# Gatorade VS. Water?



## Mike Baker (27 Jul 2006)

I already searched this and didn't find much, but if there is anything, lock this up and give me the link please. My question is; Is Gatorade better then water while im training? I have been drinking water since I began training late last year, but then I started drinking Gatorade, and I don't feel as tired when im finished at the end of the day. So is it better then water?


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## techie (27 Jul 2006)

Yes.


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## Mike Baker (27 Jul 2006)

Perfect, thanks techie


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## techie (27 Jul 2006)

Water is just fine for short duration exercises, Gatorade has electrolytes and carbs to help replenish what is lost when you exercise.


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## Canadian.Trucker (27 Jul 2006)

I couldn't help but think of the movie "The Waterboy" when I saw the title of this thread.

"Gatorade.  H²O.  Gaaaaatorade.  H²O!  Water sucks, it really really sucks.  Water sucks, it really really sucks."

Man that movie cracked me up.

Agree with what techie said about Gatorade.


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## Scott (27 Jul 2006)

Here's the lowdown as I got it from a medical type (Medical types here: feel free to debate):

Watch the salt content of the sports drinks. I dilute mine to half sports drink/half water to keep from going on sodium overload. There are better products on the market, IMO, you just have to search for them. The popular sports beverages, again IMO, are now just lower forms of Coke and Pepsi - mass marketed so that people will buy them, no real care for if it's good for you or not.

I have used something called, IIRC, Squinchers (tried googling, not much luck) as an electrolyte replacement drink and they work great. No idea of content, cost comparison, ease of obtaining them as my job buys them for us.

The medical types also told me that nothing should ever replace water completely.


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## nullterm (27 Jul 2006)

Full agreement on Gatorade.  A couple years ago I was hiking up a mountain in BC (whole day up & down), I was packing both water and gatorade.  I started off drinking the water first, which was tough going.  My body just felt drained.  Half way up, when I ran outta plain water, I switched to the gatorade.  It was like someone had refilled my gas tank and my body said "Thank you!"  I had alot more energy and my legs weren't dragging.


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## Shamrock (27 Jul 2006)

Squencher?


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## Scott (27 Jul 2006)

Kenny, thanks, I had the spelling wrong. That is exactly the product and I am 100% sold on the stuff. I still drink Gatorade when doing PT and whatnot but I always carry the Squencher concentrate, about 6 packs, in my fire gear for drinks on the line.

As a side note: One of the guys at work read that you are not supposed to mix Squenchers with booze, he had to try it of course. He said it tasted great with Vodka and there was no waiting for the liquor to hit you!


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## foerestedwarrior (27 Jul 2006)

http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/sports-drinks.htm

A little long, but in detail explains the benefits of a sport drink.

http://www.active.com/story.cfm?story_id=12110

Explains selection of sports drinks.

There is a huge difference in all sports drinks. I personally use Eload when I can get my hands on it. I has eliminated any cramping problems for me that I get in races sometimes using Gatorade. I have yet to try the new endurance formula from Gatorade that includes protein into it. I don't know any other drinks that may include the balance that they talk about in the second article of Carb-Protein(4-1). 

The big thing with a sports drink, is that it A) re hydrates you, B)re-supplies Sodium Electrolytes, C)Gives you carbs in the form of Glucose, which is synthesized into fuel for your muscle's, D)Helps retain fluid for better Hydration.

Hydration in general is a big concern when doing anything physical, both for safety as well as performance. Safety is a pretty well known subject. Without fluid, you will dehydrate. When you dehydrate your bodies natural cooling system(sweating) stops working, so your body overheats. In some extreme circumstances, muscles have been known to literally cook when they could not cool down. Performance is what seemed to start this thread. When you loose 1% of your body weight in water(fluids), you will suffer noticeable performance drops. After loosing only 2% you will notice Extremely significant drops in performance. 

So say you weigh 200lbs, you loose 1lb in water weight, there you go, lots of performance drop.

On the other hand you can overhydrate. See the first link for a small blurb on that. Or google Hyponatraemia.

Also, check out www.coach.ca It is a decent site with lots of info. Specifically here- http://www.coach.ca/eng/nutrition/index.cfm


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## muffin (27 Jul 2006)

Hey Hey - a squinchers free trial request form from the company!

http://www.levitt-safety.com/forms/sqwincher.asp

Muffin

Edit:
There appears to be a squenchers AND a squinchers... this is squinchers... I don't know about squenchers.... *sigh* lol


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## rogsco (27 Jul 2006)

I'll chime in on this one for you.

