Gatorade question

[rhihn]

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

 

[NewHampshire]

I have heard of the watering down the Gatorade thing, but never tried it, nor heard of any specific ratio. If it were me I would probably go 2 gatorade bottles and 2 water then just alternate gatorade then water, then gatorade, then water.

Of course, if you want serious electrolyte replacement......choke down (literally) some Pedealyte!

Brian

 

[Mad Townie]

If you want serious electrolyte replacement......choke down (literally) some Pedealyte!

Oh, please don't remind me! Good thing my babies aren't babies anymore.

On the Gatorade thing, I usually mix about 10 oz of the stuff into a liter Nalgene of water (gotta leave room for the Gatorade, though ). My scientific basis for doing this (now THIS is gonna make DougPaul proud!) is that I bring one 20 oz. bottle of Gatorade and two one-liter Nalgene bottles of water. Works pretty well, and it cuts that Gatorade taste into something more palatable to me on the trail.

 

[MadRiver]

I buy the Gatorade powder and use about ¾ strength.

 

[DougPaul]

The concentrations of the components of electrolyte drinks seem to assume that you are consuming nothing else and thus put in the max of some components, such as sugars (7-8%). More than this will impede the absorbtion of liquid (and in my case will me a stomach ache). Since I also consume solid food when hiking, the full strength electrolyte plus the food would be too much. One can deal with this by drinking diluted electrolyte (half strength seems popular) or carry two bottles, one with electrolyte and one with pure water.

(I generally try to always carry at least one bottle of pure water for first aid use, cleaning, etc. I only need to add a bit of powder to turn it into electrolyte.)

The following search will bring up some threads in which I gave the strength of some electrolyte drinks and issues concerning the strengths, along with a bunch of other related issues.
http://vftt.org/forums/search.php?do=process&query=morton lite salt

Doug

 

[Frodo]

When hiking in the desert for a day, I would bring much more than a gallon of fluids...

I hiked down from the S. Rim of the Grand Canyon to the Colodado River and back in June 05 with 4 quarts of Gatorade and 2 liters of water, and I almost didn't make it back up...

Now what I did was not very smart considering it reached 115 degrees after 3 hours into the hike, but I did bring (what I thought) was more fluid than I could possibly drink in a 8 hour hike (even in intense heat). By the time I crawled my a$$ back up over the top with a few buzzards circling overhead, I had just drank my last mouthfull...

For me, I think my ratio of water/electolytes was fine along with the amount of fluids I brought with me, but hiking in extreme heat can cause other heat related issues and if your not hydrated enough, worse issues...

 

[RickM]

When I went Rim to Rim to Rim over two days in the Grand Canyon last May in 100 degree heat I found myself drinking about a liter and a half of water per hour which I supplemented with Endurolyte electrolyte tablets from Hammer Nutrition. That seemed to work great and I had no cramping. I prefer to use pure water with the electrolyte tabs and stay away from all the sugar.

 

[sli74]

I would carry 50% water and 50% Gatorade. The gatorade that i LOVE LOVE LOVE is Gatorade Rain in Lime flavor. It is a lighter taste and really hits the spot.

sli74

 

[jmegillon149]

not sure what the water reccomendation is, but I would bring that much water, AND gatorade/juice strictly as extra. I typically hike with a 3 liter camelback, plus a nalgene of gatorade, so I guess that water makes up roughly 3/4 of what I carry.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

I think I've mentioned this before in other Gatorade-esque threads.

Don't try something new for the first time away from home on an expensive vacation trip

or, from my bicycle racing days

Don't try something new the morning of a bike race

I.e., experiment on trails you are familiar with, while trying to get conditions similar to what you'll be experiencing.

I personally dilute my Gatorade 50/50 on the bike, and bring it full-strength when hiking, but will often chase it with water in both cases.

