Bobsled

Anybody use the stuff? I was wondering if it must be refrigerated once you mix it with water? I ask because I mixed about a liter of the stuff and drank 1/2 of instantly and tried the rest a couple days later (left at room temp. the whole time) and something just wasn't right. The label says nothing about refrigerating it.

socalrider

Once mixed keep it cold.. It will get funky if not kept cold..

mx_599

what the hell is it? why can't you just use gatorade?

Enthalpic

Gross! Do you leave things like glasses of orange juice and open cans of pop just lying around for days and then drink it?

Mx599 :Accelerade is Gatoraid with some protein (about 5g), E and C added. Tastes and dissolves like crap.

mx_599

oh...thanks. guess i am out of touch with the fitness world, can't say i have seen it. i will certainly keep an eye peeled for it now.

pacemaker

Because of the protein, you need to refrigerate it.

DannoXYZ 

Because of the sugar, you also have to refridgerate it as well. Ever leave a glass of apple-juice out? It starts growing fuzzy stuff on top after a couple days.


Why call it Acelerade then? Wouldn't Crap-aid be better? Wait, that product's for a completely different purpose...

Logistics

Accelerade Website
You can find this at most GNC stores.
The company that makes Accelerade also makes Endurox R4 recovery drink as well.

Bobsled

"Gross! Do you leave things like glasses of orange juice and open cans of pop just lying around for days and then drink it?"

No, but I would leave gatoraid out and drink after a few days.

pacemaker

No the sugar is OK. Bacteria need protein. The fuzzy stuff on the apple juice is mold, which is attracted to the moisture, not the sugar. The same fuzzy mold will grow in coffee left in the pot for a few days, there is no sugar there. That aside: The basis for adding protein to energy drinks is that it is supposed to increase endurance, by up to 40% by one study. I have not read the study, only a brief abstract. It sounds dubious to me. If I find the study I will post the link here.

DannoXYZ 

I found this journal that shows a 37% increase in endurance with a 4:1 carb+protein sports-drink over a carb-only drink:

IJSNEM - Effect of a Carbohydrate-Protein Supplement

However, the study's methodology is flawed. They measured time-to-bonk AFTER a 3-hour ride. So the times of 19.7 minutes vs. 26.9 minutes which shows the 37% increase is not realistic. It really should be 180+19.7 minutes vs. 180+26.9 minutes to account for the 3-hour ride beforehand. In which case, the comparison of 199.7 minutes vs. 206.9 minutes shows a real-world difference of 7.2 minutes or a 3.6% increase.

Interesting to note that both elevated blood-glucose and insulin levels were the same for the carb and carb+protein mix, so the exact mechanism that accounts for the 3.6% difference isn't obvious.

Now other studies DO show that glycogen-replenishment AFTER a ride does exhibit improvements in a 4:1 carb+protein mix compared to just carbs alone. The differences in rate of glycogen-replenishment between carb-only vs carb+protein varies depending upon total carb gm/kg body-weight consumed, with the biggest difference in absorption rates at the higher intake amounts of about 2.0-2.5 gm/kg of carbs, or basically a full-on meal after the ride.

CPcyclist

Danno I hate to disagree on saying the study is flawed as the test was run at an easy pace 44-75% VO2 max for 3 hrs I think most fit riders could do that without a problem and then they kicked it up to 85% of VO2 max.


As to making it up I find that it works best if you first dissolve the stuff in a small amount of hot water then top off with cold and ice cubes. The protein is what does not want to go into solution.

DannoXYZ 

Sure it's flawed, because they devised a test that doesn't accurately model real-world conditions. It's like doing a study of carbon vs. aluminium vs. steel bikes by coming up with a test where they are run over by trash trucks, which may show one material to be clearly superior to the other. But how often does a bike get destroyed by trash trucks and how many buyers base their purchasing decisions based upon survivability after getting run over by a trash truck?

