Energy drinks

G-Money

I'm not normally one for energy drinks, given that the distances I run are quite short, however today's workout was torture. On the way back to the apartment I stopped in the Spar and decided to get an energy drink to see if it would perk me up a bit and I was bewildered by the selection available. Energy, BPM, Lucozade, Lucozade Sport, Lucosazde Body Fuel and probably several other types and brands.

In the end I went for Lucozade Sport Lite which has 50 calories. I've no idea if this stuff is any good and I don't feel particularly energised now after having drank it.

In the future, if I decide to get something like this, what should I get? Preferably something I can get in any normal shop and not something that either has to be ordered online or is only sold from specialist shops.

Thanks.

tunney

grandmaster wrote: »

I'm not normally one for energy drinks, given that the distances I run are quite short, however today's workout was torture. On the way back to the apartment I stopped in the Spar and decided to get an energy drink to see if it would perk me up a bit and I was bewildered by the selection available. Energy, BPM, Lucozade, Lucozade Sport, Lucosazde Body Fuel and probably several other types and brands.

In the end I went for Lucozade Sport Lite which has 50 calories. I've no idea if this stuff is any good and I don't feel particularly energised now after having drank it.

In the future, if I decide to get something like this, what should I get? Preferably something I can get in any normal shop and not something that either has to be ordered online or is only sold from specialist shops.

Thanks.

A packet of wine gums and a can of coke.

liamo123

grandmaster wrote: »

I'm not normally one for energy drinks, given that the distances I run are quite short, however today's workout was torture. On the way back to the apartment I stopped in the Spar and decided to get an energy drink to see if it would perk me up a bit and I was bewildered by the selection available. Energy, BPM, Lucozade, Lucozade Sport, Lucosazde Body Fuel and probably several other types and brands.

In the end I went for Lucozade Sport Lite which has 50 calories. I've no idea if this stuff is any good and I don't feel particularly energised now after having drank it.

In the future, if I decide to get something like this, what should I get? Preferably something I can get in any normal shop and not something that either has to be ordered online or is only sold from specialist shops.

Thanks.

Wht not do it yourself..Mix Miwadi with water and add a nice pinch of salt...

ThisRegard

Miwadi and salt does not really give you much in the way of energy though, that's purely an isotonic style drink for rehydration.

runrabbit

Apologies for hijacking your thread grandmaster - I want to ask a question about sports drinks too and rather than having 2 threads on the first page I thought I'd pop mine in here - hope that's okay!

After a few "funny turns" on some long runs recently and subsequent medical evaluation I've been told that I need to add more salt to my diet and also hydrate with something that's going to replenish the salts on longer runs. To date I have run with water alone as I hate sugary drinks but clearly that needs to change for me. I've been told that whatever I drink doesn't necessarily need to be high in sugar/carbs (though it can be if I like), but needs to have salts and at least a small amount of sugar (as this apparently helps your body absorb salt).

I've been looking online and am totally confused. I assume I need an isotonic drink? But looking at the nutritional content of the lucozade-sport/lite etc. the sodium content is given as "trace". Can anyone make any recommendations or provide any guidance as I'm confused?! The doctor said he’d heard of people using "watered down coke with salt" which sounds really horrible but he said he really wasn't an expert on such matters so I should research it and try a few things out myself (so hopefully this isn't construed as looking for medical advice!)

ThisRegard

Have a look at the make up of Nuuns, something like that is maybe what you need. Or why not dioralyte mixed with water ? I think that will tick all your boxes. Unlike nuuns it has sugars but Nuuns has plenty of electrolytes.

--amadeus--

runrabbit wrote: »

Apologies for hijacking your thread grandmaster - I want to ask a question about sports drinks too and rather than having 2 threads on the first page I thought I'd pop mine in here - hope that's okay!

After a few "funny turns" on some long runs recently and subsequent medical evaluation I've been told that I need to add more salt to my diet and also hydrate with something that's going to replenish the salts on longer runs. To date I have run with water alone as I hate sugary drinks but clearly that needs to change for me. I've been told that whatever I drink doesn't necessarily need to be high in sugar/carbs (though it can be if I like), but needs to have salts and at least a small amount of sugar (as this apparently helps your body absorb salt).

