@zakk:

actually i sweat rather profusely. but like i said: i'm a human camel! lol

i'm an H2O advocate. i don't like the taste of the gooey sweet stuff. plus i'm a little bit of a cheapskate in terms of nutrition and hydration during workouts. i do have a box of powergels lying around, but i will only use these on really long bikerides.

imho, as long as you make sure you eat healthy nutritious meals you should be fine. unless you're out on a really long work-out!
what is a really long work-out? well, as usual that's subjective. for me it would be more than 3 hours aerobic training or more than 2 anaerobic training.

at the same time i do think it is necessary to drink sportsdrinks and test nutrition during training, so that you know what'll work for you during a race. you don't want to be throwing up because your stomach doesn't like a certain brand of energybar or gel or a certain drink. plus you will want to get used to eating and drinking while running or cycling.