Hey guys, does anyone know if gatorade is a decent source of post workout carbs? Someday I’ll be able to afford Surge, but for now I’ve been using gatorade and looking at the ingredients I’m not totally sure what to think. It lists ‘liquid sugar’ and glucose-fructose as the main carbs. My main concern is if a large proportion of these carbs can only replenish liver glycogen as opposed to muscle glycogen (much like lactose in milk). I’m also curious about the insulin response in terms of it’s magnitude and how long it lasts. Can anyone shed some light on this?
What about protein and amino’s?
I have been using 2 servings of Gatorade (powdered) mixed with two cups of water. I then blend 1.5 scoops of whey protein (approx 30 grams) and 5 grams of powdered glutamine. Drink seperately, of course! The macro numbers are similar to one serving of Surge (no bcaa’s). This should work in a pinch.
oh sure, I take 2 servings of low-carb Grow and 10g of l-glutamine at the same time as the gatorade, but basically the gatorade is the main source of carbs at this time (occasionally a banana in the Grow shake, but again fructose preferentially replenishes liver not muscle glycogen, so I’ve been a little unsure if the bananas good or not).
Only thing about the banana is the fiber which could slow gastric emptying time. about a year and a half ago there was a thread (prior to the release of Surge) about this topic and guys were drinking pineapple juice, about a cup (fructose), and maltodextrose mixed with whey. So if you wanted to resupply the liver with fructose you could use the juice, and then drink two cups of Gatorade mix and then a cup of whey. . .then spend alot of time at the urinal. I guess you could split the consumption pre and post.
Thanks for the answers…actually though I’m trying to avoid carbs that go to the liver and maximize muscle replenishing carbs post workout. I’m following massive eating and would bet that my liver glycogen is topped up most of the time. Hopefully the sugars in gatorade are primarily muscle-glycogen oriented. I was even considering buying pure glucose, dextrose and maltodextrin in powder from and making my own concoction, but hell if it comes to that I’ll probably just get Surge. Ah yes, the urinal, in the two hour window after my workout I am quite well aquainted with that particular fellow.
I am not completely sold that these post workout routines mean a hill of beans except in elite athletes.
If you’ve ever seem that Saturday Night Live commercial-satire involving a product called “cookie dough sport,” I’d guess that’d be a healthier alternative.
Charles, are you claiming that Gatorade is unhealthy even if used only as matrix for pre-and/or post-workout BCAAs and glutamine? If so, could you please elaborate on your reasoning?
Charles, let me take a sec to say thanks for developing a damn cool training system. Anyway, I’d be interested on an elaboration on this one. I’m basically using Gatorade as a source of simple carbs for glycogen replenishment and insulin release (much like the glucose in Surge) along with plenty of protein (Grow) and glutamine. So what am I missing here?
The way you guys are using it (with protein) is fine. I’m really commenting more on the way most people use it (i.e., “sports drink”)
fructose is used by the body to preferentially replenish liver glycogen. The body will refuel the liver before it refuels the muscles anyway - your body can survive without extra skeletal muscle, but it can’t survive without the liver. In this respect it is actually beneficial to have fructose in the mix. Bottom line: the body is going to replenish liver glycogen anyway. use more carbs if necessary - if its being driven into lean tissue, you won’t get fat. And before some asswipe calls me out, read Dr Michael Colgan’s book Optimum Sports Nutrition.
As for the lack of protein in your post workout meals - this is little short of a disaster. If you’re broke, use skim milk.
I can get powdered powerade really cheap and with the first ingredient being glucose i think its a pretty good buy. i use it with whey protein after workouts and practices.
Charles, thanks for clarification. Debo, I’m with ya on your post, in fact Optimum Sports Nutrition is one of the best, but the lack of protein thing isn’t true. Read my other replies in this thread: Gatorade along with 2 servings of Grow, 10g glutamine (and a cup of skim milk), is over 50g protein/aminos. Any more and I might as well swallow a side of beef 
yo sorry dude! It was early morning and I was half asleep when I (mis)read the thread. I thought you were using gatorade alone! feel like a dufus now…
Where do you get your powered powerade at?
“Glucose-fructose” is a fancy way of saying
“sucrose”. But apparently, some of that sucrose must get broken down into pure glucose, because I once found a study that rated gatorade with a GI of 107 (sucrose has a GI of 91). Gatorade isn’t bad for PW, but malto and/or gluco are better.
Try out the new ultra fuel sports drink by Twin Lab. It is 400 calories, 100 carbs (first two carbs are Maltodextrin and Dextrose). I drink 1/2 bottle during and after workouts along with a WPI drink of 25 protein during and after. This costs me under $3/workout for 600 calories, not bad at all.
…just a note from the REAL world - I down a Powerade (Australian Coca-Cola owned version) after every workout, because my training partner (my brother) drives thru the bottle shop after every session.
When I get home I have a low-carb whey shake, and an hour or so later, my dinner.
I think the original point was to absorb as much simple sugar as possible after a workout.
gatorade,people still drink that stuff,what part of its made by coca-cola aren’t you getting…now your next posts years from now will be "I have been lifting for years why haven’t I gained any muscle…ever wonder why when they throw gatorade on the coach the cooler is always full to the top…because athletes don’t drink it…eat oatmeal if you need the best carb source there is…