I've been looking online and am totally confused. I assume I need an isotonic drink? But looking at the nutritional content of the lucozade-sport/lite etc. the sodium content is given as "trace". Can anyone make any recommendations or provide any guidance as I'm confused?! The doctor said he’d heard of people using "watered down coke with salt" which sounds really horrible but he said he really wasn't an expert on such matters so I should research it and try a few things out myself (so hopefully this isn't construed as looking for medical advice!)

As TR said something like Nuun might be the answer as might salt tablets. Or even just a pinch or two of table salt in your regular sports drink. I've just read a book on Endurance Sports Nutrition and it says to largely ignore govt warnings on salt and feel free to add salt to your food, it can be stored by your body to be used as required.

Without getting into medical advice there is a condition called Hyponatremia which is a lack of electrolytes but is in fact triggered by over hydration, in particular with plain water. Maybe a simple switch to an ordinary sports drink rather than water will do the trick?

runrabbit

Thank you Amadeus and ThisRegard, I will look into those options. I was bamboozled by all the different things on offer so it's great to have a starting point. I drink loads of water (3-4 litres) daily and always have time but I was taking on even more (5 litres or more) coming up to a race thinking it was the right thing to do, however it appears not especially for someone like me with low blood pressure!

it's time to get a taste for salt - bring on the taytos

anymore

I sraeted using Powerade on my long runs in training for my first marathon in Dingle this year - I used to buy it at a shop about half way on run, without thinking ahead and asking how I would get it in Dingle. As it turned out I bought a bottle before run and had drunk it by 13 miles. I tried one of the Lucozade gels at about 19 mile mark and nearkly threw up ! I was aslo as sick as a dog for the last 5 miles and nearly didnt finish. So after that I started using Power Bar gel on long runs and used four on the Dublin marathon. I also drank a little of the sport drink provided at drinks tables.
The gels are easy to carry, I have got used to taste and will use them for the future.

HardyEustace

More than open to correction if this is incorrect but...
for a post recovery drink - chocolate milk is meant to have the perfect carb:protein ratio. ( I think it's meant to be 4:1).

However,

I'm sure it has a TON of sugar in it which may negate a lot of the goodness there.

I know I've mentioned this book before but I have to say that Racing Weight was a brilliant book if you're starting to get more interested in nutrition and training.

Bubblesnots jr.

HardyEustace wrote: »

More than open to correction if this is incorrect but...
for a post recovery drink - chocolate milk is meant to have the perfect carb:protein ratio. ( I think it's meant to be 4:1).

However,

I'm sure it has a TON of sugar in it which may negate a lot of the goodness there.

I know I've mentioned this book before but I have to say that Racing Weight was a brilliant book if you're starting to get more interested in nutrition and training.

choc milk is recomended for people looking to put on lean muscle not recover from long runs

runrabbit

HardyEustace wrote: »

I know I've mentioned this book before but I have to say that Racing Weight was a brilliant book if you're starting to get more interested in nutrition and training.

Thanks I might order that. Is it good for general nutrition/hydration and not just weight-loss?

HardyEustace

runrabbit wrote: »

Thanks I might order that. Is it good for general nutrition/hydration and not just weight-loss?

Nutrition more than hydration.

I think that it's good in that dispels some myths, takes a very scientific approach and also takes a very pragmatic approach. It's very sensible and doesn't have the rather evangelical "run 1,000 miles every day and eat only ten olives and you will become a GOD" message. It points out very obvious stuff like "do a sport you like or you won't stick with it", "build a support system", "eat clean".

I got a lot from it and in fact am about to read it for a second time in order to review and absorb some of the more important points.

ThisRegard

I'll go one better than choc milk, get either High5 or Powerbar recovery drinks, both choc flavour, and make up the solution with milk rather than water. Bloody gorgeous so it is and works a treat. I'm now trying the SIS Rego recovery one, I've only made it up once, with water, and it was bloody horrible, had to gulp it down to get it out of the way.