# Water vs Sports Drink



## FollowTheTrainCJ (Jun 26, 2014)

I usually take two 25oz bottles of water with me on training rides but I overheard someone talking about how one should be for water, and the other should be a sports drink like Powerade. Is it common practice to use one bottle for water and the other for a sports drink and alternate between them?

What if I were to only bring one bottle for the day? Should I go with a sports drink and by the end of the bike path assuming I drank it all, just fill it with water for the ride back and maybe take a Gu Energy? 

What do you guys do?


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## mpre53 (Oct 25, 2011)

I eat a banana, and wash it down with water. I'm a diabetic and unless you're talking about Powerade Zero or Gatorade G2, with no or minimal added sugar, I don't drink sports drinks. Most of them are loaded with sugar. We usually get enough sodium from what we eat, and bananas are good sources of potassium. IMO sports drinks are a waste of money for most beginning riders.

Realistically, water is all you need. Especially if you're bringing gels along.


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## RaptorTC (Jul 20, 2012)

I only break out the sports drink for long rides or races. Anything ~40 miles and under gets just water (unless its really hot out or I'm racing a crit). Above that I start using Skratch Labs products. If I'm out on a really long group ride and have to buy a sports drink at a stop I'll usually cut it with water by putting half of the sports drink in each bottle and then filling the rest up with water. I'm not a huge fan of the overly sweet drinks, so doing this makes it easier on the stomach and gives it a more subtle taste. 

As far as gels go, I use them pretty much exclusively for races. For me they're too expensive to consume on a regular basis, especially on a ride where I have time to consume real food.


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## Srode (Aug 19, 2012)

Same as Raptor TC here - less than 40 and it's water - longer includes at least a bottle of sports drink. Centuries take four 25 oz bottles of sports drink (if it's not too hot), no water - for the calories and electrolytes plus hydration.


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## FollowTheTrainCJ (Jun 26, 2014)

Thanks for the replies guys! I usually ride under 40 miles, maybe 40 at the very most. I'll stick to water for now and I don't race so I'll take a Gu every hour or once I reach one end of the path.


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## CaptainSlow (Jul 30, 2014)

*Sv: Water vs Sports Drink*

The body want to have a level of electrolyte (salt). That to maintain for example electric impulse to mussels when the salt balance is to low then you can get cramps in muscles. 
When you train you sweet (salty) and loose salt. 
It is like in the 70-ties when dialysis was new and patients that got that treatment then they had cramps during the treatment. Because they not only derived water from the blood they took also the salt.. 

So that I am trying to say is when you train you loose salt and if you only drink pure water then you make the situation worse by that the body get even a lower level of salt.. 
That can eventually trigger a signal to the kidneys to derive water to prevent a to low salt level. That makes you in a worse position because now you will be dehydrated.. 
So better then water is water+salt. 
For example 1ml (krm) for every litre water. And then have also in mind that there are different types of salts also (more or less suitable) . 
(and of course the longer time you train the more important is this)


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

For the duration of your current rides, I think water would be fine (and a balanced diet, of course). As a FYI, there's more to Electrolytes than salt and sugar. 

Here's a link to more info - particularly under "Rehydration".

Electrolyte - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## CaptainSlow (Jul 30, 2014)

*Sv: Water vs Sports Drink*

For me only water is not enough and I suffer of cramps in the calfs at night. 
Some to blame is that I also drink many cups of coffee every day. The coffee make my salt balance low. 
So it is individually based on what diet you have as said. Some eat half processed foods that the manufacturer have added salt. 
I cook from raw food so I may get lower amount of salt.. So I have started to use salt more frequently nowadays.

I use the word salt as a container of different ingredients. The salt I use here in Sweden is called "seltin" it contains salt, kalium, magnesium, jod and natrium. So it is not 100% pure salt that is less good choice.


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## mtrac (Sep 23, 2013)

I like Cytomax and bring one or two bottles with me. On longer rides I'll also bring powder to mix with water. I think plain water is fine if the ride is short or you're not sweating profusely. It's also useful if you need to rinse your eyes.


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## chudak (Jul 28, 2012)

RaptorTC said:


> I only break out the sports drink for long rides or races. Anything ~40 miles and under gets just water (unless its really hot out or I'm racing a crit).


This is how I approach it. Long weekend rides of 40+ miles I fill one bottle with sports drink (typically powdered gatorade). The other plain water. Mostly it's for the electrolyte replacement not the calories. I carry gels and bars for energy.


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## willieboy (Nov 27, 2010)

Never leave for a ride without my Skratch Labs.


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## ScooterDobs (Nov 26, 2010)

Any ride 2 hours or less, water. 3 hours of a moderate pace, still water. 3 hours pushing it I fill the bottles with ice and then sports drink. When the ice melts down its a nice 50% dilution. It gets some calories into the system but my stomach can't take strait Gatorade or Powerade on a ride. Anything longer and it's the ice/drink mix and food for energy. It works for me.


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## Oxtox (Aug 16, 2006)

to hydrate, I drink water. if I need energy, I eat something.

Gatorade, Powerade are crap.

I'm always amused at the weekend warriors that have camelbaks full of sports drink while they're out for a 12-mile ride.


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## n2deep (Mar 23, 2014)

I don't like sports drinks due to all of the added sugars. Good hydration starts the evening before the ride so start pounding the water early, especially if its going to be hot and a long ride. I suggest that you try Nunn tablets and split a tab between water bottles, the tables contain electrolytes, enhance the water taste and seem to work well for me.. BTW I have no skin in the nunn game..


