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Butcher's Dog! Regular
outdoor fitness tips from the canine on creatine. Cold wet
nose and glossy coat guaranteed.
Sports Drinks...
It's hot, you've got a big day ahead,
you're going to be moving fast and you reckon you're going
to need all the fluid and carbs you can get into your
hydration system, but before you just mix up a random potion
of powder and water, there's a load of stuff you should be
aware of... We're talking pre-mix powder here, not commercial cans, most of which are utterly useless for an active mountaineer.
What's in em?
We've successfully used both PSP22 and Go
from Science
in Sport and Energy Source from
High
5 in the past and in both cases
the main ingredient in the powder is a sugar called
Maltodextrin which is a glucose polymer. Some drinks use
glucose and sucrose as main ingredients - they taste nice,
but give them a miss because complex carbohydrates like
maltodextrin are absorbed more easily and tolerated better
during exercise. Some drinks, like SIS's Go also contain
electrolytes to replace vital minerals you sweat
out.
How much?
Manufacturers will suggest an optimum
concentration for their particular drink and it's important
to take note rather than just throwing random amounts into
your hydration system.
First, the human body can only absorb a
limited amount of carbohydrate while exercising, generally
reckoned to be a maximum of around 80-100 grammes, or about
400 calories.
Second, if you make the drink too
concentrated, the body actually has to divert extra fluid to
the stomach to dilute it enough to absorb it. As a result,
an overconcentrated solution will actually draw fluid away
from the bloodstream where it's needed.
If in doubt, go for a more dilute
solution than suggested as the result will be isotonic and
actually absorbed slightly faster. You can get really
technical and adjust the concentration to optimise calorie
intake according to how much you're planning to drink.
Ideally though you want a concentration of between 4 and 8
per-cent carbohydrate. Ideally you'll be drinking a litre of
water per hour or more if you're working hard. SIS sell pre-marked bottles to make mixing the right concentration simple.
Oh, one thing to avoid at all costs -
fizzy, soft drinks. Way too much sugar, they actually slow
gastric emptying.
Test it out...
Before using in earnest, make sure your
stomach is happy with the drink you're going to use. Some
people simply don't get on with energy drinks or may need to
reduce the concentration to suit their stomach. You may
simply hate particular flavours, if that's the case, check
out High 5's Neutral Source which has no flavourings and is
cheaper too.
Finally...
No-one's saying you have to use energy
drinks, but used properly they're a quick, easy way of
maintaining a drip feed of fuel while staying hydrated at
the same time. We've found them particularly effective for
sustained mountaineering and long, multi-hour hill and
mountain runs - they're not cheap and you need to use them
sensibly, but provided your guts will tolerate them, they
work.
Alternatively, drink water and eat food
:-)
Yours with a woof
The Butcher's Dog
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