Gatorade, Powerade, Cordial

Which one?


  • Total voters
    24
  • Poll closed .

Chyeaah

Professional
I don't know much about what drinks to drink during physical exercise and stuff, but which one is better Gatorade, Powerade or Cordial and how do you drink it? throughout or all before or all after?
 

kengan

New User
Water > all
If you're really dying for some energy, then maybe Ion water. I'd never resort to garbage like powerade/gatorade. Pro athletes who drink that stuff during games usually spend 30 mins after the game on the bikes just to get rid of that stuff.
 
Cordial does not contain any electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride, etc.), so is not considered as good as a sports drink during competition.


If you are having just a short hitting session, water may be fine.  Sports drinks will be better for long, intense training or playing sessions.


Different sports drinks contain different amounts of energy repleting carbohydrates, plus the electrolytes that are needed to keep muscles firing properly:
drink_table_5.jpg



Too much carbohydrate/sugar in the drink, and it could cause intestinal cramping. Many dilute their sports drinks with water, or alternate water and the sports drink, if they are consuming a lot on a hot day. It is always better to get used to a sports drink regimen during practice, than to get into a tournament and have problems.



Notice that in all the sports drinks above, it is sodium that is the most important electrolyte to replace. (Sodium is lost during perspiration.)


It is not clear which sports drink is the "best". I use Gatorade because I can buy the powder pretty inexpensively, and just add water to make my own.

Reference:
USTA Recovery in Tennis http://assets.usta.com/assets/1/dps...ence/RECOVERY PROJECT 22410 EMAIL VERSION.pdf
 
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Andreas1965

Rookie
mineral water. Mix ist (3 parts water, 1 part juice) with apple juice, and you'll be fine.

Even the pros at the Tour de France drink mostly just water.

All these Gatorades and stuff is just garbage.
 

14OuncesStrung

Professional
Cordial does not contain any electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride, etc.), so is not considered as good as a sports drink during competition.


If you are having just a short hitting session, water may be fine.  Sports drinks will be better for long, intense training or playing sessions.


Different sports drinks contain different amounts of energy repleting carbohydrates, plus the electrolytes that are needed to keep muscles firing properly:
drink_table_5.jpg



Too much carbohydrate/sugar in the drink, and it could cause intestinal cramping. Many dilute their sports drinks with water, or alternate water and the sports drink, if they are consuming a lot on a hot day. It is always better to get used to a sports drink regimen during practice, than to get into a tournament and have problems.



Notice that in all the sports drinks above, it is sodium that is the most important electrolyte to replace. (Sodium is lost during perspiration.)


It is not clear which sports drink is the "best". I use Gatorade because I can buy the powder pretty inexpensively, and just add water to make my own.

Reference:
USTA Recovery in Tennis http://assets.usta.com/assets/1/dps...ence/RECOVERY PROJECT 22410 EMAIL VERSION.pdf

We don't use high fructose corn syrup in Australia...
Only cane sugar, which is higher in sucrose...
 

Bud

Bionic Poster
Cordial does not contain any electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride, etc.), so is not considered as good as a sports drink during competition.


If you are having just a short hitting session, water may be fine. Sports drinks will be better for long, intense training or playing sessions.


Different sports drinks contain different amounts of energy repleting carbohydrates, plus the electrolytes that are needed to keep muscles firing properly:
drink_table_5.jpg



Too much carbohydrate/sugar in the drink, and it could cause intestinal cramping. Many dilute their sports drinks with water, or alternate water and the sports drink, if they are consuming a lot on a hot day. It is always better to get used to a sports drink regimen during practice, than to get into a tournament and have problems.



Notice that in all the sports drinks above, it is sodium that is the most important electrolyte to replace. (Sodium is lost during perspiration.)


It is not clear which sports drink is the "best". I use Gatorade because I can buy the powder pretty inexpensively, and just add water to make my own.

