Energy Drinks - The Basics

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