Train hard. Train often.

 

Sports Drinks

Stop, Think, Drink.
By Brian Klepacki, CISSN, CSCS
Sports Nutrition Insider - Vol. 1, Issue 2, Summer 2008


Go back 10 years and think about what an athlete was drinking. Regardless of sport, climate, or age, the sideline coolers probably looked similar across the country with that universally-known lightning bolt logo. The jug might have been a different color but I bet the liquid inside was the same. Now think about the present and what today's athletes are drinking. I can be certain that what was in their bottle then is not what is in there now. We would have never considered drinking a protein-filled, dessert-flavored, fat-containing, vitamin-enriched concoction. It was only a few years ago that the sports drink industry really took off and branched out from the traditional glucose-fructose formula. Don't get me wrong, Gatorade was and still is a great sports drink. But before we open the fridge and grab what we have always had in the past, we might want to take a moment, look around, and opt for something that could perhaps yield better results.

Most supermarkets and convenience stores these days are well-stocked with bizarre colored sports drinks. These ready to drink beverages claim to give athletes energy and vitality, and some even advertise rewards like balance, focus and stress relief. With all these choices, how do I know that what I am drinking is best for me? Gatorade, Powerade, Accelerade; which 'ade' do I choose? What about the drinks that are not mainstream, like Cytomax, Pure Sport, or Hammer Nutrition?

I believe that many athletes and athletic teams currently do not make optimal use of sports drinks during training sessions and competition. I feel it is due to a lack of knowledge. There are quite a number of formulas, powders, concentrations, etc. on the market to choose from. Here is some basic information that you might already know pertaining to sports drinks. Sports drinks are an ideal fluid to consume during and after training and competition sessions. These drinks allow an athlete to replace fluid and electrolyte losses, and simultaneously provide an additional source of carbohydrate fuel and perhaps protein for muscle recovery. In almost all situations, sports drinks are a better choice than water. Compared to water, sports drinks are more likely to promote better fluid intake. Studies show that sports drinks more closely match sweat losses with fluid intake during exercise and recovery, compared to water.

A sports drink is recommended for activities lasting longer than one hour. Of course sports drink can be beneficial with less than 60 minutes of exercise but after a period of 60 minutes is when sports drinks become more beneficial. Keep in mind that these drinks provide additional fuel for working muscles and that we have enough stored energy in our muscles to work for a while before beginning to rebuild glycogen stores. Sports drinks that contain between 14-19 grams of carbohydrates (6-8% carbohydrates) and 50-80 calories per 8-ounce serving are an appropriate choice. Beverages containing electrolytes, like sodium and potassium, help increase the rate of fluid absorption. It is imperative to get those nutrients to go where they are needed most as fast as possible.

If you have not ventured over to the carbohydrate/protein blend yet, you might want to start considering it. With a great amount of scientific research to back it up, those formulas like Accelerade and other protein containing sports drinks truly do work. Not only do they rehydrate, but they also minimize muscle breakdown during exercise. By consuming small amount of protein during exercise gets proteins into the muscle sooner which aids in muscle recovery. This means that after your long run today, your legs could be ready for your 50-mile ride tomorrow. If you do not mind the chalky aftertaste, the carbohydrate/protein beverages are the best way to go for longer activities.

Taste is vital for athletes. A pleasant-tasting drink definitely has more pull than that of a non-pleasant drink, even if it is more beneficial. I have tested an assortment of sports drinks and I personally use Accelerade for my training because of the proven benefits and I don't mind the taste but and there are a few drinks that I have tried and would never drink again, regardless of the benefits it may have. Vitaminwater by Glaceau have discovered a great-tasting formula. They must have changed their concentrations over the past few years because it was not that long ago that their products were too bold and sugary. I recently tested all 15 of their flavors and each flavor has its own unique but satisfying taste. Vitaminwater does not commonly fall in the sports drink category and this is how Glaceau markets them self but it does contain an appropriate amount of carbohydrates, enough to refuel to muscles.

