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Paleo and electrolytes during activity

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aggiesrar05
aggiesrar05 Posts: 335 Member
in Social Groups
It's getting *HOT* (and that's an understatement) down here in SE Texas. I've been doing some reading myself but am looking for some suggestions.

Prior to Paleo I used G2 gatorade and electrolyte gummy blocks during long bike rides (2hrs+) while training for my triathlon and endurance bike ride.

Early Saturday morning I'll be embarking on my first longer bike ride while eating paleo. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what they use to compensate for the G2 gatorade an electrolyte gummy blocks?

Thanks so much!!

PS: I'm not looking for suggestions that involve "you don't need any kind of electrolyte refueling... " This is SE Texas where it's 90degrees and humid at 5AM... Loss of electrolytes is a given.

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  • shar140
    shar140 Posts: 1,158 Member
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    Good question!

    I've heard coconut water is good for electrolytes, but I have not tried it myself (plus, it's a little pricey here).

    I found a recipe online that was basically water, lemon juice, and salt. I'll have to hunt for where I found it.

    Found it:
    http://primalgirl.wordpress.com/2011/02/28/free-sports-drink-recipe/

    I googled paleo instead of primal. I've also seen recipes that add potassium (nu-salt, salt substitute, etc), which I think is also important. She states in her blog that the lemon juice has some, but the nutritional data for it doesn't contain much.

    PS - I've also used lime juice - then it's kind of margarita-like. :laugh:
  • aggiesrar05
    aggiesrar05 Posts: 335 Member
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    http://www.primarilypaleo.com/2012/01/spotlight-on-a-paleo-endurance-athlete/

    Saw this, it has some good ideas!
  • trijoe
    trijoe Posts: 729 Member
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    I personally am a huge fan of NUUN electrolyte tablets. They're carb free, very few calories. You drop them in your water bottle and come back in a minute when it's done fizzing. They have many flavors, are easy to find at most bike, running, and tri shops, and have a good amount of electrolytes.

    Hope this helps.
  • PrimalMorningMoon
    PrimalMorningMoon Posts: 85 Member
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    There are also electrolyte laced waters available. Smart Water is one, but I know there are others. The positive thing about that is there is no flavor or saltiness.
  • KBGirts
    KBGirts Posts: 882 Member
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    There's a juicing recipe that calls for celery, cucumber, and coconut water. It is meant to be a hydration drink because the ingredients are full of electrolytes. I used it on a shorter ride (metro Atlanta area) and I had no issues with cramping etc. I haven't done any long rides, so I can't say how it worked.
  • kaiman1
    kaiman1 Posts: 27
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    MDA offers several choices:

    - bottled, sparkling water (if you don't want the carbonation get non-sparkling) Gerolsteiner, if you can find is full of minerals for example. San Pellegrino or even Perrier should be good. Add some lime juice for flavor.

    - the best one I'll just quote from Mark directly:

    "What about the athletes who miss their sports drinks?
    How about a Primal electrolyte-enhanced beverage? After all, the key components to any sports drink – the stuff that really matters – are the electrolytes: sodium, chloride, and potassium. When you sweat, those are the minerals that you excrete. Making a proper sports drink entails adding enough electrolyte-containing ingredients. Sodium and chloride are easy enough; basic table salt has what you need in a teaspoon or two. The most potassium-rich foods are yogurt, pork chops, broccoli, avocados, bananas, and spinach, respectively, but I doubt a pork chop smoothie’ll go down smooth when you’re working up a sweat. Luckily, an average-sized lemon contains 48.3 g of potassium, more than your typical bottle of Gatorade contains. Squeeze the lemon and add a few pinches of table salt to your water for a Primal alternative to sugary sports drinks."

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