# Anyone add protein powder to Gatorade?



## upstateSC-rider (Aug 21, 2004)

I like the idea of having protein in drinks but I'm not fond of Accelerade. Has anyone added some protein to Gatorade? 

The only flavor I can find of protein powder is vanilla. I haven't tried it but I think Glacier-Frost with vanilla wouldn't be great.  I'd rather try un-flavored if there is such an animal. Anyone know of any?

Thanks.
Lou.


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## HAL9000 (May 1, 2002)

I think you will not be able to get the(any) combo to be palatable. Save the protein powder for after the ride, take a PB&J with for durring the ride if you really must have some protein durring.


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## magnolialover (Jun 2, 2004)

*That's just it...*



upstateSC-rider said:


> I like the idea of having protein in drinks but I'm not fond of Accelerade. Has anyone added some protein to Gatorade?
> 
> The only flavor I can find of protein powder is vanilla. I haven't tried it but I think Glacier-Frost with vanilla wouldn't be great.  I'd rather try un-flavored if there is such an animal. Anyone know of any?
> 
> ...


you don't need protein during a ride, it's just not good for your tummy. Seriously. What energy source do you hope to tap into by taking in protein during a ride. Keep it to carbs my friend, you and your stomach will be much better off I think in the long run. Accelerade makes me sick personally.


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## Schneiderguy (Jan 9, 2005)

I do. Don't know if it helps. But it doesn't bother me. I also add 1/4 teaspoon of low sodium salt which is high in potassium. I ride in hot humid conditions for up to 3 hrs pretty hard.


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## magnolialover (Jun 2, 2004)

*I've raced...*



Schneiderguy said:


> I do. Don't know if it helps. But it doesn't bother me. I also add 1/4 teaspoon of low sodium salt which is high in potassium. I ride in hot humid conditions for up to 3 hrs pretty hard.


I've raced in hot and humid conditions for up to 6 hours, and protein, it doesn't help you while you're riding. You don't derive energy from protein, you get it from carbs. Skip the protein and save it for a recovery drink when your muscles need it immediately after riding.


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## dagger (Jul 22, 2004)

*Nevermind*

Nevermind


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*This is wrong*



dagger said:


> I have seen 40/30/30. 40% calories from carbos/30%calories from protein/30% calories from fat. This formula supposedly is the right ratio to allow your body to burn fat during endurance pacing.


First of all, this is a recommendation for diet, not for during the ride. While they do sell "zone" bars that have this composition, the carb content is much too low. Plus, this diet is WAY too high in protein if you are burning lots of calories. For example, if you weigh 150 lb/79 kg and ride 2 hours a day, the diet would have you eating nearly DOUBLE the recommended amount of protein. A trained endurance athlete will be able to metabolize roughly 200 calories per hour from fat, and that will not depend on what you are eating. A little protein and fat during a ride is not a problem, but this recommendation is way off.


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## andre71144 (Aug 25, 2003)

*protein drink*

actually I just made a smoothie for my recovery ride. gatorade, vanilla protein powder, and frozen peaches. very tasty. infact it was so good I was thinking about adding a couple of ounces of Captain Morgans Rum.


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## upstateSC-rider (Aug 21, 2004)

magnolialover said:


> you don't need protein during a ride, it's just not good for your tummy. Seriously. What energy source do you hope to tap into by taking in protein during a ride. Keep it to carbs my friend, you and your stomach will be much better off I think in the long run. Accelerade makes me sick personally.


I was reading up on drinks, and nutrition in general, over the winter and I've always wondered about the claims by Accelerade... 


> Conclusions. In summary, we found that the addition of protein to a carbohydrate supplement in a 4 to 1 ratio enhanced aerobic endurance performance by 24% above that which occurred with carbohydrate alone. The results suggest that the addition of protein to a carbohydrate supplement is of benefit to the endurance athlete


Just wanted to experiment with Gatorade because the Accelerade taste never did anything for me, even at 50/50. Don't know if the protein actually helped or hurt, though, because one ride will be 82 degrees while the next may be 110 with the heat index. Even if it's only a psychosomatic effect, I'll take it.  
Lou.