For more information on sports drinks, visit these companies:
Gatorade - www.gatorade.com
Accelerade - www.accelerade.com
Pure Sport - www.puresport.us
Cytosport - www.cytosport.com
Glaceau - www.glaceau.com

Some of the latest research:

Recovery of Endurance Running Capacity: Effect of Carb/Protein Mixture
James A. Betts, Emma Stevenson, Clyde Williams, Catrin Sheppard, Edwin Grey, Joe Griffin
International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 2005, 15, 590-609

(Abstract) Including protein in a carbohydrate solution may accelerate both the rate of glycogen storage and the restoration of exercise capacity following prolonged activity. Two studies were undertaken with nine active men in study A and seven in study B. All participants performed 2 trials, each involving a 90 min run at 70% VO2max followed by a 4 h recovery. During recovery, either a 9.3% carbohydrate solution (CHO) or the same solution plus 1.5% protein (CHO-PRO) was ingested every 30 min in volumes providing either 1.2 g CHO · kg-1 · h-1 (study A) or 0.8 g CHO · kg-1 · h-1 (study B). Exercise capacity was then assessed by run time to exhaustion at 85% VO2max. Ingestion of CHO-PRO elicited greater insulinemic responses than CHO (P ≤ 0.05) but with no differences in run times to exhaustion. Within the context of this experimental design, CHO and CHO-PRO restored running capacity with equal effect.

Inter-study examination of physiological variables associated with improved endurance performance with carbohydrate/protein administration.
Saunders, M.J., Todd, M.K., Valentine, R.J., St. Laurent, T.G., Kane, M.D., Luden, N.D. and Herrick, J.E. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 38(5):S113-S114, 2006.


This study concluded that "combined data from three studies revealed significant improvements in performance ... with [carbohydrate-protein] versus [carbohydrate-only] supplementation." Heart rate (HR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and lactate were lower in the carbohydrate-protein trials, and "decreases in HR and RPE were associated with improvements in performance." Data from previous studies showing a 19 % average improvement in endurance performance with a carbohydrate-protein beverage (Accelerade) compared to a carbohydrate-only beverage were reexamined to determine if the improvement was related to any physiological variables that were measured. The analysis revealed that heart rate, perceived exertion, and blood lactate levels were lower in the carbohydrate-protein trials, although only decreases in heart rate and perceived exertion were associated with improvements in performance.

Consumption of an Oral Carbohydrate-Protein Gel Improves Cycling Endurance and Prevents Post exercise Muscle Damage.
Michael J Saunders, Nicholas D Luden, Jeffrey E Herrick J.
Strength Cond. Res. 21(3):678-684. 2007.


Thirteen cyclists (8 men, 5 women; Vo2peak = 57.9 +/- 7.0 ml.kg(-1).min. completed two timed cycle-trials to volitional exhaustion at 75% of Vo2peak. At 15-minute intervals throughout these rides, subjects received CHO or CHO+P gels, which were matched for carbohydrate content (CHO = 0.15 g CHO.kg BW(-1); CHO+P = 0.15 g CHO + 0.038 g protein.kg BW(-1)). Trials were performed using a randomly counterbalanced, double-blind design. Subjects rode 13% longer when utilizing the CHO+P gel versus the CHO gel. In addition, men and women responded similarly to the CHO and CHO+P trials, with no significant treatment-by-gender effect. Postexercise creatine kinease (CK) was not significantly different between treatments. However, CK increased significantly following exercise in the CHO trial but not the CHO+P trial. Therefore, to prolong endurance performance and prevent increases in muscle damage, it is recommended that male and female cyclists consume CHO+P gels rather than CHO gels during and immediately following exercise.

Practical use (dosage):

Carb/protein beverage = 0.15 g CHO + 0.038 g protein kg BW every 15 minutes of activity From 750 mL to 2.5 L/hr cold liquid with electrolytes depending on rate of sweat loss.