The important distinction to make is whether you are using a sports drink (like Gatorade) used to rehydrate or an energy drink (like red bull). Watch out for the energy drinks, they contain caffeine and sugar. People sometimes use energy drinks during or after exercise to boost performance or rehydrate, but they have the opposite effect and can cause dehydration and electrolyte disturbances. Its not a bad idea to stay away from the energy drinks during exercise and if you use them at all, don't drink too many and don't mix them with alcohol. Red Bull is considered a health product in Canada and has directions for use on the label.

For hydration, water is just fine. Problem is people get bored of water and usually stop drinking it before they are actually rehydrated. Sports drinks don't really rehydrate a whole lot better than water. Sports drinks tend to taste better and the tartness of them encourages people to drink more, so you may hydrate better because you drink more.

If you are exercising for less than an hour water will do you just fine, but if you like the sports drinks, go ahead and drink them in moderation. Just remember the sugar content - do you really need it? If you're going hard for more than an hour or you're an endurance athlete then the glucose and electrolytes in the sports drink can be helpful. If you are not an endurance athlete and are thinking of starting training (marathon for example) check with your health care provider first.

What's most important, regardless of whether you choose water or a sports drink, is to rehydrate to replace fluid loss during exercise. Drink before, during and after exercise to replace fluid loss. And as you all know, increase your fluid intake when exercising in hot environments.

Exercise smart and eat smart.


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## Mike Baker (27 Jul 2006)

Thanks for all the info people.


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## Jake (27 Jul 2006)

I used to live off Gatorade when I had a job putting up large party tents, they definitely helped keep me energetic during the 10-18 hour days.


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## nutritionchik (28 Jul 2006)

mbaker said:
			
		

> I already searched this and didn't find much, but if there is anything, lock this up and give me the link please. My question is; Is Gatorade better then water while im training? I have been drinking water since I began training late last year, but then I started drinking Gatorade, and I don't feel as tired when im finished at the end of the day. So is it better then water?


 The answer depends on a number of factors - what type of training you are doing and for how long. Water is generally the best source of hydration if you are working out for less than 60 minutes - or if you spend more time looking at yourself in the mirror than actually "working out". If your workout is longer than 90 minutes, then it becomes important to supply your body with a fuel supply as the readily available liver and muscle glycogen stores will have been pretty much used up. Another factor to consider is, how much are you eating generally? If your carb intake (i.e. your energy source) is inadequate for your energy needs - then you are going to feel tired after a workout, in which case, actually providing your body with some fuel is going to make you feel better. What you want to look for in a Sport Drink is whether it provides 40-80 grams of carbohydrate per litre...any less than this and it will not give you the energy you need, any more than that and it will not be absorbed as quickly therefore becoming essentially ineffective.


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## The_Falcon (31 Jul 2006)

Echoing what has been said here, water for short activities, longer/higher intensity stuff you will need the glucose/electrolytes.  When I was in Florida in 2004, we were given free bottles of powerade 2-3 times a day, because of the high level of activity and the fact it very hot and very humid, some of us were drinking at least 4 liters of water a day.  But when we got to the MOUT training, we didn't get our powerade, and I actually came down with hyponatraemia from drinking so much water.  I was lucky and realized something wasn't right pretty quick (I just went on one knee and said, I ain't feeling right, section cmdr took me to the medic, and after figuring out the problem, they slowly replenished my electrolytes with small cups of gatorade over a period of like 2 hours), others thundered in completely and had to be hospitalized to correct the electrolyte imbalances in their systems.


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## Hot Lips (31 Jul 2006)

A little info about hydrating and how to gauge how much is the right amount for you...and a few other wonderful bits of info from the reputable Mayo Clinic sports nutrition links...

Be well

HL

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283


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## Bo (31 Jul 2006)

Going slightly off topic here, but has anyone here tried a protein-carb drink during their training?




> Research presented at the 2004 ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) annual conference demonstrated that liquid protein/carb supplements taken during practice can acutely produce the following results:
> 
> • Faster reaction time for goal tenders
> 
> ...



http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1173228

A good mix is 15g of protein with 30g carbs in 500ml of water. I tried this during soccer practice and gym workouts and noticed an improvement over just Gatorade. This may have just been the placebo effect though.

The website I listed also sells supplements so take what they say with a grain of salt as it is in their best interest to sell you their supplements. I have found though, that their articles are usually quite informative and useful.


