Your Opinion on Gatorade?

The only time I drink Gatorade is right after I leave the gym and I only drink the recovery one. I don't think it's bad per se, but it does have quite a bit of sugar in it.

Seriously high levels of sugar. When I went through Bikram Yoga teacher training, (four to six hours of yoga a day in a 106+ degree room), we were advised toot drink it. The sugar, while providing energy, actually acts as a diuretic, causing your body to excrete fluids. There are lots of healthier and more efficient ways to hydrate your body.

It's just like fruit punch or soda. It's just flavored sugar water with some extra minerals and chemicals you probably don't need anyway. It's not a clean food by any standard I can think of. But you might want to drink it if you like the taste. Nothing wrong with that once in a while. Make sure you count it in your calories. Sugar water adds up. :drinker:

Hey guys!

I'm just wondering everyone's opinion on gatorade.

Is it good to drink? Is it nutritional? Is it good enough to put into a healthy body? Does it fit into "clean eating"?

Thanks!

Kailee

It's useless outside of carbohydrate replacement during training (or, perhaps, illness). It has many times more sodium than potassium, making it a bit of hypertension generator. However, a great deal of research has pointed to it being superior for rehydrating during training (you will tend to drink more gatorade than water, water may quench thirst before full hydration has occured), and it has a good mix of sugars (drinks with single sugars, particularly those with just fructose tend to saturate gut transporters and slow transit of carbs, which is not ideal when trying to fuel during a run). I use it exclusively for running, I don't drink it as a casual soft drink.

Is the zero calorie version actually good for you, though?

I think that one makes no sense. At least with the carb mix, you can use it to replete lost glycogen stores. The zero versions are just salt water! I admit, just as we use isotonic solutions for volume resuscitation in the hospital, an oral fluid with sald or sugar is better absorbed across the gut, so there is that, but the mix of sodium to potassium is just a nightmare for general use.

Hey guys!

I'm just wondering everyone's opinion on gatorade.

Is it good to drink? Is it nutritional? Is it good enough to put into a healthy body? Does it fit into "clean eating"?

Thanks!

Kailee

It's useless outside of carbohydrate replacement during training (or, perhaps, illness). It has many times more sodium than potassium, making it a bit of hypertension generator. However, a great deal of research has pointed to it being superior for rehydrating during training (you will tend to drink more gatorade than water, water may quench thirst before full hydration has occured), and it has a good mix of sugars (drinks with single sugars, particularly those with just fructose tend to saturate gut transporters and slow transit of carbs, which is not ideal when trying to fuel during a run). I use it exclusively for running, I don't drink it as a casual soft drink.

I thought Fructose strictly used GLUT 5 receptors?

Hey guys!

I'm just wondering everyone's opinion on gatorade.

Is it good to drink? Is it nutritional? Is it good enough to put into a healthy body? Does it fit into "clean eating"?

Thanks!

Kailee

It's useless outside of carbohydrate replacement during training (or, perhaps, illness). It has many times more sodium than potassium, making it a bit of hypertension generator. However, a great deal of research has pointed to it being superior for rehydrating during training (you will tend to drink more gatorade than water, water may quench thirst before full hydration has occured), and it has a good mix of sugars (drinks with single sugars, particularly those with just fructose tend to saturate gut transporters and slow transit of carbs, which is not ideal when trying to fuel during a run). I use it exclusively for running, I don't drink it as a casual soft drink.

I thought Fructose strictly used GLUT 5 receptors?

Exactly, if fructose is the only one present, than GLUT 5 is rapidly saturated and the rest of the fructose gets to wait in line, which does not make much sense.

Hey guys!

I'm just wondering everyone's opinion on gatorade.

Is it good to drink? Is it nutritional? Is it good enough to put into a healthy body? Does it fit into "clean eating"?

Thanks!

Kailee

We're all talking about different reasons for it's purpose. The best question to ask is... "why do you want to take gatorade?" Just for calories, or for a workout recovery, or for hydration??

I drink Gatorade G2 when i feel the need for a cold flavored drink. MiO is also a alternative as is Fuze Slenderize but mostly water. It's not an every day thing and most times it's a cup or less when i do drink it.

Is the zero calorie version actually good for you, though?

I think that one makes no sense. At least with the carb mix, you can use it to replete lost glycogen stores. The zero versions are just salt water! I admit, just as we use isotonic solutions for volume resuscitation in the hospital, an oral fluid with sald or sugar is better absorbed across the gut, so there is that, but the mix of sodium to potassium is just a nightmare for general use.

Are you saying the ratio of sodium to balance isn't a good balance? I wouldn't use a liquid to replace glyocgen stores. Another consideration is what type of exercise you just did to replace the glyocgen? Low intensity cardio, no point. Even if glyocgen stores aren't depleted enough to use all the glucose produced, It would have adverse side effects from my understanding.
As you stated yourself it's better absorbed. The way I use is it is to prevent dehydration, correct me if I am wrong.

I think the salt to potassium is designed to replicate that which is lost from sweat, which is fine. However, if you are using it strictly to replace sweat loss during activity, then I would have to ask what you are using for fueling, as anything (Gu, etc) has as much sodium. That is, if you are eating something else and still using the zero cal sports drink, you are simply doubling sodium and expense. If you are not fueling at all, I would again have to ask why. Now if you are talking about using the zero cal strictly to replace sweat loss after the activity, well, I suppose so. Though water with any small meal would have the same absorption. As to just general us, we should have an intake of about 2:1 potassium to sodium (I shoot for almost five grams of K a day, less that 2300 Na, if I can), that is just for the heart and vasculature. Gatorade, and most like it, have 5:1 in favor of sodium. Once again, that is fine if you using it alone to replace sodium loss during activity, or to prevent hyponatremia during a longish race (though I further salt supplement during a marathon event), but not for just anything.