Reference:
USTA Recovery in Tennis http://assets.usta.com/assets/1/dps/usta_master/sitecore_usta/USTA/Document%20Assets/PlayerDevelopment/SportsScience/RECOVERY%20PROJECT%2022410%20EMAIL%20VERSION.pdf

Cytomax isn't sweetened with HFCS... It contains fructose and stevia.

http://www.vitacost.com/CytoSport-Cytomax-Performance-Drink-Cool-Citrus

11jteg5.jpg
 
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SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
Note that the formulae (particularly the type of sweeteners employed) for Cytomax, Gatorade, Powerade and others have changed over the years. Also, the powder form of the products often use different sweeteners than the ready-made bottled versions.
.
 
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SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
For quite a few years most, if not all, Gatorade products used HFCS. Currently, I believe that they use a sucrose-dextrose mix. CF's reference (above), The Cutting Edge Runner, was published in 2005. I believe that up until a few years ago, Cytomax may have been using HFCS. I believe that Powerade still does.
.
 

DBrickshaw

New User
Yeah i think cytomax used to have a bottled drink with hfcs. Pretty sure they stopped using hfcs in any of their products though
 

tennytive

Hall of Fame
Powerade Zero has no sugar or HFCS. I still dilute it 1/1 with water.

Anyone try or use that 5 hour energy drink? Does that work?
 

NJ1

Professional
One medium bottle of Gatorade Low Calorie (can be bought very inexpensively) and one large bottle of water when I play summer matches.

The regular gatorade is too sugary and syrupy. Needs diluting.

I don't ever drink soda so the one or two bottle of Gatorade low cal per week are the only "fake" stuff that I drink.
 
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SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
^ The original formula for Gatorade was developed for football players (with all their sweat-inducing padding on) playing in the hot, humid climate of Florida. Most of us should be diluting the standard formulae.


Powerade Zero has no sugar or HFCS. I still dilute it 1/1 with water.

Anyone try or use that 5 hour energy drink? Does that work?

Good to know. It does still contain sweetners = sucralose & acesulfame K.

Products like 5-Hour Energy are used for a different purpose than Gatorade, Powerade & Cytomax. It is not meant for hydration or for electrolyte replacement. That said, it does work for what it was intended.

I've had a lot of success with 5-Hour Energy, 6 Hour Power, ProEndorphin, and Choco Energy shots (Now Foods). They work best on an empty stomach (or in the absence of competing protein). Quite often I'll only need 1/2 serving (a single oz. of 5-Hour or 6 Hour Power). I'll ingest it it about 15 mins prior to a 10-15 min cardio warmup. I then hit the tennis courts "ready to go".
 

tennytive

Hall of Fame
I'm tempted to try that 5 hour energy drink but didn't know if there are any side effects to worry about. Thanks for the info.
 

LuckyR

Legend
I don't know much about what drinks to drink during physical exercise and stuff, but which one is better Gatorade, Powerade or Cordial and how do you drink it? throughout or all before or all after?

What is the problem you are seeking to solve? For most casual players the practical differences between these products are mostly the taste.
 

SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
I'm tempted to try that 5 hour energy drink but didn't know if there are any side effects to worry about. Thanks for the info.

I do get side effects from drinking regular coffee (even a half cup). However, I've never experienced any such effects from 5-Hour Energy or the other products that I mentioned in my post above. I believe that it is not the caffeine in coffee that bothers me but 1 or more of the the multitude of other substances in coffee.

Some ppl report experiencing a mild "niacin flush" with 5-Hour Energy. These individuals are undoubtedly hypersensitive to vitamin B3. While I've experienced a niacin flush from other sources, the only one of these products that have induced any hint of flush at all was ProEndorphin (which contains 50 mg of niacin in a full serving). A full serving of 5-Hour Energy contains 30 mg of Niacinmide. Individual who find the niacin flush somewhat annoying (but generally safe) will often take niacinamide instead since it is generally regarded as "flush-free". For this reason, reports of a niacin flush with 5-Hour Energy really surprise me.

If you are a pre-teen or in your early teens, I'd suggest drinking tea instead of coffee or an energy shot. If you think that you might be particularly sensitive to certain nutrients or other substances, then start with just a half bottle (1 oz). If you don't experience any unpleasant effects after 45 mins, then you might drink the rest of the bottle (unless you are already satisfied with the results from 1/2 bottle).

