hydration during heavy sporting activity?

[Monkey]

i play squash, and i sweat alot during it. i normally drink Poweraide or tescos own brand during the game, partly due to the fact i was "sold" on the advertising, that its better at hydrating the body than just water alone. due ot the body sweatting out minerals, and water not having all of them.

its getting expensive as i normally do 2 bottles (1 litre) to 1 hour 20 mins of squash.

what if any can i replace this with?

is there any truth to the advertising?

are the powdered stuff you add to water any good? like this http://www.amazon.co.uk/MET-Rx-Isoto.../dp/B000T8Z774

if so which one is best?

[Easy007]

I'm sure i read somewhere that milk is pretty damn good as a replacement for isotonic drinks...... got nothing to back that up though.

[frisbee]

Milk and intensive exercise sounds fun.

I started using the powdered stuff after my calves started cramping after an hour in the gym, not had any cramp since.

[Prior]

Its all a load of crap IMO. Im now doing 13km runs lasting about an hour and the most fluids i get through in that time is a litre of water. You see all these people necking energy gels and stuff in the gym, unless your running a marathon or cycling 50 miles competetively you just dont need it.

Drink water during the work out and just eat decent afterwards to recover.

[Easy007]

Seems to be some proof to the milk thing......

http://www.nutraingredients.com/Rese...rt-rehydration

It's cheaper than water too

EDIT: and by water i obviously mean sports drinks

[Jezz_S13]

High5 Zero...

http://www.bisonfitness.com/high-5-zero.html

They do a caffiene one too.
http://www.bisonfitness.com/high-5-zero-xtreme.html

[lil ben]

Home made rehydration fluid -1 litre of water, 8 teaspoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Tastes rank but doctor recommended after a bad case of the shits.

Think Prior is dead on the money though, just water and eat well.

Edit : I sweat a lot in the gym and haven't felt the need for anything special

[xR33]

I buy soluble multi-vitamins and add to water - mmmm, orangey.

[Rubix_Cube]

I done 46 miles on the bike at the weekend and all I did was have water. I really need a better idea of what to eat afterwards....and considering I hate Veg this might be tricky...

[Jezz_S13]

I done 46 miles on the bike at the weekend and all I did was have water. I really need a better idea of what to eat afterwards....and considering I hate Veg this might be tricky...

Form the smoothie thread,

Mostly, post bike ride, I've been making a recovery smootie as such...

1/2 pint milk
1 ripe banana
10 cherries
big dollop of almond butter
30g of strawberry whey protein
half a tea spoon of cinnamon.

Tastes good, is good.

[Jezz_S13]

Home made rehydration fluid -1 litre of water, 8 teaspoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Tastes rank but doctor recommended after a bad case of the shits.

Think Prior is dead on the money though, just water and eat well.

Edit : I sweat a lot in the gym and haven't felt the need for anything special

Not sure I'd want to be drinking 5g of salt too often. There's no way that's good for you, other than in the post trots emergency.

I like gels (ones with caffeine generally), use them a fair bit when out of the bike.

[Rubix_Cube]

Yeah, see I don't like Bannanas or cherries.... or most fruits infact. Is there no dead animal that can help me, I can generally eat most of them.

[Jezz_S13]

chicken, tuna, rice, pasta.

[Chris B]

Its all a load of crap IMO. Im now doing 13km runs lasting about an hour and the most fluids i get through in that time is a litre of water. You see all these people necking energy gels and stuff in the gym, unless your running a marathon or cycling 50 miles competetively you just dont need it.

Drink water during the work out and just eat decent afterwards to recover.

Basically this ^

Energy gels and stuff are pointless unless you're doing a half-marathon or hours of cycling, your energy system (or muscles) simply won't need to refuel until you've used up well over a thousand calories.

Water isn't easy to drink, I mix-down lucozade/powerade to about 50:50 with water, halves the calories and doesn't taste so damn strong/sweet.

My best mate's dissertation showed that there was no improvement compared with drinking water while performing physical activity. TBH, you need the electrolytes, water and energy, but not in massive doses, so consuming them in diluted quantities before, during and after exercise is the best way to stay balanced. I buy sports drinks in bulk, I drink little and often during gym/football. Don't usually drink when I run unless it's a longer run, say 6 miles.

The Government are planning to add VAT to sports nutrition very soon too, so that will help everyone be more healthy

Super cheap option is water, Robinsons or such, tiny pinch of salt, more the potassium-based stuff than sodium, "Lo-salt" or other brand (and pinch of sugar if you really feel the need).

Recovery sports nutrition is a different matter, but I won't go into that just now.

[dhracer]

It's a load of crap is pretty wide of the mark but what ChrisB says is about right - anything up to about an hour you shouldn't need anything but a little water - if you're struggling with an hour then I'd look at what you're eating and drinking normally as well as general fitness.

After an hour for longer distance stuff iso stuff really helps & I'd echo Jezz's recommendation of High5 Zero, awesome stuff (easily the best out there from what I've tried so far - GU, NUUN, NutriSport, Lucozade, PowerBar and some other gopping random stuff) works for me for all my long distance training & racing

[schumi84]

Since I started back at the gym I tend to take with me a 1.5l bottle of water and a 1.5l bottle of diluted juice (Robinsons or the like) with a small teaspoon of salt mixed in. By the end of the session I have got through probably 3/4 of each bottle and finish the rest once back home. To me it is certainly a cheaper way of keeping hydrated

[naz200]

An hour and 20 mins of intense exercise does not require you to have an isotonic drink unless you need to rehydrate quickly for another session. Isotonic drinks have a similar solute potential to your blood therefore replacing lost water quicker. The main thing for you I would suggest is to drink as much water as you lose through sweat. You can replenish lost nutrients with a healthy meal after your session.

[donnylad]

i use emerge, its cheap and nasty crap that is just full of sugars, but seems to boost me quite nicley, 1 small tin of that and some water half way through my football matches. during the matches last time it was cheacked id cover 7.5 miles which isnt that much but i guess its because its like fartlek training. i did a half marathon last month on just water alone in 26-29 degrees heat ( 1 hour 42) for me having the correct foods in me at the right times is what helps my performance.

try finding 1 of these cheap sugar boosters like emerge and boost etc then have a small tin of this with ur usual water ( not mixed together) may not work but always worth a shot.

[Marcos]

If I'm doing a lot of exercise (eg, a day on the bike) I'll use Lucasade powder. You can get it most places, it tastes good, isn't too expensive and does the job. It will stain your camelbak though!

[Chris B]

If I'm doing a lot of exercise (eg, a day on the bike) I'll use Lucasade powder. You can get it most places, it tastes good, isn't too expensive and does the job. It will stain your camelbak though!

I think normal (although diluted) Lucozade has stained my Camelbak bottle, not that I'm that bothered

Emerge is just a caffeinated energy drink.

I'd like to be more sustainable and use powder so I don't have to bin/recycle a load of plastic bottles, but last time I checked it was more expensive to buy powder

I'd happily buy a big bottle/bag of "double strength" Lucozade to decant and dilute as I require.