Gatorade vs. H2O?

[Topic]

Whish is better, one of my friends told me that When he drinks gatorade after a hard work out he gets his energy back quicker that if he drank bottled water. And this is a great thing but that again water is natural. So does gatorade have any unnatural ingredients in it so it brings your energy level back up fgaster? Or is it healthier than bottled water

[TheDevilAside]

Gatorade will replenish you faster after a strenuous work out than water. However, that's all Gatorade was made for, you shouldn't drink it just because you're thirsty.

[Topic]

Ok got it, so on a regular day just drink water and after a hard workout drink gatorade?

[italian_guy]

Yes Gatorade and all its clones (there are lots of them) is mostly water, various kind of salts and (not always) maltodextrine. It is good for rebalancing the mineral content of the body after/during intense physical activity.

 

Different things are red bull and clones which contains also stimulants.

[TheDevilAside]

Ok got it, so on a regular day just drink water and after a hard workout drink gatorade?

 

Yeah, sure. You would waste the special ingredients (o0o0h!) of Gatorade if you just drank it when you're thirsty. It would become pretty expensive, as well Also, water will replenish you just fine after a work out as well, so don't think you have to depend on Gatorade for that.

[Red J]

http://www.gatorade.com/

 

Try this link. It has some good information on it and really explains what happens when you sweat.

 

I generally drink gatorade whenever I exercise hard, like when I run or take a class. All other times I try to drink water.

[PrideampPoise]

I've read in several places that even Gatorade has too high a sugar content to really be absorbed with optimal efficiency. Plus, you aren't getting much, if anything, in the way of necessary vitamins and minerals.

 

I drink it, but after I cut it in half with water. After a good workout, I try to actually eat something with some protein, as well as carbs.

[White Warlock]

Where's WolverineGuy when you need him.

 

After a workout, sugars are a good thing to take in. 100% grape juice, mixed with half a teaspoon of creatine, seems to be the #1 recommendation of body builders. Before working out, high protein, mid-level carb meals are recommended, or protein drinks. Vitamin/mineral complexes are recommended as well. It was stated to me that i should avoid taking carbs at least 4 hours before going to bed. Your body supposedly does most of its muscle/fat building during your sleep.

 

Drinks like Gatorade (or the grape juice/creatine mix noted above) are not necessarily good to take 'while' you're working out, but instead... after you've worked out. During your workout, you should stick to water to keep yourself hydrated. The reason for this, as i have been led to believe, is that if you take 'sugar' drinks while exercising, your body goes into some sort of sugar-burn state that supposedly builds more fat than muscle.

 

Do note, i am not an expert on this. The information i relate was obtained from reliable sources, but that does not ensure its accuracy.

[Ironberg]

I've read in several places that even Gatorade has too high a sugar content to really be absorbed with optimal efficiency.

 

That's what Propell Fitness Water is for.

[Rich67]

Sports drinks are excellent to help keep your muscles functioning at their peak during prolonged and sustained physical activity. Football players, hockey players, etc., make use of it to replace potassium and electrolytes lost during exertion. Gatorade is OK, but like others say, it is real high in fructose and is a little sweet for many tastes. Propel is excellent. All sports drinks will help you function at your peak, and will help keep the lactic acid buildup at a minimum. But don't drink the stuff day in and out, since the high sugar content will make you a tub of lard. Just keep a bottle of it handy during heavy workouts or during sparring matches. Straight water is excellent too; don't get me wrong... but the sports drinks give you a slight edge in the muscular output/ endurance area.