Gatorade

[Budokan]

Should I drink this after a workout rather than water to not only replenish fluids but salts and electrolytes as well? I drink water (and nothing but) all day, but would rather not salt my food to replenish what I've lost.

What do you think?

K. Mark Hoover

[dunbarj01]

They're not too bad but very expensive compared to water and if you're worried about colourings in your food then there's an additional reason not to make them a regular habit. Gatorade etc is supposed to be formulated as isotonic solutions so they are quicly absorbed. Maybe they help...
To be honest, I quite like them although Mrs the Impaler, who works in the organic food industry, constantly nags (ne reminds me) that water is better. During training though I usually have hot oolong or jasmine tea - very hard to throw down a boiling cup of tea when you need fluids but strangely satisfying. That probably contributed nothing to your post.

Cheers,

[whitelion]

What I have heard about those drinks is that they are only really needed if you have trained to the point where your muscles are cramping from fatigue. One estimate said that the only people that gain anything from those drinks are the people who train at the top level (Olympic or professional athletes). Even then, they provide much more than what your body really needs anyway.

I generally find plain water is the best. You should get enough electrolytes from your diet (assuming you have a decent diet :)).

------------------------------------
Talk softly and carry a big stick.

No I don't drink Pepsi.

When I used to train Kung Fu, I drank a lot of V which I used to wash down my caffine pills. If no caffine pills, I may swallow sugar cubes to give that extra kick to my style!

When I get stressed in a fight, I usually take a cigi break. It really psyches out my attackers when I get em to wait around till I've finished my cigi. Then I kick their butts and at that point when they think theire absolutely dead meat, I will offer 'em a cigi while bring out my Cuban. Oh where're talking about drinks sorri! Might head off to the local bar to get myself a bud. Life's to short to @uc@ around! see ya!!

Ego Energize!
Maximus Maximize!

[Boris]

Budokan: I drink water. Gatorade and all that other junk on the market don't do squat. They're there for people who want to believe that they're exercising but aren't. Real people just bring with them a bottle of water and that'll do.

Ego Maximus pu55y : So you survived tribal council but it seems that you haven't learnt your lesson. You f*ck with most of us before and you saw what happened so you ran off and hid. Now you're back, how convenient? Take a ciggie break? Puhleeze, we knew you weren't really a hardcore Kung Fu practicioner. Between being physically pathetic and starting flame wars, I don't see how you can show your face here again.

If you hold anything back, I'll kill you. If you bend the truth, or if I think you're bending the truth, I'll kill you. If you forget anything, I'll kill you. In fact, you're going to have to work very hard to stay alive, Nick. I hope you understand everything

[joedoe]

Ego:

I thought you were wheelchair bound after a car accident 5 years ago? Or was there a miracle cure resulting from the wonders of modern medical science?

ABandit: Thanks buddy for your thoughts. But unfortunately I'm still in a wheelchair. All I can do now is get to the local bar and back. But before the accident I used to practice Kung Fu and had my fair share of brawls. But now I live a quiet life which took time to get used to. Yeah I guess I was still remembering / trying to relive those old days when I wrote the previous post. I have so much time on my hands to reflect and usually with a bottle of scotch as my only companion. Once a week, my house maid Katrina comes around. It's so great to have someone else to talk to. Yeah so, take care of yourself and enjoy your training because god d@mn it that's something I really miss these days.

Boris the Blade: I don't see how you could have mistaken my response as a troll! and I'm even more surprised that you were offended. All I did was express my drink prefernence which is V with caffinne pills and beer. How wrong could that be? Or have you been pyschologically scared so badly by trolls that you now see a troll in every post (as in a ghost in every shadow). If you are then you need help. If you're not then just get over it!

I've had to go through many physical and psychological challenges. The mental conditioning in Kung Fu helped to some extent. But it still freaks me out when I lie awake late at night breaking out in cold sweat with full knowledge that my spinal degenerative disorder will see me waste away in years to come.

Ego Energize!
Maximus Maximize!

[Fu-Pow]

I read an interesting article on Gatorade. It is a drink originally formulated by the Coach of the Florida Gators football team for his players(hence the name Gatorade.) The reason they needed it in Florida is that heavy training in the high heat and humidity causes one to lose a lot of water ...and in addition a lot of salts (ie electrolytes, potassium, sodium etc.). It is necessary to replace these trace minerals for proper muscle function. But I think that unless you are doing heavy training in an enviroment like the Florida.... water is just fine. In fact water will rehydrate you better than Gatorade because it is less concentrated then your bodily fluids (ie it doesn't contain salt, corn syrup, food coloring,etc.)

Fu-Pow

[dunbarj01]

I think the theory behind gatorade is that it very close in concentration to the potassium chloride and salt levels in your cells. When you drink this it is absorbed in a regular fashion and supposedly replenishes . Water, being more dilute, is absorbed too quickly in and around the stomach lining and can cause a heavy bloated feeling. Cells take in more water when their ion concentration is high (when dehydrated) and pump water out (when very low levels of ions) to balance the electrolyte levels in cells. As someone before mentioned it probably applies only to Olympians or marathon runners.

Just another question: Does anyone have an opinion as to eating watery fruit such as oranges or melon to achieve the same purpose?

As a matter of fact, I believe I have an opinion on eating juicy fruits. It's probably true that the minerals in fruits would have a similar effect as drinking sports drinks. i won't be surprised that to some extent, the content of these drinks are modelled on what is found naturally in fruits.

That is why Hung Kuen practitioners don't get scurvy anymore. In the old days, they spent too long at sea (in the red Junks) training Hung Kuen and didn't eat enough orangers. What happened? they got scurvy. It was a mandatory prtactice during my Kung Fu training that we bring a bottle of Gatorade or orange juice to class. Precisely to avoid the problem of scurvy.

Ego Energize!
Maximus Maximize!

[Fu-Pow]

Actually, I just tried this "natural" sports drink that was basically sugar, lemon juice and water. It stated on the label that the electrolytes were coming from the lemon.

Fu-Pow

[Shaolin Temple]

for a moment I freaked out. The salts in gatorade must have helped the recuperative powers of ego but after reading on...I see. They are only flashbacks.

Anyways, lets hope this doesn't turn into another troll over salty water...

Which Shaolin is authentic. North or South.
As Sifu would say...there is no permanence and there should not be any discrimination.
The point is therefore, who cares.
The more Shaolin there are, the better. Be civilized and chivalrous in your behaviour. As martial artists, we are supposed to not forget that we learn this art to help others and ourselves in times of need...not be a thug!!!
Amitabha.

Fu-Pow

I agree, electrolytes are found in lemon. They are also found in car battery solution - but I won't recommend you drinking that.

"V" for me and car batteries for my wheel chair! Life's Great!!

Ego Energize!
Maximus Maximize!

[Boris]

People like ought to should be shot.

Drink Water. Natural, does lots for your body and like all good things in life, is free (or close enough).

If you hold anything back, I'll kill you. If you bend the truth, or if I think you're bending the truth, I'll kill you. If you forget anything, I'll kill you. In fact, you're going to have to work very hard to stay alive, Nick. I hope you understand everything

Boris the Blade,

You said: "People like ought to should be shot."
Your english does not make sense! Is this what happens when you're red in the face with anger?

(this is a retorical question which you don't have to answer).

You said: "all good things in life, is free"
No no no. try the word "ARE" instead of "IS". The plural (ie. more than one) of "thing" is "things". When it is plural you use the word ARE when it is singular you use IS.

Oh well, sorry for being picky as these may be the least of your problems.

In any case it is "The Best Things in Life are Free".

Ego Energize!
Maximus Maximize!