Q on Sports Drinks...

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-06-2000
Q on Sports Drinks...
5
Sat, 04-03-2004 - 9:24am
I've been reading up on hydration and have come away with some interesting knowledge of research and studies, including that water is good, but more water is not necessarily better. People who bump up their water intake considerably (I'm talking like an extra gallon, here) dilute electrolytes in their bodies, putting them at risk for hyponatremia. Healthy athletes have died from drinking too much plain water and not replacing salt.

No problem, I understand the theory of replacing electrolytes, and that's a contribution of sports drinks vs. plain water. I don't overindulge on water and wouldn't have a problem drinking a sports' drink during a longer run. My problem... I don't like sports drinks! To my tastebuds, all of them I've tried taste like they have 2 pounds of sugar or corn syrup in them. I'll savor sweet in chocolates ;^), but don't want sweetness in my fluids. Are there any sports drinks that would appeal to someone like me, who wants the benefits of mineral replacements but doesn't want syrup-y? What have y'all found that works?












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Avatar for bootywhompus
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Registered: 03-26-2003
Sat, 04-03-2004 - 11:02am
I'm with you Linda! Sports drinks are too sweet for me.

There are a couple things you can try. First of all there's the Propel fitness water. Way less sugary than the other fitness drinks and the flavors don't knock you for a loop. I really like it but it's kinda pricey for me.

The second thing I do (and don't laugh) is dilute the sports drink about 3:1 with plain water. Yeah, that sounds gross, but it cuts the sugar back to an acceptable level for me and the flavors (which I usually find way too intense) are tolerable. You have to play around with it a bit to get it right for you. I have a 1.25 gallon container that I put a 32 oz. bottle of Gatorade in and fill it up from the tap. It's just right for me. But it has to be one of the color free varieties or it kinda grosses me out in the glass. Not only does it cut back the sugar, but it also cuts back the electrolytes in the drink. My doc told me that Gatorade and the like have way too much of those salts in them anyway and if you drink it diluted, you're getting the best of both worlds; Plenty of hydration and the electrolytes you could need.

Hope one of these ideas helps.

Lori

Lori

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Sat, 04-03-2004 - 4:07pm
I never have cared for sports drinks.

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Phyllis

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Sat, 04-03-2004 - 5:03pm

I don't go for sports drinks either. I rather eat my calories than drink them. I read sports drinks are only necessary if you are doing

Avatar for dmm11730
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-06-2003
Sun, 04-04-2004 - 1:48pm
I do not like the sports drinks either. I find them way to sweet. I drink tons of water on a daily basis but what I find now is that since we moved into this house last Dec the water that comes out of the filter is not that great. So to make it better I use Cyrstal Lite pink lemonade. I pour a splash into my water bottle and then fill the rest with the filtered refrig water. Now when I am out I will grab only Poland Springs water......only kind I like.


Deb

Debbie

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-06-2000
Mon, 04-05-2004 - 9:10am
Glad to see I'm not the only one who makes a face at the taste of sports' drinks. Most of my workouts are less than an hour, and water does me fine. But it's when I do those longer runs followed or preceded by another activity, and especially when it gets warmer and more humid around here - that's what I'm thinking of.

Lori - nope, I don't think diluting is icky. I used to do that for Allison, and as I was starting to drink more water, I'd add just a touch of apple or orange juice to the plain ol' water to make it appealing. This might well be worth my trying once my runs get longer.

I take supplements, so that's something to consider, too. Thanks for the input, everyone.












Cussette, CL-Family Finances
Visit the Family Finances Website

for links, tips, reading, tools and answers to your financial questions



and the November 1998 Playgroup
Visit our Who's Who (in progress)

Allison!

No Mom is an island. . . but sometimes she needs one!

C