Gatorade + water vs. just plain water?

M

MCunningham

Cathlete
For the best sustained hydration, I'm interested to know what your personal experiences/opinions are on a mix of Gatorade and water versus only drinking water.

I've got a 5k coming up, and for some reason, hydration during runs has always kind of been a problem for me. (I know a 5k isn't a very long distance, but I'm not a fabulous runner, so the last thing I want to do is give my body another reason to be a pain in the rear during that race!)

I feel like I have better hydration when I drink some Gatorade, but I'm wondering if that's purely psychological? Anyway, would like to hear your feedback and/or your suggestions for better sustained hydration.

Thanks!

MC
 
For me, it depends on the duration of the workout and the heat/humidity.

If I'm just doing a regular daily workout, and hour or less, water is fine. If I'm doing something like spring skiing or strenuous hiking for 3-4 hours or more, then I like to have something like a sports drink.

Hope this helps.
 
I'm curious too. I drink water all day but I prefer iced gatoraid when I workout. I buy the big tubs of powder and make it myself. Don't like it too strong. After my w/o I drink water again. But it's not for a particular reason.
 
The sugar, salt and potassium will help during an extended or strenuous workout. But everything I've heard says it won't make any difference unless you're working really long for >1 hr, or it's really hot and you're sweating like a pig. I do just water for my workouts, and if I'm doing something for extended periods of time (e.g. hiking) I just eat food along with the water to get what I need. But even if it's only helping you psychologically, that's still something. If you're not worried about the calories, surely it's not gonna hurt if you prefer gatorade.
 
I have read many times over and read of studies as well that support the fact that Sports Drinks ARE better when involved in INTENSE activity where you are losing a lot of water.. and that regular water is best for non-activity or low impact.
I have found a difference myself and when I was on the "Propel" craze I had a couple years ago I found that when I drank it everyday instead of regular water it made me feel kind of bloated and full (too sweet it made me lose my appetite-- not a feeling you want to have by drinking water)..
IOW if you're running like that I would think having the bit of sugars and whatever else is in those sports drinks would be at least as effective as regular water.. as long as its a sports drink, they're designed for high-impact athlete's and their performance in mind and not for appealing to small children (like Kool-aid).
 
For short duration activity, or less intense activity, I think water is fine.

For activity over an hour, or higher in intensity, then some kind of electrolyte replacement is a good idea.

There are better electrolyte replacements than Gatorade, IMO. Emergen-C makes an electrolye combination called Electro Mix that you add to water.

I like to use coconut water (pure Zico coconut water, no additives or sweeteners, that I buy in bulk from Amazon.com) as my
'sports drink,' just like the Brazilian soccer team does! It's got a good balance of natural electrolytes. (Anything that can be used as a liquid instead of blood in emergencies, which coconut water has been used for, seems like a good choice to me!)
 
I presume it's a morning run; in that case, drink as much water as you can before you leave your house and then go to the bathroom right before the run. Make sure you don't drink alcohol the night before, either, as that can mess you up.

Gatorade and similar drinks include salt in part to make you drink them... they make you thirsty to ensure you keep hydrated. Exactly like some of the Gus and Jelly Belly Sports Beans. Like you said, a 5k isn't long enough to be very concerned about hydration in normal weather, but it's still something to think about.

WFWIW, when I first got started running, 3-4 miles, I tended to carry a bottle of half gatorade half water with me. Once I got my endurance up, I don't carry anything but glucose with me (insulin dependent diabetic) on anything shorter than 5 miles in normal weather.
 
I would never set out without either Gatorade or Heed in my Camelbak while biking. I've used both, but for the money, I've never had any issues with Gatorade. Without either on scorching days or long rides, my legs will cramp at the end or I will bonk somewhere near the end. These are usually two-plus hour rides off-road though.

I think if you are going at an easy pace and its not critical, then water is fine.

I am really interested in this Zico Water though! Gonna give it a try. Thank you Kathryn!
 
I also drink coconut water. I grew up drinking the stuff actually. I grew up on an island in the Pacific. Any how, I read somewhere that it was good as a sports drink so I also drink it during my longer workouts. I like it super cold it tastes super refreshing. When my mum and dad come for a visit they hook me up with the real stuff from an asian market, but I usually buy mine from whole foods.
 
hydration

I also like the coconut water, but it's not easy to find around here, and I only like it COLD, so its better when I get home. Even with the ice stick thing in the bottle, it gets warm btwn my hand and the weather when I run. I can't stand the texture of gatorade, its slimy to me. Plus, its what I drink if I have the belly funk, so it always reminds me of being sick.

Most of the time if I'm out running on a hot day, I fill my bottle with half water and half orange juice. Its tasty, cheap (I normally have OJ in the fridge) and still tastes ok if it gets warm. Sometime I will also throw a sprinkle of sea salt in it, too, because I like the taste. It seems to work just fine.

Nan
 
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