Note that the ingredients in 5-Hour Energy are primarily caffeine and nutrients (B vitamins and amino acids). Probably the only ppl that really need to be concerned about 5-Hour Energy are those with the rare genetic disorder, Phenylketonuria. These ppl would be highly sensitive to the amino acid, Phenylalanine, and the sweetener, aspartame (NutraSweet). If you have this disorder then you undoubtedly would already know it by now.

http://www.5hourenergy.com/ingredients.asp
.
 
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14OuncesStrung

Professional
I've tried Hydralyte and its quite palatable (bit salty)...
And it's an Australian product!!!
www.hydralytesports.com

Just checked the price... Bit expensive compared to Endura... :-S
Also, Horleys Replace hydration is a decent choice...
 
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jonestim

Hall of Fame
If you are just interested in electrolytes and not calories you should look into Nuun. http://www.nuun.com/ Inexpensive tablets you drop in your water bottle. If I feel I need calories I use Gatorade, but Nuun is my choice on shorter workouts.
 
Pickle juice, if you really want your electrolytes.

Smart Water has electrolytes, and is pure via distillation.

Coconut water is a great choice too.

Gatorade and all drinks like it are absolute garbage. Stop following for the marketing.
 

DBrickshaw

New User
Pickle juice, if you really want your electrolytes.

Smart Water has electrolytes, and is pure via distillation.

Coconut water is a great choice too.

Gatorade and all drinks like it are absolute garbage. Stop following for the marketing.

Depends what you mean by drinks like gatorade. There are many drinks out there that are good at doing what gatorade is supposed to do. You gotta know what to look for though.
 

LuckyR

Legend
Pickle juice, if you really want your electrolytes.

Smart Water has electrolytes, and is pure via distillation.

Coconut water is a great choice too.

Gatorade and all drinks like it are absolute garbage. Stop following for the marketing.

I won't argue the relative amounts of electrolytes in the various products you mention. But for >90% of the players who pick up a raquet today, there would be no clinical difference in their perfomance with any of the products you mention or tap water for that matter. Talk about marketing...
 

Rabbit

G.O.A.T.
My doctor and I are friends and play tennis together. He advises against any sports drink with sugar. He advised me to use PowerZero. I find it goes down a lot better than Gatorade and works as well to fend off cramps, etc.
 

user92626

G.O.A.T.
My doctor and I are friends and play tennis together. He advises against any sports drink with sugar. He advised me to use PowerZero. I find it goes down a lot better than Gatorade and works as well to fend off cramps, etc.

Is that Powerade Zero? the lite version of Powerade?

I am a fan of powerade. It's always on sales in local superstores where Gatorade almost never is.

Do you guys recommend vitamin drinks? It's pricier than sport drink.
 
Depends what you mean by drinks like gatorade. There are many drinks out there that are good at doing what gatorade is supposed to do. You gotta know what to look for though.

High calorie, artificially flavored, corn syrup-ridden sports drinks.

I won't argue the relative amounts of electrolytes in the various products you mention. But for >90% of the players who pick up a raquet today, there would be no clinical difference in their perfomance with any of the products you mention or tap water for that matter. Talk about marketing...

There is no clinical difference in performance between an athlete who consumes electrolytes and one who does not? Willing to take that bet?
 

jonestim

Hall of Fame
Gatorade and all drinks like it are absolute garbage. Stop following for the marketing.

It all depends on your needs. For tennis I don't find I need it, but I am also a bike racer. My needs on the bike are very different. I may be burning 2500 calories in a race and if I have a stage race with three days of that you can bet I'll be consuming sports drinks. On some of those days Gatorade, Cytomax, Heed, Accellerade, etc... don't have enough calories and I consume Vitargo for my carbohydrates mixed with Nuun for electrolytes. I can get 300+ calories in one bottle. Would I consume it playing tennis? Hell no. Would I recommend it to 99.5% of the population? No. Does it serve a purpose? Yes. It is part of the solution on those days, along with bottles of water, bottles of gatorade, some type of gel and a couple bars. Would I want to consume that other than on race day? Probably not unless I'm riding more than 70 miles.