Similary, very few bikers go out for a leisurely ride for 3 hours without eating anything at all, then pick it up to 85% at the end and start drinking energy-drinks. It's just doesn't reflect how things are done in the real world. So my testing regimen would look more like:

- start three cycling groups on water-only nutrition
- run test-programme of 1.5-hour@80%, 1.5-hour@75% this should get all riders close to bonking
- run final pace at 70% and measure time-to-bonk
- how we have baseline-control for water-only nutrition for all three groups
- let all riders recover and replenish glycogen stores, 2-3 days should be fine

- repeat test again, with (1) water-only placebo, (2) carb-only, (3) carb+protein mix
- run same initial 1.5-hour@80%, 1.5-hour@75% exertions, HOWEVER
- feed each group 700ml water per hour + 200 calories/hr of their nutrition mix (or placebo), this represents real-world conditions so the results we obtain can be used to predict real-world performance
- measure time-to-bonk under final exertion of 70%

The results of this test would be more representative of true endurance-differences between water, carb-only vs. carb+protein nutrition. However, I haven't seen any studies like this yet and I can't predict what the actual results would be. I'm pretty sure the carb and carb+protein nutrition would completely demolish the water-only group, but what is exactly the difference between carb vs. carb+protein, I would have no idea until the study is done.

Enthalpic

Isocaloric studies (your fixed 200 kcals) will show that carb only beats carb + pro. However, that’s not really fair as no one is saying cut back on your sugar... they just say add protein. Equal carb + pro should win out as you are adding more energy sources not just trying to cram another carb into an already carb packed gut. Other effects of the protein besides energy may help as well; things like glutamic acid soaking up ammonia (on it’s way to glutamine), BCAA, etc. Anything that aids in nitrogen balance should help.

That said, I still think accelerade taste like crap. Even adding about 1/3 of a scoop of whey isolate to gatoraid tastes way better (like a creamsicle) , and still dissolves no problem. I think it’s the hydrophobic vitamins they add that ruins the solubility.

mx_599

the abstract i read on their site had a lot of inconsistencies. plus, it was nearly ineffective for a 1/3 of the people. they were the "non-responders"

RiPHRaPH

the stuff works incredibly well. i don't consider myself a statistic, and neither do you.... so try it. it is with me on all hammer rides > 50 miles.

smoke

the stuff works well enough to use it. i haven't found much, if any, difference in my riding when i change sports drinks. what DOES work is their after-ride stuff, endurox4. i go on a 4 hour ride and drink the endurox afterwards, and 2-3 hours later my legs feel like they haven't done anything that day. i've quickly gotten to be a real believer in endurox

Pedal Wench

Any difference in performance by substituting the not-so-bad tasting Accel Gels for the nasty-tasting drink?

smoke

i use the accel gel and also carb-boom. i really can't tell a difference. i've settled on those two because the taste isn't as bad as most other gels

sscyco

I used the Accelerade gel during the IM CDA - and I was able to do the entire race without taking in any solid calories (because of the protien). It's much easier for me if I don't have to choke down a bar.

ericgu

I love the stuff.

A couple of years, I tried the gatorade thing, but even with it diluted, I just couldn't drink very much. But with the accelerade, I can easily drink 24 ounce per hour, which gives me 280 calories, which is pretty much the maximum most people can absorb while exercising hard (and pretty much all you need)

I now do my long rides without much in the way of solid food, though I will have the occasional clif bar or a few newtons, I feel a lot stronger, and I'm not deadly hungry when I'm done.

The most important part, however, is choosing a drink that you can actually stomach on long rides, and bring some water along as well.

Oh, and the protein in accelerade makes cleaning bottles a bit of a pain - you have to soak them overnight.

Finally, the blue raspberry is the best. Lemon-Line, not so good.

GreenRiver

I agree with the others that like the stuff. I was introduced to Accelerade by the guys at my LBS. The mix of carbs/protein/calories has really worked for me on my longer rides.

whitemax

Im 45 years old and feel like a train wreck after a hard 60 mile or more ride. I just don't recover like I used to when I was younger. So what is the basic difference between Accelerade and Endurox? They both have carbs and protein don't they. I just mix some gaterade with whey protein from GNC for my second bottle. The first I use either gatorade or cytomax. I think cytomax is a pretty good product; better than gatorade for sure. Some of the carb/protein mix products are insanely expensive just to add a little protein in it.

StanSeven

Me too. The first couple of times I used it, the taste and consistency were bad. But then I got used to it. Studies or not, it really works for me and I went in very skeptical. The other thing is it keeps me from feeling hungry.

roadbuzz

Note to self: don't accept invitations to eat at Bobsled's