Gatorade question

[MadRiver]

I like the blue, myself. I have no idea what flavor that is.

Frost is light blue.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

If you were going to be hiking in the desert with four quarts (or more) of water per day, how much of that water would you drink as Gatorade (or other electrolyte)? All? Half? Other? Electrolytes are vital, but too much sugar is not a good thing. Water it down? Alternate water and Gatorade? I'm sure there's no single forumula, and to a certain extent will vary with the individual.

Suggestions or thoughts?

Dick

I now live in the desert (Upper Mojave) and often hike there in the cooler months, and tend to agree with Frodo that 4 quarts per day might be a bit thin, especially if you're doing overnights.

Are you doing day hikes? Overnights? And what desert? That's a bit like saying "I'm going hiking in the mountains"

As for the water/gatorade/etc debate - to each his own. Most of us know what works for us, and attempting to convince each other to change is futile ...

 

[DougPaul]

"The truth is that the human body needs very minute amounts of sodium to function normally. We need only 250 mg of sodium each day, athletes maybe 500 mg, which is easily supplied by natural, unprocessed foods. However, the average American consumes approximately 6000 to 7000 mg per day. The average athlete stores at least 8,000 mg of dietary sodium in tissues and has these stores available during exercise. Most athletes perform successfully using from 80-300 mg. sodium per hour in prolonged endurance events. Sodium is necessary but not by itself and not in mega-dose quantities."

Reference please?

(General request to posters: please give the references for your quotes.)

Gatorade's higher salt content also helps to stimulate thrist. I'm guessing most of it's benefit during a normal outing (not a marathon or canyon RTRTR) is from the carb and fluid replacement vs the electrolytes.

I have personal experience where I became dehydrated from electrolyte loss in sweat and treated it successfully with just KCl+NaCl (potassium chloride + sodium chloride) in my water. I have also varied the amout of sugar while keeping the amount of KCl and NaCl constant in my home-made electrolyte drink and have seen little difference. (As far as I can tell, the only difference was taste.) This is anecdotal evidence and may not apply to everyone, but it suggests that, at least for some individuals, the electrolytes are the important additive to one's water.

Doug

 

[David Metsky]

Reference please?

(General request to posters: please give the references for your quotes.)

It appears to be from here: http://www.electrodelight.com/?p=2

Or here: http://www.planetultra.com/training/born2.html

-dave-

 

[Seeker]

A lot of info and not a lot of references. I'll take it all with a pinch of salt.

I can't drink anything except for water on hikes and bikes--as much as I like the blue and purple varieties, it eventually makes me feel somewhat nauseous and can sometimes kick up a little heart burn.

There is plenty of electrolite action in Clif Bars and the turkey sandwich I usually eat to tide me over just fine.

 

[Chip]

It appears to be from here: http://www.electrodelight.com/?p=2

Or here: http://www.planetultra.com/training/born2.html

-dave-

eh-yup. Sorry for the lack of attribution. Here's his reference list;

REFERENCES

Balch, JF, and Balch, PA. Prescription for Nutritional Healing. Avery Publishing, New York, NY; 1990: 7.

Colgan, M. Optimum Sports Nutrition. Advanced Research Press, New York, NY; 1993: 27-37.

Costill, DL. "A Scientific Approach to Distance Running." Track and Field. 1979.

Dorland, WA. Medical Dictionary. W.B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, PA; 1981.

Hausman, P. The Right Dose. Ballantine Books, New York, NY; 1987: 312.

Lieberman, S, and Bruning, N The Real Vitamin & Mineral Book. Avery Publishing, Garden City, NY; 1990: 91-181.

Noakes, TD. Lore of Running. Leisure Press, Champaign, IL; 1991:117-121.


*Steve Born is the senior technical advisor for E-CAPS/HAMMER NUTRITION . He is a three-time Race Across America official finisher, the 1994 Furnace Creek Champion, the 1999 Furnace Creek Runner Up, the first and only Double Furnace Creek 508 finisher (in 2002), and has two Ultra Cycling National Records to his credit. For more info, click Hammer Nutrition and/or E-CAPS.

 

[DougPaul]

It appears to be from here: http://www.electrodelight.com/?p=2

Or here: http://www.planetultra.com/training/born2.html

Thanks. Now that I can look at the entire article, I think I've seen it before.

This info on sodium requirements is tied in with what is effectively a commercial advertisment. This leaves me with an uneasy feeling about its accuracy. (Doesn't mean that it is wrong--I'd just like to see it in reliable-looking sources without the commercial conflict-of-interest.)