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## bikerMT (Nov 6, 2004)

*amino mix*

Does anybody take or know if amino acids help with endurance on long rides. Amino acids which help with endurance are, Citrulline, Carnosine, and Taurine.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Amino acids*



bikerMT said:


> Does anybody take or know if amino acids help with endurance on long rides. Amino acids which help with endurance are, Citrulline, Carnosine, and Taurine.


Amino acids are the metabolism products of protein digestion. Proteins are made up of amino acids. What applies to protein applies to amino acid. They are mostly "magic dust" to put on the label and sound scientific. Supported by studies that insure the component under study looks good, not by studies that compare performance on an apples and apples basis.


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## dagger (Jul 22, 2004)

*Prob right...I never considered that.*



Kerry Irons said:


> First of all, this is a recommendation for diet, not for during the ride. While they do sell "zone" bars that have this composition, the carb content is much too low. Plus, this diet is WAY too high in protein if you are burning lots of calories. For example, if you weigh 150 lb/79 kg and ride 2 hours a day, the diet would have you eating nearly DOUBLE the recommended amount of protein. A trained endurance athlete will be able to metabolize roughly 200 calories per hour from fat, and that will not depend on what you are eating. A little protein and fat during a ride is not a problem, but this recommendation is way off.


Yes...that makes sense...Formula is only for a 2000-2500 calorie diet. Thanks.


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## ECXkid04 (Jul 21, 2004)

*Liquid Protein=awesome*

I mix a little bit (2 tbsp) of liquid protein in with gatorade when I ride. I disagree with some of the posts above and believe that protein intake during a ride is a must for optimal recovery and endurance. Studies show that for increased endurance and day to day recovery, athletes should use a *protein*/carb./electrolite drink to properly fuel their muscles. You can get liquid protein at any GNC, and even though it is a bit more pricey than powder, the results outweigh the costs. Powder is great stuff also and I use powders like GNC's Mega Whey religously, but protein in a liquid form is vastly more efficient as it is absorbed into the muscles at a much higer rate.

I would also reccomend a book entitled _The Performance Zone_ by John Ivy, Ph.D. and Robert Portman, Ph.D. It goes into deep detail about the 30W15 rule, essentially how to fuel before, during, and after exercise for optimal recovery and results. In _The Performance Zone_, Portman and Ivy reccomend a 4:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio for during exercise.

Here is what they consider to be an "ideal" nutrient drink for during exercise.

Nutrition Objectives Ideal Composition
1. replace fluids and electrolytes 1. High-glycemic carbs (20-26g)
2. preserve muscle glycogen 2. Protein 5-6 g
3. maintain blood glucose levels 3. Vitamin C 30-120 mg
4. minimize cortisol increase 4. Vitamin E 20-60 IU
5. set stage for a faster recovery 5. Sodium 120-250 mg
6. Potassium 60-120 mg
7. Magnesium 60-120 mg

There you go. I hope that helped. The book is quite good with plenty of good tips. They even have a nutrition section just for cyclists in it! 6-time Ironman Champ Dave Scott writes the foreward in this book and if he thinks highly of it, it must be good.
Good luck with your training.

Jon H.


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## trener1 (Jan 22, 2004)

Amino Acid drinks really help with recovery that is for sure, I can't attest to how much they help during a ride, I started using some Amino Vital after my races earlier this season, and I notice a marked difference in how I feel the next day.


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## dagger (Jul 22, 2004)

*Good post*



ECXkid04 said:


> I mix a little bit (2 tbsp) of liquid protein in with gatorade when I ride. I disagree with some of the posts above and believe that protein intake during a ride is a must for optimal recovery and endurance. Studies show that for increased endurance and day to day recovery, athletes should use a *protein*/carb./electrolite drink to properly fuel their muscles. You can get liquid protein at any GNC, and even though it is a bit more pricey than powder, the results outweigh the costs. Powder is great stuff also and I use powders like GNC's Mega Whey religously, but protein in a liquid form is vastly more efficient as it is absorbed into the muscles at a much higer rate.
> 
> I would also reccomend a book entitled _The Performance Zone_ by John Ivy, Ph.D. and Robert Portman, Ph.D. It goes into deep detail about the 30W15 rule, essentially how to fuel before, during, and after exercise for optimal recovery and results. In _The Performance Zone_, Portman and Ivy reccomend a 4:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio for during exercise.
> 
> ...