I once rode solo from Nashua NH to Brewster MA (that's on Cape Cod.) I drank 4 22oz water bottles of electrolyte liquid and 2 70oz camel backs of pure water. Don't recall the exact date, but it was hot enough to meet my family at the Cape... That's nearly 2 gallons in, and I think I only stopped to pee twice. (Una_Dogger, if you're reading, that was 146 miles in 7:45 wall time, or 19.3 mph with 2 5-minute stops for input and output.) Of course I ate along the way too, but I never cramped up, and while I was sore the next day, it wasn't cramping sore.

Tim

 

[MattS]

I usually hike with 3 bottles for most day hikes. The first two are half gatorade and half water. I find the full gatorade too sweet. The last one I have pure H2O. I agree with DougPaul that one should be pure H2O.

 

[SkierSteve]

One thing not to try is putting Gatorade in your Camelback. My first and last try led to discovering an interesting growth a week later. This was after washing out the bladder. On long trips I usually carry the powdered version and use it at the end of the day as a recovery drink.

 

[sapblatt]

I would go with all Gatorade - but I would dilute it 50 %...that is my standard warm weather thing - it seems to make a big difference...if I go with all water on real hot days I end up with splitting headaches...

 

[Neil]

One thing not to try is putting Gatorade in your Camelback. My first and last try led to discovering an interesting growth a week later. This was after washing out the bladder. On long trips I usually carry the powdered version and use it at the end of the day as a recovery drink.

My waterbladder goes directly into the freezer after being emptied and rinsed. It stays there until the next hike.

Lest we forget, gatorade is nothing more than well marketed, very expensive sugar, a few chemicals and some electrolytes.

I often think that chewing dried fruit and drinking straight water is a better way to go.

 

[David Metsky]

(I generally try to always carry at least one bottle of pure water for first aid use, cleaning, etc. I only need to add a bit of powder to turn it into electrolyte.)

Excellent point, one that deserves mentioning again.

I generally go with a 3 liter camelback with water, and one liter of gatorade mix. You can get your electrolites via food as well, so I generally have some handy salty snacks.

 

[sli74]

Lest we forget, gatorade is nothing more than well marketed, very expensive sugar, a few chemicals and some electrolytes.

I know but it just tastes so durn good

sli74

 

[MadRiver]

The gatorade that i LOVE LOVE LOVE is Gatorade Rain in Lime flavor. It is a lighter taste and really hits the spot.

sli74

I like Frost, but am willing to give Rain a try.

 

[DougPaul]

Ah yes, the annual spring hydration thread...

Lest we forget, gatorade is nothing more than well marketed, very expensive sugar, a few chemicals and some electrolytes.

Agreed. The contents of Gatorade, Gookinaid, and a recipie for a cheap home-brewed equivalent can be found in http://www.vftt.org/forums/showpost.php?p=54650&postcount=21 You can add whatever flavoring you want if it helps you to drink enough.

I often think that chewing dried fruit and drinking straight water is a better way to go.

That can work too. I had to make sure that the food included a reasonable amount of salt since I seem to lose a good bit of sodium in my sweat.

Doug

 

[the starchild]

Excellent point, one that deserves mentioning again.

I generally go with a 3 liter camelback with water, and one liter of gatorade mix. You can get your electrolites via food as well, so I generally have some handy salty snacks.

how about we go for three...lucky number!

that's what i do if i know there will not be any water sources, except i'll have pemixed gatoraid and water in a light bottle (no nalgene)! gatoraid is good, but sometimes you just want water for drinking/cooking/etc. i always carry powdered mix, i like the Goo mix better, not as strong. the bladder is always only water and i use the bottle for mixed drinks. mmm.....mixed drinks, is it noon yet?

 

[KMartman]

Lest we forget, gatorade is nothing more than well marketed, very expensive sugar, a few chemicals and some electrolytes.

I dont think this statement is entirely true. I think they put a TON of cash into research on this product to make SURE it does whats expected. They monitor TOP athletes and "tweak" the product to provide what the body needs when it's depleted.

Gatorade isn't just hype and it isnt just sugar.

my $.02

M