intake and water intake was almost exactly the same.

After that, I started taking a gatorade with me and I have not bonked since. I also carry a banana or cliff bar with me, but I am not good about eating while riding, so the gatorade helps me get the carbs that my body needs. There are other similar products, but I have no problems with gatorade, since I have used it for about 30 years now when there only flavor was lemon lime or something like that. We buy cases at SAM's because we have very active daughters in sports, so it is a good thing to have around. We use a lot of water also, but having the carbs in fluids seems to digest quicker or hit the bloodstream quicker that food doesn't. I know of others that will purchase a Snikcers bar for that extra energy.

I say do what works for you. Each body is different. I can eat spicy foods and ride for a few hours, my wife can't. Do what works for you.

Losing weight is, as much as some advertising will try to say otherwise, a simple formula. Calories expended needs to exceed Calories ingested. Many people forget/ignore their intake from beverages when they make their calculations. Aside from sports drinks, like Gatoraide, there is also a tendency to conveniently 'forget' to count the morning latte' and other sweetened beverages.

Water is a near perfect beverage. If you are riding a long distance you will need to do something during the ride to re-fuel. But, if you are recreationally riding, or doing a normal commute, or just about anything under 30ish miles you don't need any special drink to sustain yourself and those extra Calories will just slow your weight loss.

Water is a near perfect beverage. If you are riding a long distance you will need to do something during the ride to re-fuel. But, if you are recreationally riding, or doing a normal commute, or just about anything under 30ish miles you don't need any special drink to sustain yourself and those extra Calories will just slow your weight loss.

If you can ride 30 miles without sweating, then water is probably just as good as anything else. If you do sweat, however, then it's not a bad idea to replenish electrolytes at some point. In my mind, replenishing them during the ride is probably better than afterward.

I wouldn't place too much focus on calories consumed during a ride. If you're consuming the recommended 250-300 calories/hr. chances are you're still creating a decent calorie deficit. In my experience, food eaten during a ride helps reduce fatigue both during and after the ride. It also helps keep your blood sugar more stable, which may reduce food cravings post-ride. I find that I actually consume fewer calories if I eat/drink during a ride than if I arrive home ravenous due to not consuming any... YMMV, of course.

I like to take just water, but on anything over 25-30 miles I generally dilute Gatorade. I'm looking for a replacement but haven't put that much true effort into it.

In Texas in the summer time, if you just drink water you have a recipe for disaster on elctrolyte loss.

In Texas in the summer time, if you just drink water you have a recipe for disaster on elctrolyte loss.

Yeah I'm in FL and even this time of year it gets in the 80's. I usually ride 45-60 miles, worst part is it is windy and the sweat evaporates so fast that I don't even know I am sweating. That is until I get to my car afterwards and have salt crystals all over my face.

I started drinking HEED and it has worked very well, the key for me is to start drinking early in the ride 5-10 minutes start sipping. That way I don't lose, I basically stay at the same level as when I started the ride. I feel 10x better after the ride then water alone.

HI,
I have been holding my weight the past few months and I don't seem to be loosing as fast as I used to ,
and then I thought hey, I am drinking that gatoraide before and after every daily ride, and that may be just enough calorie replacement to prevent any weight loss, so I dumped the Gator and left him for a non-sugar electrolyte drink , and within the first day I feel like I am thinner.
Doug

Hi I had a similar situation, after months of riding my bike and steady weight loss, my weight loss stopped.

After talking to a trainer, he said my body plateaued and needed to either increase my intensity or add cross-training like weights or even running.

So I added running and some weights now that winter is here. I've lost 10LB in the last 1.5 months!!

Regular Gatorade does have alot of calories, but how much are you drinking? Like others have said, I buy it in powder form and only use 1/2.

Okay, time for me to throw in my $0.03.