Sports drinks have their place. A lot of people that consume them don't really need them, but there is a time where they do improve performance. To write them off completely as garbage because they don't suit your needs is narrow minded. A statement such as "they aren't needed for most recreational tennis players" would be more true.
 
But again, nature kind of has this covered. Coconut water for example has anything an athlete needs and none of the junk. People drink Gatorade because they grew up drinking brightly colored syrup water and like the taste but there's nothing scientific about the stuff.
 

SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
But again, nature kind of has this covered. Coconut water for example has anything an athlete needs and none of the junk. People drink Gatorade because they grew up drinking brightly colored syrup water and like the taste but there's nothing scientific about the stuff.

Some sources suggest that many/some coconut waters do not have an ideal sodium-to-potassium content. They are typically very high in potassium (K) and very low in sodium (Na). The Active (ONE) coconut drinks that I suggested in post #19 contains a better balance of Na to K (altho' the K level is still nearly 3x the Na level).

Some coconut waters have a K content that is more than 10x the Na content. However, the mango and guava flavored coconut waters from ONE appear to have pretty good ratios of K to Na.
.
 
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jonestim

Hall of Fame
I am also be concerned about coconut water spoilage. On the court I can keep it in a cooler, but on my bike I don't trust it three or four hours into a ride on a 90 degree day.
 
Some sources suggest that many/some coconut waters do not have an ideal sodium-to-potassium content. They are typically very high in potassium (K) and very low in sodium (Na). The Active (ONE) coconut drinks that I suggested in post #19 contains a better balance of Na to K (altho' the K level is still nearly 3x the Na level).

Some coconut waters have a K content that is more than 10x the Na content. However, the mango and guava flavored coconut waters from ONE appear to have pretty good ratios of K to Na.
.

http://www.examiner.com/weight-loss...er-vs-sports-drinks-a-side-by-side-comparison

According to this article and the labels they've sourced, both K and Na are even at 11%. I'm not sure why this ratio would vary that much considering coconut water, to my knowledge, isn't modified in any way. Coconut water here trumps Gatorade in terms of sodium 2 to 1.

The article also says that coconut water is so close to human blood plasma that it can be used in infusions. You can direct IV coconut water in the event of severe dehydration.

Let's face it: coco water rocks and people basically just avoid it because they don't like the taste. Admittedly it is exponentially more refreshing cold.
 

SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
^ I've looked at a lot of coconut water labels from different makers and have seen nothing that looks like the one mentioned in that article. This includes both pure and flavored products. Even among the pure products there appears to be quite a bit of variation. I am wondering if author made up his own label for his article.

A lot of the products have only 1% to 2% (DV) for Na with 14% to 20% for K. The serving size on these varies from 8 oz to 12 oz. However, this does not account for the disparity between Na and K. Here is a typical label for a pure (unflavored) water:

http://vitacoco.com/wp-content/themes/VitaCocoH5/nutrition-info/pure-nutrition.pdf

Compare the pure to some flavored waters from ONE:

http://www.onedrinks.com/one-healthy-drinks/coconut-water/

Some of the more balanced products I have seen have 5% for Na and 8.5% to 11% for K. Have yet to see one that shows a balance like the one in the article. My suggestion is to avoid the products that have an extreme disparity. The more balanced coconut waters would be preferable to the Gatorade-type products in my book.
.
 
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Chyeaah

Professional
Pickle juice, if you really want your electrolytes.

Smart Water has electrolytes, and is pure via distillation.

Coconut water is a great choice too.

Gatorade and all drinks like it are absolute garbage. Stop following for the marketing.

I am not drinking Pickle Juice.

Coconut Water... had it before and didn't like it, it churns my stomach.

The Nuun thing is interesting but i doubt they sell it here.

I'm talking about the zero sugar cordial, idk what it does is it beneficial?

When i do drink powerade it's usually 1 bottle of powerade and 4 powerade bottles of water and thats over about 3-4 hours. It's not that bad is it?

