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stomach irritated with Gatorade/water mix?

5K views 13 replies 13 participants last post by  desnaephoto 
#1 ·
The other day I had a GU pack to start a ride. I hydrated with a 50/50 gatorade and water mix. My stomach seemed alittle bothered. On my second lap I had part of a clif bar and hydrated the same way as before thinking the GU and gatorade mix was at fault. No change in my stomach feeling. I did start off with nothing to eat for the past few hours. Is gatorade / water mix an issue here?
 
#2 ·
I'm going to guess it's not your water/Gatorade mix but it certainly could be. Gatorade has way too much sugar content than it really should for athletic purposes (or really any at that other than taste.) Depending on your other dietary intake over the 24 hours preceding the ride it could be that I guess. A more likely culprit I think would be the gu. Too much gu or even one pack when I haven't had any in a while can sometimes do that to me.

A dietitian once told me that for whatever reason if fructose is the first listed sugar ingredient (not the first ingredient but the first sugar) then it's not uncommon for people to have stomach issues with the food/gel. Maltodestrose or another sugar type is a better first sugar ingredient. Maybe it's that.
 
#3 ·
Two possible causes:
1. A gel needs about 12oz of water to help it digest. So, if you didn't drink 12oz of water, that gel could have been sitting in your stomach and caused the upset stomach.
2. Physiologically, the average human can only process between 250-300 calories per hour. If you consume more than that, you are in effect causing a "traffic jam" at the stomach which can cause GI distress.

There is a benefit to consuming fructose in an energy drink when it is combined with glucose. It enhances the maximal uptake of carbohydrate into working muscles thus providing an additional performance benefit. However, as TXHSCL stated above, it should NOT be the first ingredient (glucose/dextrose should be).
 
#5 ·
Gel + Gatorade + no water = definite bubble gut.

I get the shits when I drink Powerade....EVERY time, and it doesn't matter how much I drink. But Gatorade....I drink it all the time with no problems. Maybe Gatorade doesn't agree with you?
But try downing 12-16oz of water with a Gel before hitting the Schmade...
 
#6 · (Edited)
Regular Gatorade relies on either table sugar or corn syrup for calories, depending on powder versus liquid form, although I think even the liquid has switched to table sugar aka sucrose. Whatever your thoughts are on corn syrup, chemically it's pretty much the same as table sugar in that it is about 50/50 glucose to fructose. While a little fructose is fine, in high quantities it causes the gut bomb because it has a slower absorption rate than glucose. Fructose also has to be processed by the liver to become available to your muscles, creating another logjam.

Also, as Jenny stated gels need water to digest well, but with a 50/ 50 mix of a good sports drink you probably would have been fine. Gatorade was state of the art years ago, but it really is a crappy source of nutrition in this day and age.

Also, maltodextrine is also a good primary source of carbs, it's a glucose polymer. Forget the hype about it being a complex carb, it absorbs actually faster than glucose/ dextrose. Hammer nutrition likes to hype how it's a great long lasting carb, that's bs, but it's still a great source of carbs in a drink. Sports drinks by nature meter the carb dose over time, provided you sip it over a course of time, not a whole bottle at once.
 
#13 ·
First, you should already be hydrated when you start riding. At work I drink a liter an hour. On the weekends I'm busy with the kids and doing doing stuff and need to remember to drink water throughout the day.

I only drink Gatorade when it's the only option available. Heed and Cytomax are a lot easier on my stomach. Usually, I only drink water during a 2-3 hour ride. Try switching to different gel as well. The Hammer stuff is easier for me to get down when it's hot out.

Good luck
 
#14 ·
I have tried Hammer, Gatorade, Poweraid, and a couple of other mixes. The only one I have found that does not give me 'gut rot' is Skratch lab mixes. Last summer for my 1st 100 miler (100% off road), I drank 4 servings per hour (hot day) and never had a gut issue. Normally during even a 100K I have gut issues. Not since switching. BTW, I only needed 1 gel and 1 scoop of PB (plus 1/2 a throwback Pepsi) in addition to my mix. Others on my team have had similar experiences. We all swear by Skratch mix.

Lots of threads here about needing enough water and what ratio of stuff works for different people.

Unfortunately, you will need to experiment to figure out what does and does not work for you. Use our experiences as a starting point.

Good luck. Keep us updated.

PS I am not affiliated with Skratch in any way, shape or form. Though would like to be.
 
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