Originally Posted by 531Aussie
I gotta say....I'm not much of a Gatorade kinda guy, but on Tuesday I did 115km, Thursday 95km, and it just so happened that on both days, the milk bars I went to on the way home had nothing I fancied, so I bought some Gatorade. I was pretty thirsty, so I drank 'em right down, and I can't believe how much better my legs felt after the ride!! I'm hooked.
I use staminade powder and mix it to taste (about half what they say on the pack) to aid hydration. But I can't stand the pre-mixed bottles of powerade coz it's too sweet and sickly, and it tastes like cr@p when you try to dilute it.
But you're right: the little bit of carbs in sport drinks like Gatorade will aid hydration and might leave you feeling better than if you'd used water alone. It's also good practise to eat a high carb meal (yeah, go the vanilla slice or caramel tart!) within 30 mins of finishing a hard ride to kick start muscle glycogen replenishment.