This has probably been covered before, but I would like real-world opinions about “simple” sugars in sports drinks/gels versus whatever else is marketed as an alternative. I have consumed a crapload of hammer gel, gatorade, R4, etc. over the years, and while I can certainly tell the difference between that stuff and water (or nothing at all), I can’t say that I feel insulin spike/crash, or suffer some awful degredation in performance because I had Gatorade, as opposed to Sustain or some other marketed alternative.
If all of this stuff with “simple sugars” in it is so bad for you, why does it appear on the sidelines of every major sport, and why is it on the course at every major marathon or Ironman? Why would the NBA, for example, pay its players what it does, only to give them some over-marketed, yet substandard electrolyte replenishment fluid on the sidelines?
think of it as short and long sugars. simple sugars are really great to help you out of a bad patch when you are bonking. A quick fix if you will. But they wont last long. The complex or long chain sugars and carbs will take longer to kick in, but when they do they will last longer. So you got the full time zone right there.
over simplified, Iknow, but the basics are there
you don’t insulin spike/crash during exercise. Exercise under normal conditions drastically reduces insulin levels to preserve blood glucose levels, then contracting skeletal muscle takes up glucose via other mechanisms (ie, contraction-stimulated glucose uptake).
i doubt that NBA stars drink Gatorade, but if they did, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. it’s not as if they work all that hard seriously, there is less to the possibilities in carbohydrate uptake between different isomers as what was originally thought. Check gatorade’s research institute - think it’s gssiweb.com - they have some very helpful info on there.
having said that, regular G’rade doesn’t have nearly enough sodium in it to replace what you can sweat out during exercise (up to 1 g/hour). I think the label actually says low-sodium food. Keep that in mind.
on thing that can be important is that some sugars are sweeter than others, so you are able to ‘stomach’ higher carb concentrations per volume of fluid, and thus increase carb uptake.
there is lots of good info on gordo byrn’s web site as well. good luck.
NBA Stars definitely drink Gatorade, along with most NCAA teams, and probably NFL, MLB, and every other pro athlete except triathletes, who have to find super-expensive alternatives.
(Im not saying that Gatorade is that great, especially for an Ironman, but this just goes along with spending 250 dollars on handlebars)
seriously, there is less to the possibilities in carbohydrate uptake between different isomers as what was originally thought. Check gatorade’s research institute - think it’s