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## paracowboy (31 Jul 2006)

Bo said:
			
		

> A good mix is 15g of protein with 30g carbs in 500ml of water. I tried this during soccer practice and gym workouts and noticed an improvement over just Gatorade. This may have just been the placebo effect though.


well, to digest it properly, you would need 75 g carbs for 15 g protein.


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## Proud Canadian (3 Aug 2006)

While doing the training for this years Nijmegen most members diluted Gatorade 50%. Some members complained that on 30+K marches that Gatorade mixed at suggest would cause them stomach cramps.


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## foerestedwarrior (3 Aug 2006)

Diluting gaotrade is something that alot of people do. Most of the problems though that cause diluting is due to the strong tase if it is mixed at the recomended level. Though at the risk of less elecrolytes per L then intended. It is a trade off, just have to make it work. The key to anything like this though, is train with it, that way during a race/deployment, you know it will work for you.


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## paracowboy (3 Aug 2006)

Proud Forester said:
			
		

> Diluting gaotrade is something that alot of people do. Most of the problems though that cause diluting is due to the strong tase if it is mixed at the recomended level. Though at the risk of less elecrolytes per L then intended. It is a trade off, just have to make it work. The key to anything like this though, is train with it, that way during a race/deployment, you know it will work for you.


No. The problem is not taste. It is the influx of carbs and sugars when your body wants water. The key is to understand glycogen and water intake. Which I'm trying to impart in this thread:
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/33109.0.html


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## COBRA-6 (3 Aug 2006)

http://www.gookinaid.com/


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## CF Doc (5 Aug 2006)

If you want my 5 cents worth (given this recent heat wave)-

Rehydration always depends on the nature of the "water" loss.

During exercise you loose a lot more water than you do "electrolytes", so you should replenish with mostly water... mostly.  You body (as long as you are healthy) will regulate these electrolytes, that's just what the kidneys do.

Losing fluids from vomitting or diarrhea can severely deplete your electrolytes.  A dilute Gatorde is much closer to the world Health Organization (WHO) recommended solution of: (roughly) spoonfull of salt, sugar and bicarbonate to 1 litre of water (also known as the Cholera rehydration solution).

The sugar and the salt in Gatorade (and the WHO solution) help "drive" water into the bowels and therefore increase water absorption.  Anymore salty or "surgary" and you can actually dehydrate much quicker (osmotic effect) as the water is actually sucked out of your body to dilute the salty (or sugary) drink.  that's why you can't live on sea water.

Anyway... all that to say that I always recommend that if you are going to rehydrate using Gatorade you should cut it with water.  By cutting it with water, you are also probably taking in more fluids which is infinitely better than not enough.  (also works well for Kids - 50/50 or better Gatorade/water instead of the ridiculously priced Pedialyte for a kid with diarrhea or significant water loss... don't forget to see the Docor though!!!!)


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## Mike Baker (5 Aug 2006)

wow, I never knew I would get this many comments.


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## Gunnerlove (9 Aug 2006)

The http://www.hammernutrition.com.au/2_hydration.pdf


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## rogsco (10 Aug 2006)

Bo said:
			
		

> Going slightly off topic here, but has anyone here tried a protein-carb drink during their training?
> 
> 
> http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1173228
> ...



I'm glad that you mentioned to take the info with a grain of salt since there is a definite bias in the information provided on the website as part of one great big advertisement for "SURGE - The Ultimate Post-Workout Drink." I have a good friend who is a clinical researcher who likes to say: "when something new shows up in the research, you don't want to be the first one to implement it nor the last." He means that you should be a bit skeptical until results are found consistently and and shown to be beneficial not harmful. 

For example, there have been some studies indicating that adding protein to a carbohydrate drink may improve performance, but there have also been some follow-on studies showing that there is no added benefit. The internet provides a wealth of information, but we as consumers of that info need to be careful and be sure that the source is credible and unbiased. Remember that commercial ventures who fund research have a vested interest in the results and sometimes only publish research that shows a benefit from their product.


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## newrecruit (10 Aug 2006)

Water. Definitely. I think that it was created just to make money from people. For me Gatorade doesn't work. I even feel dehydrated probably because of the saturated sugar in it. Water doesn't have any and tasted better. Before it was created athletes were able to perform as well on water eh? And also I don't think that I will get Gatorade in training. So I stick to water. It's cheaper also.


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## TangoTwoBravo (11 Aug 2006)

I'm no athlete nor a doctor nor a nutrionist, but when the guys are operating out the door they drink prodigious quantities of water.  If you're dismounted you'll be carrying too much water and yet not have enough.  If you're mounted you'll go through cases of water in a day as a section.  You can run out of water and ammo in a heartbeat.


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