Do nut's like peanut's, cashews, salted walnuts or other nuts help, or should i just stick with abit of chocolate and a muesli bar and a banana
 
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Andreas1965

Rookie
It all depends on your needs. For tennis I don't find I need it, but I am also a bike racer. My needs on the bike are very different. I may be burning 2500 calories in a race and if I have a stage race with three days of that you can bet I'll be consuming sports drinks. On some of those days Gatorade, Cytomax, Heed, Accellerade, etc... don't have enough calories and I consume Vitargo for my carbohydrates mixed with Nuun for electrolytes. I can get 300+ calories in one bottle. Would I consume it playing tennis? Hell no. Would I recommend it to 99.5% of the population? No. Does it serve a purpose? Yes. It is part of the solution on those days, along with bottles of water, bottles of gatorade, some type of gel and a couple bars. Would I want to consume that other than on race day? Probably not unless I'm riding more than 70 miles.

Sports drinks have their place. A lot of people that consume them don't really need them, but there is a time where they do improve performance. To write them off completely as garbage because they don't suit your needs is narrow minded. A statement such as "they aren't needed for most recreational tennis players" would be more true.
First of all I'd like to say hello to one fellow bike racer.
I raced from age 13 to age 38, and with all humbleness can say I was good... did it for a couple of years for a living.

But I have to disagree with you in some points.

First, you say you'll use more than just water when going over 70 miles, even in training. Wow!! The last time I went for LESS than 70 miles must have been one of those days last winter when it was way below zero degrees Celsius, all the other rides were way over 100 miles. And I never, ever, needed anything else than water. A gel or a bar comes in handy sometimes, but when you're in good shape, you'll need the extra calories in training(!!!) only when going really long.

Racing, a different story? Everyone I know, including most of the Italian top 25 riders, drinks water, sometimes (at the end of a race) a can of coke. that's it. In the heat of a race you'll squeeze in a gel or a bar, but you'll drink lots of pure water after that, otherwise digestion will be a problem. In a stage race, all these sweet gels an bars become a problem because you get tired of their taste. Riders always enjoy a bun with creamcheese and some Parma gammon, called "silverlings" because the trainers wrap them up in aluminium foil.

I don't remember anyone that really uses sportsdrinks in race or training. After the race, sometimes you'll have a formulated drink to fill up electrolytes quickly. But most of the time the pro riders rely on the traditional ways: noodles, chicken, fruit, vegetables, cake, and water, plain and pure water. And of course a good wine with dinner ;)
 
^ I've looked at a lot of coconut water labels from different makers and have seen nothing that looks like the one mentioned in that article. This includes both pure and flavored products. Even among the pure products there appears to be quite a bit of variation. I am wondering if author made up his own label for his article.

A lot of the products have only 1% to 2% (DV) for Na with 14% to 20% for K. The serving size on these varies from 8 oz to 12 oz. However, this does not account for the disparity between Na and K. Here is a typical label for a pure (unflavored) water:

http://vitacoco.com/wp-content/themes/VitaCocoH5/nutrition-info/pure-nutrition.pdf

Compare the pure to some flavored waters from ONE:

http://www.onedrinks.com/one-healthy-drinks/coconut-water/

Some of the more balanced products I have seen have 5% for Na and 8.5% to 11% for K. Have yet to see one that shows a balance like the one in the article. My suggestion is to avoid the products that have an extreme disparity. The more balanced coconut waters would be preferable to the Gatorade-type products in my book.
.

Something doesn't seem right about that.

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/coconut-water.html

Here Na and K are comparable. In fact there's actually more Na. The source is the USDA.

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3115/2

Here again Na and K are comparable.

Perhaps Vitacoco is a processed product. People do often frown upon too much sodium so maybe they extract it to make a more attractive product. That's disappointing.
 
I am not drinking Pickle Juice.

Coconut Water... had it before and didn't like it, it churns my stomach.

The Nuun thing is interesting but i doubt they sell it here.

I'm talking about the zero sugar cordial, idk what it does is it beneficial?

When i do drink powerade it's usually 1 bottle of powerade and 4 powerade bottles of water and thats over about 3-4 hours. It's not that bad is it?