Good info..Thanks


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## nate (Jun 20, 2004)

Is it even necessary to supplement protein intake? I don't race, so I honestly don't know, but shouldn't you be able to get more than enough protein through food intake while still maintaining a good ratio of carbs, protein, and fat?


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## MikeBiker (Mar 9, 2003)

nate said:


> Is it even necessary to supplement protein intake? I don't race, so I honestly don't know, but shouldn't you be able to get more than enough protein through food intake while still maintaining a good ratio of carbs, protein, and fat?


 The human body has very little glucose (carbs) stores. It is easy to deplete them with higher intensity long rides. The primary storage method for proteins (amino acids) is muscle, so if you run low on amino acids, muscles will be broken down to replace them. Ain't nobody going to run out of fat stores!

I usually just eat nuts on my longer rides to ensure that I meet my protein and carb requirements. Your requirements and mine are quite likely different, so go by what your experience tells you that you need.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Way too high*



dagger said:


> Yes...that makes sense...Formula is only for a 2000-2500 calorie diet. Thanks.


Actually, the zone diet only gives the right amount of protein for something like a 1500 calorie diet. That's why, if you stick to the diet, you lose weight. For someone who is actively exercising 2 hours per day, this diet either causes you to eat way too much protein (if you meet your caloric requirements) or to lose weight quite rapidly (while probably being exhausted most of the time).


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Nuts to you *



MikeBiker said:


> I usually just eat nuts on my longer rides to ensure that I meet my protein and carb requirements.


I do the same thing. A good mix of protein and some high quality fat, plus some salt. Not only that, but they taste good


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## bas (Jul 30, 2004)

upstateSC-rider said:


> I like the idea of having protein in drinks but I'm not fond of Accelerade. Has anyone added some protein to Gatorade?
> 
> The only flavor I can find of protein powder is vanilla. I haven't tried it but I think Glacier-Frost with vanilla wouldn't be great.  I'd rather try un-flavored if there is such an animal. Anyone know of any?
> 
> ...


Have you tried powerbar's brand of mix drink?
I believe it has protein also.

Search the web for "whey protein concentrate" to buy.


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## keeshadog (Jan 17, 2003)

*protien powder with fruit juice...*

when i was training to do my first double century ride, i conferred with a nutritionist. one of the things she recommended was that i make my own energy drink, instead of using a commercial product like gatorade. her recipe, which i used, was one tablespoon of protein powder with one water bottle of just about any fruit juice, diluted, by half, with water. i use apple juice.  it worked really well. very easy on the stomach.
i'd been using accelerade, and had tried just about everything else on the market. after using the homemade mixture, i used accelerade a couple of times, because my girlfriend uses it and i'd run out of protein powder, and i was amazed and surprised at how my system would not tolerate the accelerade. i'm not sure if it was always this way, but it is very possible, that i'd just become accustomed to a bit of discomfort. 
i usually make my mixture the night before i ride, blend it up nicely with a hand blender and add a few shakes of salt. i cramp up if i dont add extra sodium. i definitely think that it helps, but i'd avoid just dumping it in gatorade. in fact, while i like to drink it after i ride, i cannot drink that stuff and hop on my bike and ride. my stomach turns somersaults.


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## carioca (May 27, 2005)

Once I made a big mistake and used a sports drink with carbs and protein during a ride. It was called Nitro something... anyway, I puked my guts out and had to rest for almost a half hour before I was able to ride again. Avoid the proteins during rides...

OOOOOPSSSS! Typo! I meant avoid protein. My brain works faster than I can type... doh!


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Typo?*



carioca said:


> Avoid the carbs during rides...


Are you saying to consume only protein and fat during a ride? This goes against all nutritional advice and common sense. Hopefully, this was a typo.


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## carioca (May 27, 2005)

Kerry Irons said:


> Are you saying to consume only protein and fat during a ride? This goes against all nutritional advice and common sense. Hopefully, this was a typo.


When I received the email saying someone was advocating using protein and fat during rides and eschewing carbs I thought "who's the moron?" When I came here I noticed it was me! Oh the horror! It was a typo, and I gave myself a swift kick in the arse. Thanks.


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