Gels vs Gatorade

andres muro wrote:

If you are properly hydrated and nourished at the start of a ride,
you'll need water, salt and sugar to keep you riding at a certain
intensity. Water and salt will hydrate you and prevent cramps and
sugar will give you energy and prevent bonking.

All good advice, except the sugar part. Sugar is not a good source
of energy for an endurance athlete: 1) it is slowly absorbed, 2) it
requires additional water for digestion, and 3) it can actually
cause a blood sugar crash (i.e. bonk).

On the other hand, complex carbohydrates like maltodextrin avoid all
three of these problems. If a sports drink contains mostly simple
sugars, it's not a good endurance drink.
--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/

On Tue, 20 Jul 2004 11:30:53 -0700, "Jay Beattie"
wrote:

source and generally contain some sort of amphetamine, like
caffeine or a natural source of caffeine, to keep the mind clear.

Is caffeine really an amphetimine?

JT

On Tue, 20 Jul 2004 11:30:53 -0700, "Jay Beattie"
wrote:

source and generally contain some sort of amphetamine, like
caffeine or a natural source of caffeine, to keep the mind clear.

Is caffeine really an amphetimine?

JT

"Jay Beattie" wrote in message
...

Gatorade was intended as an electrolyte and fluid replacement and
only incidentally a carbohydrate source. ...

Does anyone know what electrolytes we're talking about in Gatorade?

The one I'd be most concerned about - Potassium - is not to be found in
Gatorade in anything but trace amounts. It's just sucrose, dextrose, salt
and water as far as I can tell. I can't figure out if it's useful. I haven't
used it in years, but recently bought some again.

Usually I get by on dried fruit (dates, mango, papaya, fig bars) and Clif
Bars. I need to eat every hour or I start to decline after 2 - 3 hours. If
that's the duration of the ride, I don't bring food. Anything longer and I
have to eat small amounts regularly. An ride of over six hours means I like
to eat a small meal too, like a PBJ.

Boris

"Jay Beattie" wrote in message
...

Gatorade was intended as an electrolyte and fluid replacement and
only incidentally a carbohydrate source. ...

Does anyone know what electrolytes we're talking about in Gatorade?

The one I'd be most concerned about - Potassium - is not to be found in
Gatorade in anything but trace amounts. It's just sucrose, dextrose, salt
and water as far as I can tell. I can't figure out if it's useful. I haven't
used it in years, but recently bought some again.

Usually I get by on dried fruit (dates, mango, papaya, fig bars) and Clif
Bars. I need to eat every hour or I start to decline after 2 - 3 hours. If
that's the duration of the ride, I don't bring food. Anything longer and I
have to eat small amounts regularly. An ride of over six hours means I like
to eat a small meal too, like a PBJ.

Boris

On Tue, 20 Jul 2004 15:35:41 -0700, Terry Morse
wrote:


All good advice, except the sugar part. Sugar is not a good source
of energy for an endurance athlete:

1) it is slowly absorbed,

That may or may not be a bad thing, depending on what the user wants.
And of course different sugars are absorbed at different rates.

2) it requires additional water for digestion, and

Riders have to drink anyway.

3) it can actually cause a blood sugar crash (i.e. bonk).

Not if you are taking it in small amounts often.

On the other hand, complex carbohydrates like maltodextrin avoid all
three of these problems.

Maltodextrin is certainly useful.

If a sports drink contains mostly simple
sugars, it's not a good endurance drink.

Then how come top bike racers are often drinking Extran, which is just
glucose and water?

JT

On Tue, 20 Jul 2004 15:35:41 -0700, Terry Morse
wrote:


All good advice, except the sugar part. Sugar is not a good source
of energy for an endurance athlete:

1) it is slowly absorbed,

That may or may not be a bad thing, depending on what the user wants.
And of course different sugars are absorbed at different rates.

2) it requires additional water for digestion, and

Riders have to drink anyway.

3) it can actually cause a blood sugar crash (i.e. bonk).

Not if you are taking it in small amounts often.

On the other hand, complex carbohydrates like maltodextrin avoid all
three of these problems.

Maltodextrin is certainly useful.

If a sports drink contains mostly simple
sugars, it's not a good endurance drink.

Then how come top bike racers are often drinking Extran, which is just
glucose and water?

JT

On Tue, 20 Jul 2004 19:25:31 -0400, John Forrest Tomlinson
wrote:

On Tue, 20 Jul 2004 11:30:53 -0700, "Jay Beattie"
wrote:

source and generally contain some sort of amphetamine, like
caffeine or a natural source of caffeine, to keep the mind clear.

Is caffeine really an amphetimine?

JT

Dear John,

No, caffeine and the amphetamines are technically different,
but it takes a good deal of fuss to distinguish them. Browse
around sites like this, and you'll find the differences:

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/caff.html

Time for a Coke before my daily ride.

Carl Fogel

On Tue, 20 Jul 2004 19:25:31 -0400, John Forrest Tomlinson
wrote:

On Tue, 20 Jul 2004 11:30:53 -0700, "Jay Beattie"
wrote:

source and generally contain some sort of amphetamine, like
caffeine or a natural source of caffeine, to keep the mind clear.

Is caffeine really an amphetimine?

JT

Dear John,

No, caffeine and the amphetamines are technically different,
but it takes a good deal of fuss to distinguish them. Browse
around sites like this, and you'll find the differences:

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/caff.html

Time for a Coke before my daily ride.

Carl Fogel

In article ,
John Forrest Tomlinson wrote:

Terry Morse wrote:


Sugar is not a good source of energy for an endurance athlete:

1) it is slowly absorbed,

That may or may not be a bad thing, depending on what the user wants.
And of course different sugars are absorbed at different rates.

All simple sugars are absorbed slowly and poorly, thanks to their
low osmolality. If you are exercising hard, you simply can't get
anough nutrition with sugar alone to keep up with the glycogen loss.
If you're not exercising hard or long, then it doesn't matter. You
can drink colored water, or no water at all. But this is beside the
point.

2) it requires additional water for digestion, and

Riders have to drink anyway.

Riders have to drink, but the amount they drink is limited by how
much their body can absorb. The upper limit is about 1 liter/hour
and is usually substantially less. Consuming sugar can actually draw
fluids from the body into the digestive tract, increasing
dehydration.

3) it can actually cause a blood sugar crash (i.e. bonk).

Not if you are taking it in small amounts often.

If you are taking sugar in small enough amounts to prevent
dehydration and a sugar crash, you're getting pitifully little
nutrition. A bonk will be the ultimate result.

If a sports drink contains mostly simple
sugars, it's not a good endurance drink.

Then how come top bike racers are often drinking Extran, which is just
glucose and water?

Because many top bike racers don't know squat about nutrition.
--
terry morse Palo Alto, CA http://bike.terrymorse.com/