Do nut's like peanut's, cashews, salted walnuts or other nuts help, or should i just stick with abit of chocolate and a muesli bar and a banana

I mean, if you wanna drink sports drinks then drink sports drinks. I'm not sure what this thread is about at this point.
 

DBrickshaw

New User
First of all I'd like to say hello to one fellow bike racer.
I raced from age 13 to age 38, and with all humbleness can say I was good... did it for a couple of years for a living.

But I have to disagree with you in some points.

First, you say you'll use more than just water when going over 70 miles, even in training. Wow!! The last time I went for LESS than 70 miles must have been one of those days last winter when it was way below zero degrees Celsius, all the other rides were way over 100 miles. And I never, ever, needed anything else than water. A gel or a bar comes in handy sometimes, but when you're in good shape, you'll need the extra calories in training(!!!) only when going really long.

Racing, a different story? Everyone I know, including most of the Italian top 25 riders, drinks water, sometimes (at the end of a race) a can of coke. that's it. In the heat of a race you'll squeeze in a gel or a bar, but you'll drink lots of pure water after that, otherwise digestion will be a problem. In a stage race, all these sweet gels an bars become a problem because you get tired of their taste. Riders always enjoy a bun with creamcheese and some Parma gammon, called "silverlings" because the trainers wrap them up in aluminium foil.

I don't remember anyone that really uses sportsdrinks in race or training. After the race, sometimes you'll have a formulated drink to fill up electrolytes quickly. But most of the time the pro riders rely on the traditional ways: noodles, chicken, fruit, vegetables, cake, and water, plain and pure water. And of course a good wine with dinner ;)

Really?? Just water during races? The marathon runner/triathlete i know says you need to take in extra calories of you're goin for over 2 hours. Says your body just cant store enough glycogen to go much longer than that. Or you saying that in a race you get ur extra cals from silverlings and gels?
 

SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
^ Usually triathletes/marathoners load up on carbs (glycogen) the night before or even for 2-3 days before an event. They may also do some additional loading several hours before the event. I do not believe that they will ingest a lot of calories during the event tho'.


...

Perhaps Vitacoco is a processed product. People do often frown upon too much sodium so maybe they extract it to make a more attractive product. That's disappointing.

Check our the pure (unflavored) product from ONE. It shows 2% DV for Na and 19% for K. Take a look at some other brands as well rather than some generic database. Some of those may be coconut water straight from the shell.

I believe that most of them are processed somewhat, even the pure ones. Some heat is usually involved. Harmless Harvest bran (available in the fridge at Whole Foods) indicates that theirs is raw and no heat is used. However, I could not find a nutritional label for them online. Will take a look at it the next time I'm at WF.
 
I am not drinking Pickle Juice.

Coconut Water... had it before and didn't like it, it churns my stomach.

The Nuun thing is interesting but i doubt they sell it here.

I'm talking about the zero sugar cordial, idk what it does is it beneficial?

When i do drink powerade it's usually 1 bottle of powerade and 4 powerade bottles of water and thats over about 3-4 hours. It's not that bad is it?

Do nut's like peanut's, cashews, salted walnuts or other nuts help, or should i just stick with abit of chocolate and a muesli bar and a banana

I'd stick with the Powerade regimen you are using. You likely could even increase the amount of Powerade you are drinking.

Obviously in the hot Australian summer sun, fluid intake is critically important.

The Powerade is actually quite low in sugar content. There is not enough sugar in it to replenish anywhere near all the energy you are depleting in your 3-4 hour practices. But there is enough to help supply your muscles with at least a little energy so you can perform better as the practice/play goes on.


Powerade is a lot like Gatorade - close enough that I don't think there is any reason to switch.
But the original studies in sports were done with Gatorade. They put in as much sugar as athletes would tolerate, and not lead to stomach cramps.
But stomach cramping can vary from one individual to another, and by how much they are drinking.
So you probably could drink even a greater proportion of your fluid as Powerade, and not be bothered from intestinal cramping.


Did you know that water can actually be pumped into the intestinal tract against a concentration gradient???!!!
Intestinal cells actually have pumps on their cell membrane surface that are activated in the presence of sodium and sugar (both of which are in Gatorade and Powerade.)