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

Oxtox said:


> to hydrate, I drink water. if I need energy, I eat something.


Bingo! Plus you get the added bonus (with water) of your bike not getting all covered with sticky gunk, something you can pour over your head when it's hot, something you can wash your hands with after changing a flat, and something you can rinse a wound with if you crash.

I deal with hydration, electrolytes, and calories separately. There are days when you need calories (longer than 40 miles) and maybe not so much hydration (cool weather) and days when you need a drink but no calories (less than 40 miles), and those hot, humid days when you need lots of salt and lots of water.


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## gte (Jun 7, 2013)

Fluid intake, dehydration and exercise: Part I - The Science of Sport

After reading these articles I stopped taking home made electrolyte drinks on my rides. Now I drink just water no matter how long I ride. I'm also trying to drop some more weight so on rides below 3 hours (which is all I do lately) I don't take any food. After the ride I fill up my electrolytes with food.


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

I dehydrate easily, so it's Skratch Labs in all my bottles.

I have tried the water only (especially mountain biking when I'm justifying by avoiding cleaning my camelbak bladder)..... doesn't work out too well for me.... 
Why Sports Drinks are Important: | Skratch Labs


> 5) Since sweat has both fluid and electrolytes in it, drinking water alone to replace the fluid you lose when you’re sweating can be really dangerous since this is the quickest way to decrease or dilute your body’s sodium concentration. So if you’re exercising and you find yourself peeing a lot and feeling really sick, you may be *hyponatremic* and you’ll need to rehydrate with something with a lot of salt in it or just eat salty foods with whatever your drinking.


I have friends that do not dehydrate easily, so, they can easily survive on water alone, seldomly sipping also.

there are a variery of experiences.... and one size doesn't fit all.... it's something you have to experiment to see what works best.


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## Ricey155 (Feb 17, 2012)

I also suffer from calf cramps and hamstrings so use high 5 zero or sis go electrolyte's tablets 

Do they work who knows I don't suffer when I take them - I use them on any ride or distance personally I'm bad at preparing a sip of drink and off where they say take 500ml pre ride and drink little and often like food


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## CaptainSlow (Jul 30, 2014)

*Sv: Water vs Sports Drink*



Ricey155 said:


> I also suffer from calf cramps and hamstrings so use high 5 zero or sis go electrolyte's tablets
> 
> Do they work who knows I don't suffer when I take them - I use them on any ride or distance personally I'm bad at preparing a sip of drink and off where they say take 500ml pre ride and drink little and often like food


Yes that are a sign of that you are low on something.. 
Not just add things to you diet look also on what your current diet consists of today. 
For example you can like me drink to much coffee or something else that place you in this situation. 

One tip is to take a tablet of magnesium (but not those that contains calcium only magnesium) that will help you with calf cramps at night.

(I look on the "5 zero" it contains magnesium.)


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## ewitz (Sep 11, 2002)

I prefer NUUN tablets if I feel I need a sports drink.

At less than 8 calories I get the electolytes without the calories. Also, it is easier to just toss a tablet in a bottle.


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## mikejd (Jul 18, 2012)

I never take anything except water to drink on rides. Longer rides, I am all about bananas and peanut-based candy bars (Payday, Baby Ruth) for energy and potassium. 

I do enjoy some Gatorade after a good ride though. Call me crazy but I find the taste refreshing after a tough group ride. Store by my house sells them at 79 cents for a 32oz bottle. I indulge in half of one of one of those bottles after one ride and save the other half for the next ride.


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

mtrac said:


> I like Cytomax and bring one or two bottles with me. On longer rides I'll also bring powder to mix with water. I think plain water is fine if the ride is short or you're not sweating profusely. It's also useful if you need to rinse your eyes.


+1 Cytomax is good stuff. Its not just sugar water like Gatorade. I really do think it helps with muscle soreness and cramping.


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## Wetworks (Aug 10, 2012)

Any ride that is >30 miles in ~75F or higher, I make sure to put a few grinds of sea salt into my second bottle. Otherwise, it's water all the way, with a gel and Clif bar in my pockets for energy.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

I agree that sports drinks are a scam. You get more electrolytes from a banana than from a bottle of Gatorade. I say water and a bag of homemade trail mix made of nuts and dried fruit will serve you much better and is much healthier than any "magic bullet" sports drink.


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## Roland44 (Mar 21, 2013)

FollowTheTrainCJ said:


> Thanks for the replies guys! I usually ride under 40 miles, maybe 40 at the very most. I'll stick to water for now and I don't race so I'll take a Gu every hour or once I reach one end of the path.


Water will do just fine if you ate a good meal a few hours before the ride. If you go with a not so good meal in your system you may want to take a sports drink and maybe a banana as well. That's how I do it anyway.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

RaptorTC said:


> *As far as gels go, I use them pretty much exclusively for races. For me they're too expensive to consume on a regular basis, especially on a ride where I have time to consume real food*.


That's the way I looked at it too but upon taking a closer look gels actually aren't much more expensive than real food on a $ per calorie basis. I compared convenience store prices (high) for food to GNC or internet sale prices (low) for gel though.

Anyway, I generally use both for typical weekend traing rides which are 70-120 miles. I'd rather real food but I just don't have the room and want the weight of that many calories of real food so I'll generally eat a banana or two early so I don't have to lug it all day then rely on gels later on.


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