I remember citing a paper to a professor of mine in surgical training years ago. Charlie he said, at least 50 % of the science a person read is bull****. Most of these articles are crap. Absorbtion of water is not enhanced by glucose or sodium. We need fluid, no one is arguing that, and we need food, no one is arguing that. When we eat fruit , carbs or any other food source we are taking in the electrolytes we need. Keep it simple and keep it real. Having said all that I do sometimes take a bottle of some gatorade equivalent on a long ride with a bottle of water. For calories I take a bag of raisins. Why? Because I like them.