Originally Posted by
Cave
Yeah, but what is "green powder"?
If you're worried about the correct electrolyte balance, why not use proper (medical) oral rehydration solution, like gastrolyte? I find it tastes too salty, that is why I prefer gatorade made a bit weaker than in the pre-mixed bottles, even if the electrolyte balance is not "perfect".
Also, how can your mix have the correct balance of electrolytes, if you put in "as much green powder as you can stand", rather than a specific amount?
Why add protein to it? If you're making up some sort of protein shake as a food source then OK that's fine, but for rehydration and avoiding electrolyte deficiencies protein does nothing. If anything, simple starches (eg. rice flour) can give some benefit, but they're a real bugger to keep in solution, which is why sugars are still used in rehydration solutions.
I'm also not clear on what you mean by things "burning acidic" in the body, particularly sugars which as far as I'm aware are completely metabolised to carbon dioxide + water.
Good luck to you if your mix works for you, but it would be nice to have some more details if you're going to recommend something to beginners which goes completely against what's currently known about hydration, electrolyte replacement and exercise physiology.
I'll repeat, as a medical volunteer on several rides with thousands of participants each, The only nutritional problems I've seen during a ride are dehydration, running out of energy, cramps from magnesium or potassium deficiency, and hyponatraemia from rehydration. Oh yeah, and some diabetic riders who didn't get the insulin / energy balance quite right.
If you go and study about the more advanced fuels you will find that they are made a lot different than Gatorade. First the potassium/sodium balance in gatorade is way off. The green powder is closer to what is natural in vegetables. From things I have read it is ideal to have about a 4-1 ratio of potassium to sodium. The green powder also has a full complex of the other minerals that you need. The protein is in there in a small dose. You don't need much protein while exercising since your system can't use much at this time but a small amount is beneficial according to the people at Hammer nutrition.
The only reason I suggest using some Gatorade in the mix is because it is a cheap source of carbohydrates. Though there are certainly better alternatives. Gatorade is not so likely to cause problems during a race. It's more it's continual use over time is not so good for the body. Contrary to popular belief many foods, including most sugars do not burn cleanly in the body. I'm just suggesting that there are better ways to get fueled on a long race that may improve your performance to some degree.
By the way "Green powder" is a superfood made from various things like barley grass and wheat grass. There are several brands. Generally it is a powder made from about 20-30 nutritious plants at the stage when the plant has the highest nutrient content. The good brands are made without heating which destroys more than 95 percent of the nutrient content. It doesn't taste so good and in a strong dose is hard to get down but a diluted dose is pretty easy. If you mix in a little grape juice to flavor it it can be pretty good.
A better mix would be to use maltodextrin instead of gatorade.