Originally Posted by
Machka
A single gatorade is probably not going to hurt a long distance cyclist ... several, on the other hand, may. My problem with gatorade is that gatorade contains simple sugars which, after consuming several gatorades on a long distance ride, give me mouth sores. The longer the ride and the more gatorade consumed, the bigger and badder the mouth sores. I switched to maltodextrin based sports drinks ... no more mouth sores.
So yes, I am that diligent with everything I consume ... I diligently avoid foods that cause me pain and discomfort.
If a person likes gatorade, that's fine .................... but I've offered several options for "saving money on electrolyte replacements while on tour" (the title of this thread). Some interesting options for those would prefer not to drink gatorade too often.
FWIW, I tend to use the term gatorade generically when referring to sports drinks. Sloppy, I know... When I used to do triathlons, the mantra for longer races was to always make sure to use the type of sports drink provided by the race before the race in order to make sure your body didn't have any problems. None of that stuff ever bothered me one way or the other, so I guess I'm lucky. I will say, however, that after each Ironman race that I never wanted to see a banana or a sports drink again for a long, long time.