If I’m going to drink coke during the marathon of an IM, should I also drink it during training? Maybe it doesn’t make any difference since I don’t carry a bottle of chicken broth on my training runs, and I will drink that along with pretzels when I am breaking down on the run.
How much coke and when during my training runs should I drink it. Should it be flat or will the gas give me stomach problems?
I’ve never trained with coke, although I have used it on the IM portion of the run.
I feel like during the run you go for whatever you are craving - salt, sugar, caffeine, etc. Its difficult to know exactly what you will need, so its hard to prepare for this. I’ve also never been adversely affected by these race-day adjustments (hmmm, cookies were a huge help on my last IM!).
Anyways, I guess I’m trying to tell you that unless you regularly have stomach problems, I wouldn’t bother. Good luck!
But the challenge, of course, is making flat coke. I wonder if anyone knows how? 
I use coke/mt. dew quite a bit on long runs and long skis. I figure I might as well train with it if I’m going to use it in a race. If on a 2.5 hour run I’ll bring a bike bottle full of Coke and, maybe, another bottle with water. But I typically start drinking the coke right away and I don’t have any stomach troubles or the “sugar crash” that seems to be common. I usually drink it flat…otherwise, after all that bouncing around it can make quite a mess. However, in a perfect world I’d drink it with full carbonation all the time since it seems the bubbles make my stomach feel good. FWIW, I did a 3 hour ski race this weekend and drank mtn. dew right from the get-go.
I would do at least one long ride (100+ mile) and run with it to see how you react. Last year I was out on a 150 mile ride and after I finished my bottles of Gatorade I was on Coke. About mile 110 my stomach felt awful. I sought out straight water. It took about an hour of water only before my stomach was good.
I always use Coke on my weekend group ride. Even use it in road races. The only issue is you have to watch out if it’s not flat. If you close the top you run the risk of 1) the top popping open for non-screw top bottles, or 2) the “nipple” popping open which sounds like a flat (gets me every time). Plus if it pops, it makes the bike sticky. For races, I prefer flat. On the bike it will get flat pretty quick, but sticking it in a bottle a few hours before and leaving the top open will ensure it’s flat come race time.
I’ve had no problems with carbonated beverages on long runs. I would usually use a Mountain Dew derivative.
Maybe I should drink Diet Coke so I don’t put on any more weight than I already have.
Gatorade creates a hypertonic solution in the stomach, which causes stomach cramps. The best drinks to use have similar osmolar ratios of blood, around 250-300. These are known as isotonic. When a solution is hypertonic (hyperosmolar), the body has to use fluids from surrounding tissues and organs to dilute the concentrated solution. This causes dehydration, the very thing gatorade claims to prevent.
I find coke is best used in the last hour of a long ride, giving you a nice boost.
Are you talking about Gatorade, or Endurance Gatorade? I’ve only used the latter in training and racing, as it has far less sugar in it than the regular Gatorade.
reg gatorade
.
Try a concentrated solution of InfiniT in a gel flask. (2 actually)
Use a higher caffeine, lower osmolarity, lower calorie mix with more simple sugars.
One problem I’ve always had is that I really don’t simulate race day conditions in my training. For example, in training I never eat a Gu and drink half a bottle of Gatorade every 30 minutes, like I will in an IM. For many years I had this crazy consumption guide that I would follow in races for the number of calories and liquid, and that rarely worked for me. Really, who in their right mind eats 10 Gu packs during training/ Anyway, when things went wrong, they went really wrong. Then I flipped to the exact opposite - no calorie plan, and eat and drink like I felt. That worked much better, but I also had a tendency to bonk at the end.
Now what I try to do is simulate race day in brick workouts. Mini triathlons. I try to consume based on a loose plan the same amount that I will consume during an event. I am trying to tie loose items, and one of those is Coke. I know I will drink it, I have drank it, but I never train with it. Maybe no one else does either. I usually just drink it after my workout to refuel.
The great thing with Coke (or Pepsi :-)) is that it will always have the same sugar concentration : 100gr/L. You’ll never be sure of that with the various sport beverages one finds on IMs, marathons, etc…
Once you know that, it’s easy to get an isotonic drink…as an isotonic drink has a 30 to 50 gr/L glucidic concentration (depends on temperature, the higher the temperature, the lower the glucidic concentration)… one cup of coke/two cup of water, you get 33 gr, one cup of coke/one cup of water, you get 50 …etc…etc…
I hear ya. I guess its worth a try!
Are you talking about Gatorade, or Endurance Gatorade? I’ve only used the latter in training and racing, as it has far less sugar in it than the regular Gatorade.
I’m reminded of the Seinfeld non-fat yogurt episode for some reason
The carbohydrate (sugar) content of the two formulas is exactly the same. Endurance just has more electrolytes:
http://www.itsonthecourse.com/products.aspx
(click comparison chart and/or formula).
If you were to cut endurance with water you could an approximation of the electrolytes in the regular version with “less sugar” but it doesn’t sound like that’s what you are talking about.
think again
http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20050613/drink-more-diet-soda-gain-more-weight
sucralose is also very very bad for you
shouldn’t drink diet drinks under any circumstance
.
My hubby and I train with Coke and Chicken broth during long runs leading up to IM. Typically, we will fill 2 bike bottles up with the yummy goodness (we call it Chik-N-Coke) on runs longer than a 13 miles. We’ll drink our regular sports drink and water until the half way point, then we start working in the coke and chicken broth. Is SOooo good!!
Only occasionally will I go with coke on the latter half of a long ride. By then I am sick sick sick of gooey sweetness of gels and sports drink. The bitterness in coke helps cut through the sweetness.
Usually, once I go with chik-n-coke during an IM… that’s it for me for sports drinks. After the 13 mile point, I rotate water, chicken broth, and coke, through the aid stations to get me to the finish line.
For what it’s worth.
Jodi
But the challenge, of course, is making flat coke. I wonder if anyone knows how?
Put it in a couple of ziplock baggies, then pound on it with a rubber hammer until flat. Oh wait, you meant coca-cola coke. My bad.
My hubby and I train with Coke and Chicken broth during long runs leading up to IM. Typically, we will fill 2 bike bottles up with the yummy goodness (we call it Chik-N-Coke) on runs longer than a 13 miles. We’ll drink our regular sports drink and water until the half way point, then we start working in the coke and chicken broth. Is SOooo good!!
PLEASE tell me that sentence structure and word choice are playing tricks with me, and that you don't mix coke and chicken broth in the SAME BOTTLE????? YUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hmmm. No worries about going to bed hungry now. Yuck!!!
Coke saved my life on the last half of the marathon at IMC in 06 and IMLP in 05. I felt like sh*t and the caffeine and sugar were perfect. I drank a small cup at every aid station. Plus, I’m a vegetarian so the chicken broth was out. I have a very sensitive stomach too and never had a problem with it.
After a long ride or run in the warm weather an ice cold Coke is heaven. I haven’t used it during regular training but it works great for me on race day.