post-workout pop?

Hey all…hope you’re all doing well. I’ve got a question about post-workout supplementation. I used to do the protein powder and gatorade thing, but am looking at adding pop (sprite or 7up probably) instead of the 'rade. Rationale: lots of simple carbs, carbonation, and acidic nature of pop may (theoretically) quicken gastric emptying thus delivering my protein/carbs faster. Plus, a nice glass of pop might be nice every once in a while, considering it’s been about 6 months since my last one. On a side note, does anyone know how many grams of carbs are in a typical can of pop? I figure around 45 or so. Thanks in advance, cb.

Dude, just use Surge. It’s expensive but once you use it you’ll agree it’s worth it. When I have the money for supplements, I always get Surge first before anything else.

Cam, are you serious? I figured you’d know better than this! Soda is crap! It’s not good for you in anyway! Save the pop when you’re not training if you really want to have some. I stopped drinking soda more than 13 years ago. I have no desire to drink it, and the times I have taken a sip actually made me not want it ever again. Stick to Surge or Relentless. And most soda has 50grams of carbs coming from nothing but pure sugar! You might as well take a couple spoonfuls of table sugar for the same effect!

Well, I don’t think the argument is how much sugar is in a can of soda, but rather what type of sugar. Optimal sugar sources for post workout consumption are glucose, dextrose or a glucose polymer like maltodextrin. If I’m not mistaken, most of the sugar in soda is from high fructose corn syrup, which is not an optimal source of sugar for glycogen replenishment.

Nate- What’s wrong with pure sugar (aka glucose)?

The reason not to use soda post training is not the sugar content, it's the type of sugar used. The sweetner is high fructose corn syrup, which does nothing to replenish muscle glycogen, only liver glycogen, obviously, this isn't what you are trying to do post workout. Use SURGE or other simple sugars such as dextrose (liquid glucose). And while maltodextrin is technically a complex carb, its GI is greater than glucose; so that is also a good choice.

Your not alone on this one Cam. I have thought about it also. Really, all your after is a insulin rush, and it seems to me that soda could accomplish this. However, there are better alternatives such as surge. Sugar is sugar though and it seems the end result would be the same. I’d like to JB’s opinion on this, but I know he also would opt for surge.

Nothing wrong with sugar, if it’s the right kind. It’s not the fact that it’s nothing but sugar, it’s the fact that it’s nothing but high fructose corn syrup which isn’t ideal post workout.

The whole point of have carbs post-workout is to replenish muscle glycogen. Why would you ingest a sugar that will not do that? The only thing drinking pop will do is replenish some of the liver glycogen you may have lost and some may even be turned into fat! Doesn’t make any sense to me.

Joel and Jason->you hit the nail on the head.

Cam: agree w/the others: it’s the type of sugar that is in question. Let’s think this way, if soda was that effective as a post workout nutrition, I think we’d all be using it.

Surge is perfect. However, if the cost of Surge is a problem, you can do what Ko and I have done and that is we get our maltodextrin and dextrose at a home brewing supply shop. Basically create our own post-workout drink. But we still use Surge!

OK, so we all agree that the high fructose corn syrup is bad, but what about just plain soda water, or carbonated water, or whatever it’s called. It is recommended that you take Power Drive with this, would it maybe improve a post workout drink? I think this is what the poster was getting at…

Good call buddy :slight_smile:

The only reason I would suggest a soft drink would be to settle your stomach. After a good leg workout, you should need something to settle your stomach down. I typically don’t, but I do use it as an indulgence.

Hey…thanks everyone for all the info. I figured there had to be a reason why pop wasn’t the best post-workout carb replenishment supp - and now I have my answer. By the way, I would never normally drink pop due to the fact that it’s generally accepted as not good for you, so I don’t know what got into me…Now I do have to admit something - I’ve never actually tried Surge (I know, I know), but perhaps this is the time to do so. Using malto from a brewing supply store is also a good idea (thanks Patricia) - how’s the taste? [P]
Thanks again everyone.

What’s pop? Is it like soda?

“Pop” isn’t a Canadian term, at least not just Canadian. Essentially, it’s just a non-southern (U.S.) term for your soda, or soft drinks.

soda = pop = soda pop = coke (in some neck of the woods)

It just all depends on where you live.

Yeah, where I grew up in Texas, all soda pop was called Coke. Seriously. Someone would be like, “You want a Coke?” and you’d be like, “Yeah.” and they’d be like “What kind?” and you’d be like “Sprite.” Seriously.

We posted that info at relativly the same time; if your info was posted prior to the composition of my post, I probably would have opted out of this one :slight_smile:

So for those of us who can’t afford Surge, or is not readily available where we live, are there acceptable (albeit lower quality)alternatives? Juice, honey, white sugar…