Gatorade or Powerade?

[newfangle]

I think El_Machinae is right insofar as Dextrose is the ideal recovery sugar for your muscles. Lifters and Bodybuilders will consume it as a supplement after their workout. I'm just learning about all this myself. My nutritionist is doing his PhD in Bio-Chem and has me taking dextrose.

Sorry I had a brainfart. I didn't realize that dextrose is glucose.

In any case, both drinks use a combination of glucose, fructose, and sucrose. Fructose is certainly not optimal for performance or recovery, but the idea is that it is absorbed slightly slower than glucose (so your blood sugar doesn't spike resulting in an insulin surge).

 

[El_Machinae]

Sucrose boosts your insulin quite a bit, just due to its nature. I think you're right, that fructose doesn't do much to insulin levels though.

Dextrose is a complex form of glucose, like cellulose and starch. But it's digested in the gut to easy-to-incorporate glucose.

I don't really know the optimal drink for long-distance running. My answers have been based off of short-term physical activity (not longer than an hour)

 

[jonatas]

In any case, both drinks use a combination of glucose, fructose, and sucrose. Fructose is certainly not optimal for performance or recovery, but the idea is that it is absorbed slightly slower than glucose (so your blood sugar doesn't spike resulting in an insulin surge).

True, but remember if you're weightlifting, you want that spike, and immediately after exhausting your muscles in a workout. This is exactly when your muscles are needing nutrients the most, and dextrose (the carbohydrates in it) feeds them quickly. This prevents otherwise potential muscle loss (Anabolic vs Catabolic state).

I don't know if it's different for Marathon running. Maybe it's another ball game. I'm not a nutritionist. But if you dilute the dextrose and don't put too much in, you would be getting nutrients faster and more efficiently. I'm just speculating. Maybe it's a question for you to ask a nutritionist?

 

[newfangle]

For marathon training the best sugar is maltodextrose (complex glucose chain, I think this is what you are referring to El_Machinae), which is commonly found in energy gels. But for the actual sports drink gatorade and powerade provide a steady stream of calories. (but near the end of a long run I find them intolerably disgusting so I switch to water + raisons).

For rigorous weight-lifting, if I absolutely had to eat/drink during the workout (something I've never really done), I'd go for one of those 4:1 ratio drinks or chocolate milk.

 

[El_Machinae]

You eat raisins while running! That seems mad. I can only imagine the sticky mass in my mouth, while utterly exhausted and think ... ew!

 

[jonatas]

I can't imagine eating while working out. I just drink water and that's it. I have pre-workout meal and then my post workout meal immediately after, supplemented with dextrose.

 

[newfangle]

You eat raisins while running! That seems mad. I can only imagine the sticky mass in my mouth, while utterly exhausted and think ... ew!

They go down surprisingly easy. In fact, the only thing that keeps me going near the end is waiting for the time when I can eat another handful.