So you can rehydrate faster with Gatorade/Powerade than with plain water!

graphic-1.jpg
http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/291/21/2628.full

So there is no mere coincidence that there is sugar and sodium in Gatorade/Powerade - quicker hydration is one of the benefits.
And we all need to take some sodium in to replace the sodium being lost in perspiration.

Finally, studies with athletes show that they will hydrate more fully during exercise if their fluid tastes good! (Duh!)
So if you like the taste of your Powerade, you are much more likely to drink it than if it had the same amount of water, sodium and sugar than if it is in a flavor you don't like.


If you are interested in learning even more than the original reference I gave you in my first post here, you may be interested in reviewing pages 168-209 of the USTA's TENNIS RECOVERY A Comprehensive Review of the Research
 
Check our the pure (unflavored) product from ONE. It shows 2% DV for Na and 19% for K. Take a look at some other brands as well rather than some generic database. Some of those may be coconut water straight from the shell.

I believe that most of them are processed somewhat, even the pure ones. Some heat is usually involved. Harmless Harvest bran (available in the fridge at Whole Foods) indicates that theirs is raw and no heat is used. However, I could not find a nutritional label for them online. Will take a look at it the next time I'm at WF.

I'm not saying I trust US government agencies wholeheartedly, but don't you think their numbers in this instance are somewhat reliable? I doubt they source a packaged product. They probably go straight to the coconut. I cited their stats above: there is plenty of Na.

But yeah, your point is still valid: it looks like packaged coconut water lacks sodium; nothing a pinch of kosher salt can't fix. I personally used to make my own sports drinks. I had a mixture of green tea, honey and sea salt, and I loved it. Haven't done it in awhile, but are we so lazy that we'd rather consume sh*tty syrup drinks than spend a little effort making something healthier and more effective on our own?
 

Chyeaah

Professional
I'm not saying I trust US government agencies wholeheartedly, but don't you think their numbers in this instance are somewhat reliable? I doubt they source a packaged product. They probably go straight to the coconut. I cited their stats above: there is plenty of Na.

But yeah, your point is still valid: it looks like packaged coconut water lacks sodium; nothing a pinch of kosher salt can't fix. I personally used to make my own sports drinks. I had a mixture of green tea, honey and sea salt, and I loved it. Haven't done it in awhile, but are we so lazy that we'd rather consume sh*tty syrup drinks than spend a little effort making something healthier and more effective on our own?

Green Tea and Honey, I love that combo, drink it every day but never knew you could use it as a sports drink.

I hate Coconut Juice, i've tried it and it tastes like water mixed with salt and sour stuff, but that one was straight from a green coconut.

Any other drinks? Lime Honey tea with salt?
 

SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
<-- left-click for larger image

I'm not saying I trust US government agencies wholeheartedly, but don't you think their numbers in this instance are somewhat reliable? I doubt they source a packaged product. They probably go straight to the coconut. I cited their stats above: there is plenty of Na...

The problem with those sources is that they probably do not accurately represent the products that most of us buy. One of the sources indicates that the info provided is for fresh (raw) coconut water. However, this still lacks quite a bit of information about the coconut itself.

I've done a bit more research and have a pretty good idea why there is such a wide variety in the relative amounts of Na, K and Mg in various coconut waters. Last night I went over to Whole Foods and took a look at the nuturition labels of different coconut water that they carry -- at least 12 different brands (Zico, ONE, Vitacoco, Naked, Harmless Harvest, Amy and Brian's, C2O, Blue Monkey and several others). None of these showed mineral levels similar to those in the links that you provided. The label for Harmless Harvest indicated that the Na level was about 9% DV while the K level was 17% for an 8 oz serving. (This source shows a slightly different value for Na). A few of the products showed a reasonable balance of Na to K but most of the "pure" coconut waters had a considerable imbalance (1-2% for Na and 14-20% for K).

Note that the nutrient fact labels on products sold in the US are also subject to scrutiny by the FDA (USDA or CFSAN). The figures often come from certified (FDA/USDA) labs. The product makers can also develop or use directories to determine nutrient values. This info must be submitted to the FDA for review.