(Of course, given all of the commercial interest in electrolyte drinks, it might be hard to find conflict-of-interest free info on the web...)

It also contains a possible contradiction:
"We need only 250 mg of sodium each day, athletes maybe 500 mg,"
and
"Most athletes perform successfully using from 80-300 mg. sodium per hour in prolonged endurance events."
Thus an athlete performing for more than 2 hours could require more than 500 mg per day.


My understanding is that the amount of salt in a single individual's sweat can vary significantly as a function of heat adaptation and the amount can vary significantly across individuals. (Sorry--don't have a reference handy.) Thus it would be pretty difficult to make any meaningful statements about any individual's requirements. A range or average might be appropriate.

Doug

 

[chinooktrail]

Interesting thread.

When I used to drink the 'blue' Gatoraid at work my 'guys' would tell me I was drinking windshield washer fluid, and some days, it felt like it. Now I drink water at work, and water on hikes. I like an occasional frozen slushie Gatoraid nalgene bottle mixed in, but only when it is really warm out. To me, anything over 55 is really warm. Frodo hiked in 115 degrees? I am a zombie above 90! When it is that hot, I am in my kayak.

Obviously everyone's body is a unique machine, and requires different amounts of input to function properly. If someone is diabetic or such, things are different. If you really dislike drinking straight water, but can palate gatoraide, or juice, or V8 or Stonyfield Smoothies or whatever you get your liquid from, isn't that sufficient? Would I go hiking with a nalgene of pickle juice? Well, maybe, how much cash is involved? (I happen to LOVE pickle juice) My point, and I do have one, is that isn't FLUID intake nearly as important as WHAT fluids you are taking in? Personally I think Electrolyte schemectrolite, it is all hype. If you eat a well balanced diet you will get the things you need nutritionally, and it comes down to fluid vs solids. I would always prefer to get my nutrients and vitamins from eating a healthy well balanced diet, same with fluids. I drink a LOT of water, and occasionally a Gatoraid or whatever, just for the flavor.

So, if I were going to hike in a desert and had to decide what and how much liquid to bring, I would opt for a camel, a slew of cabana boys, lots of good wine, lots of water, loads of grapes, a humungeous umbrella and sunblock with an SPF of 75 or so. (Applied by the cabana boys every 1/2 hour.)

 

[rtrimarc]

benefits and mixing of "Sports Drinks"

I don't have a lot to add as much has been said here. However, why not add my opinions/experiences...

I believe the Camelback slogan is "Hydrate or Die". Presuming this is true and knowing that maintaining a steady level of nutrients/salts/protiens/WATER etc is necessary to maintain peak performance(which is BS BTW - my 20th mile of a marathon is NEVER as fast as my 1st - so i obviously don't "maintain peak performance") and to minimize cramping in endurance activities, you need to drink and eat. Water is great, but i don't like it when i am hot and the water is warm. Mixing Gatorade with water, usually about 50/50 encourages me to drink more solely because it tastes better. The added ingredients - sugars and monopotassium etc. are certainly of value but using it as a vehicle to hydrate is probably its most important attribute. Foods can also supply these nutrients and can be lighter to carry, yet more cumbersome to intake.

The '05 Lake Placid Marathon which was HOT(mid 80's), and HILLY(obviously) was a great learning experience for me. The kind volunteers supplied water/Gookinade every 2 miles or so, but the sports rink was so pungent and nearly undrinkable at the levels they mixed it. I would have forgone drinking at many of the water stops had they not had plain water there too. I was able to grab one cup of water and one of the sports drink and pour one into the other on the run, diluting the sports drink enough to be able to choke it down - apparently getting enough of the benefits of both to finish the damn race.

As for flavor, i really enjoy the purple Rain Gatorade and the blue Powerade. And i believe it was Homer Simpson who said "purple is a flavor".

Rob

 

[LivesToHike]

Good thread!

I like the blue, myself. I have no idea what flavor that is.

Dave - I have no idea what flavor that is either. I always assumed it was radiator fluid.... ...although that's usually more blue/green tinted.

I too, use Gatorade, or other like products, diluted at least 50%. I use it to camel-up on hikes or during long bicycle rides. Lately I've started shying away from the premixed Gatorade, as I noticed Phosphoric acid in the ingredients list, the same reason why I stopped (although not entirely) drinking carbonated soft drinks off trail. Ditto with High Fructose Corn Syrup. I should just start growing my own beets for sucrose, drying ocean salt, etc and make my own mix ;-).

Good Thread btw.

---Mike