Sports Drinks/Supplements

philreuben

I've been having trouble finding the perfect sports drink or supplement to sip on during my workouts that will give me energy and keep me hydrated without all of the sugar that most of todays sports drinks have. Any suggestions out there?

dieselbyte

I drink Compete, by iForce Nutrition. It is a BCAA blended with other essentials. I find it great for my intra-workout drink. It does have sucralose in it, so if you aren't a fan of artificial sweetners, this may not be for you. However, at 10 calories a serving, I think it's a much better alternative to Gatorade. Just my humble opinion.

sirenical

Coconut water.

JustJennie1

Water?

In all honesty unless you are going at it hard and for a long time there is really no need for sports drinks. Most of them have a ton of calories in them any way but if you *have* to have one then watered down gatorade is an ok choice.

agdyl

I just drink water with some lemon juice in it. If I'm doing more than 90 minutes of cardio (long distance bike rides), then I bring along nuts and dates to keep me fueled, but I still stick to water to drink.

I used to drink coconut water a lot, particularly when I was doing a lot of hot yoga and felt I needed it to hydrate, but I also noticed that I gained weight from all the extra calories I was drinking.

RllyGudTweetr

Water. Some sports drinks also have calorie-free options; I know Powerade is one that does. "Calorie-free" isn't "sodium-free," so if you are among those with medically-valid sodium concerns, you'll want to log it to track the sodium.

Note that some bottled water, such as Dasani, also adds sodium.

Edit: Wow, English fail there. Total purple monkey dishwasher action.

MeAnTtOBeThIn

If you find the "need" to have a sports drink...there are lower calorie and/or sugar free options to most of them. I drink G2, which is a lower calorie version of Gatorade...but that is only a once in while treat...when I'm feeling water isn't going to cut it.

dbbudinas

I second the water with lemons approach. I also recommend an apple or some grapes at the end of your workout too. It is very satisfying and usually quenches my thrist as well.

maddymama

I've used Emergen-C's electrolyte mix drink before and really liked it. It doesn't have any sugar in it, and the little packets are easy to carry with you to add to water bottles. When I was training for my half marathon, I would try to drink one the day before my long runs to help me stay hydrated and balanced during my runs. In the Texas heat, I've been known to drink one in the afternoon when plain ole water isn't cutting it.

http://www.emergenc.com/index.php/products/specialty/electro-mix

Mario_Az

i take C4 works well not too crazy like other pre workouts

koing

Only use a sports drink if
1) you haven't or can't eat hours before you train due to work reasons and you plan on training for 2hrs.
2) plan on training for 3hrs

The companies have done a VERY good job of marketing their products for the regular gym goer going to do 30-40minutes on a treadmill. THIS IS NOT FOR THEM.

Go with water. If you are hitting it hard it will be worth to get some BCAA powder and mix it with water.

OR just take a shake in with you. Sip the shake throughout training.

Koing

mikep4787

I was introduced to a drink called 989 On Demand by a personal trainer last summer and I have been hydrating with it ever since. It has plenty of vitamins, minerals and electrolytes without all of the sugar you see in a lot of todays sport drinks. It tastes great and keeps me on top of my training.