Heating or other processing can account for some differences in nutrient levels seen in various products. However there are several other factors that may have a greater bearing on these levels. Altho' all coconuts palms are the same genus-species. there are dozens of different varieties. Once source spoke of more that 60 varieties. (The image above shows a few of these varieties. These varieties undoubtedly will have differing nutrient levels.

Soil difference and weather/environmental differences will also result in different mineral levels. Quite a few of the products mentioned are from Brazil. Brazil itself may have different varieties of coconuts. Other products may hail from coconuts grown in the Philippines, India, Mexico, Hawai'i, Indonesia or other parts of SE Asia.

Another factor that can have a huge impact on sugar levels and nutrient levels is the age of the coconut. Some products use very young coconuts while others may use coconuts that are quite a bit riper (and sweeter). Coconuts at the top of the tree may also have a different nutrient profile than ones that are lower.

http://www.kriyayoga.com/photography/photo_gallery/v/Fruits_of_the_Philippine_islands/coconuts-dsc06987.jpg.html

http://www.kriyayoga.com/photography/photo_gallery/v/Fruits_of_the_Philippine_islands/coconut_on_coconut-palm-dsc06904.jpg.html
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Andreas1965

Rookie
Really?? Just water during races? The marathon runner/triathlete i know says you need to take in extra calories of you're goin for over 2 hours. Says your body just cant store enough glycogen to go much longer than that. Or you saying that in a race you get ur extra cals from silverlings and gels?
Correct.

^ Usually triathletes/marathoners load up on carbs (glycogen) the night before or even for 2-3 days before an event. They may also do some additional loading several hours before the event. I do not believe that they will ingest a lot of calories during the event tho'.
Correct.

Stage races are a different kind. Usually at the end of the "grand tours" (Gir o di Italia, TDF, Vuelta a Espana) the riders have lost several kg's of body weight. You can't ingest as much calories as you're burning each day.
They try by eating huge amounts of high caloric meals, but at the end the ratio is always towards negative. That's why in the third week of e.g. Tour de France you'll hardly ever see the peloton chasing the escapee. They know it's too energy consuming. Specialists for run aways usually are more than an hour behind the leaders, so it would be useless to chase them.

Cycling is all about saving energy for the few minutes (or seconds) when it really counts.
 

DBrickshaw

New User
Is that stuff really better than good sports drinks? The gels should be like the same difference as a drink. So for the solid food is it about taste and caloric density? Easier to take in a lot of calories that way?
 

SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
Zico anomaly

The Zico Anomaly

I stopped in at Trader Joe's last night and came across their coconut water offerings. They carried quite a few different ones from Zico (a very popular brand in these parts). They had a dark chocolate version in a 14 oz plastic bottle that caught my eye. The K count was high (19% DV) but the Na level (at 7%) was a least better than most products (which only have 1-2%).

I decided to take a look at one of the other Zico products in a plastic bottle. This one touted an even better better balance -- 7% DV for Na and 16% for K. It turned out this this was a Natural (unflavored) version. This threw me for a loop since I had looked at a label for Zico's natural coconut water before and recalled that the Na level was significantly lower.

I then took a look at the label for the Zico Natural in the more conventional 11 oz box (carton). Sure enough the Na level was much lower at 2% while the K level was very high at 19%. This smaller container (11 oz serving vs 14 oz serving) showed a higher level K level (19% vs 16%) and also a higher sugar level (14g vs 12g). I thought that this must be an error since both containers were labeled as Zico Natural.

Later I discovered the reason for this discrepancy. The 2 Zico Natural products, even tho' they have the same name, come from different sources. The smaller product (the 11 oz box) is 100% pure water from young coconuts. (Another source indicated that they are Brazilian coconuts). According to the Zico site, the coconuts are hand-harvested when the K levels are at their peak.

The Zico site reveals that the Natural product in the 14 oz bottles are from another source. This version is reconstituted from concentrate. They use a blend of coconut waters from various places around the world so that the resulting product has 20% fewer calories (per serving) and a higher Na level "for optimum hydration and replenishment".

Anomaly resolved. This confirms my speculations in post #44.

http://zico.com/products
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