# Gatorade makes me thristy



## andre71144 (Aug 25, 2003)

when i drink gatorade on my rides in makes me thristy is this normal? seeems like if I drink a little water after the gatorade i'm ok. i don't think other drinks have this effect on me is it the sweetness or what?


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

Same here. I've heard others say the same thing so I don't think you and are unique. I hate the stuff personally. 

If I cut it about 50/50 with water it's fine for me though.


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## Oxtox (Aug 16, 2006)

label says it has 110 mg sodium per 8 oz.


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## andre71144 (Aug 25, 2003)

thanks, the 110mg sodium could explain a lot. i use Gatorade because it doesn't bother my stomach and it's available at convenience stores so I'm use to it. some of the others can taste a little funky. I may start buying some different things and try and making my own drinks. suggestions?


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

If the reason you drink gatorade is because you think you need the electrolytes....you could just drink water and chew on those cliff shot blok things. 
That's what I do because I can't stand any of those electrolyte drinks.


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## e34john (May 31, 2010)

I buy the little soda can sized ones now and put 6 oz in each bottle and then fill up with water. Helps get some calories but tastes mostly like water with a lime wedge in it.


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## andre71144 (Aug 25, 2003)

I may try some of the NOONE tablets and then just eat some of the blocks for calories


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## independentmind (Sep 22, 2009)

I had the same issue. Gatorade also started messing with my stomach a little so I switched to "eLoad" products. 

Have you tried pedialyte? I was out of gels and drink mix so I took two flasks of the stuff on a 16K run this morning and it worked really well. Tastes kinda funky, it's very high in electrolytes (or so I've read)


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*What's the problem?*



andre71144 said:


> when i drink gatorade on my rides in makes me thristy is this normal? seeems like if I drink a little water after the gatorade i'm ok. i don't think other drinks have this effect on me is it the sweetness or what?


Drinks like Gatorade are supposed to keep you hydrated. It's not clear why a product that makes you want to drink more would be a problem. Most often, people drink too little, or they don't get enough electrolytes. I'm not a fan of Gatorade, but it seems like complaining that it makes you thirsty is somehow backwards.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

Kerry Irons said:


> Drinks like Gatorade are supposed to keep you hydrated. It's not clear why a product that makes you want to drink more would be a problem. Most often, people drink too little, or they don't get enough electrolytes. I'm not a fan of Gatorade, but it seems like *complaining* that it makes you thirsty is somehow backwards.


Looks more like a question too me. But that aside I don't think something that you know is going to make you more thirsty than you were before you drank it will make you want to drink more of it.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

I know there are plenty of drinks on the market, but I use slightly watered down Gatorade without problems. No clue why, but it seems to work best with me. 

Regardless, do other drinks do this with you? It could be a matter of a lack of hydrating prior to events.


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## vontress (Jul 19, 2009)

It's definitly the sodium but it is considered a desirable effect on long hot rides. Extra hydration is usually considered a good thing for long rides. For anything short, there isn't much need for anything but water. I also prefer other products and mix lighter than the labels call for, unless I'm struggling to keep enough calories.


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## ghostryder (Dec 28, 2009)

They have done testing and found out that athletes do not like to drink water during intense exercise. Gatorade is designed to make your mouth dry, so you will want to drink while riding or during the workout. Gatorade was designed for extreme exercise. So that dry feeling you get in your mouth, is the gatorade telling you to drink before its too late, which can happen with water.

their are many articles written about it. Its pretty impressive.


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## fsdork (Mar 29, 2009)

As mentioned above by other posters, I usually water mine down to about 2/3 normal concentration. Also, I usually carry 1 bottle each of sports drink and water on my bike so I can switch it up throughout my ride. With that said, it is interesting to learn about the intentional thirst-inducing effect of Gatorade. Makes sense, but I had never thought about it that way.


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