Gatorade, or any other sports drink for that matter, has a few problems. To give it enough carbohydrate to actually replace the energy burned in a long ride (moderate rate, over 60 minutes), it would be more the consistency of a slightly thinner power gel. You just can't put enough carbohydrate (be it HFCS or regular sugar) to replace what is burned and still keep it in a "drinkable" form. On the other hand, there is significantly more electrolytes in these drinks than is necessary for replacement. So, those of you who are diluting these drinks down by half (I'm in this crowd) are getting them to about the right concentration for quick absorption and electrolyte replacement. Generally speaking, if you have a good and balanced diet, and exercise for an hour or less a day, these drinks are not necessary, especially if you take a daily multi-vitamin. I believe others have said this already as well, but it bears repeating.

HFCS isn't inherently bad, in-and-of-itself. The problem is that it is in just about every processed food that you buy at the store, and it takes the caloric load of these foods up tremendously. Its in breads and ketchup and mayonnaise and all sorts of places it doesn't belong or need to be. Its there because people buy more of "X" because "X" is sweeter and people eat more of it. The other thing about HFCS is that it is a liquid, and it is easier to blend into things than regular table sugar. That is why Coke Cola reformulated their drink in the early 80's, because they could make the same amount of beverage cheeper and easier by using HFCS instead of sugar. Incidentally, Coke owns Powerade.

So, what is the "take-home message" in all this? Gatorade and the like are not bad, but they are not necessary for athletes that do not engage in high endurance activities. If you are not exercising for significantly more than an hour, 6-7 times a week, then water is just fine, especially if you are taking a multi-vitamin. To get the correct electrolyte replacement from these drinks, you can dilute them by half, and that will get you the right concentration, and also increase the speed of absorption.

If all else fails, consult a sports nutritionist in your area. Remember, athletes have the worlds most expensive urine because all of the crap that is marked towards them.

D

p.s. The Gatorade sports science institute does have some decent research on this kind of stuff, but remember who is paying for the research, so take it with a grain of salt if you go to http://www.gssiweb.com/

I prefer to dilute Gatorade with water. A 50/50 mix in my bottle. Goes down easier and sits better in my stomach.

+100

These drinks are marketed with waaaaay too much hype.

Almost all of these style of drinks are too strong and need to be diluted at least 50/50, possibly more. For Clydes/Athenas who are trying to loose weight they are a surprising handicap.

If you are training hard and/or in extreme heat then a diluted mix is fine. For most people, and in most instances, these drinks are simply not neccesary at all.

I coach sport in Hong Kong and we can drink 4-5 litres of water a day in the summer. You might want only 1 litre of that to have any electrolyte content - so mixing gatorate etc down to 1:5 is fine.

Water in the bottle and a banana in your jersey pocket is a much better trick.

Try ZipFizz or CytoMax, both have 5x the electrolytes that G-aid has and nearly no calories.

+100

These drinks are marketed with waaaaay too much hype.

Almost all of these style of drinks are too strong and need to be diluted at least 50/50, possibly more. For Clydes/Athenas who are trying to loose weight they are a surprising handicap.

If you are training hard and/or in extreme heat then a diluted mix is fine. For most people, and in most instances, these drinks are simply not neccesary at all.

I coach sport in Hong Kong and we can drink 4-5 litres of water a day in the summer. You might want only 1 litre of that to have any electrolyte content - so mixing gatorate etc down to 1:5 is fine.

Water in the bottle and a banana in your jersey pocket is a much better trick.


the HYPE really only applies to athletes working hard, and would be dead drinking plain water

that means .001 % of the people watching the commercials.

it is overkill as a beverage when you ain't working your ass off


gatorade is teh balls when I am riding 5 hours. useless for rides under an hour.

Gatorade is a lot of calories for thirst-quenching purposes. I hose down my thirst with water, then MAYBE drink a little gatorade or eat some trail mix for electrolytes. There's no point in letting my thirst take over my calorie intake.

HI,
i now drink ultima less na more K and no sugar, uses stevia for taste.

http://www.ultimareplenisher.com/

ELECTROLYTES with ZERO SUGAR . NATURALLY sweet. NO ARTIFICIAL ingredients . Better choice than PEDIALYTE® & Gatorade®
Perfect for any and everyone!
doug