General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Help! Cant tolerate sport drinks. Advice? Rss Feed  
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2013-05-10 5:09 PM


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Subject: Help! Cant tolerate sport drinks. Advice?

I am new to endurance sports but training for the CDA Ironman this June. I had a marathon last fall cut short because of severe stomach cramping with no clear reason why. At first i suspected the GU gels we were using, since I had very little training with them, but recently I purchased the PowerBar Perform mix which produced a similar result. This time I only had 16 oz of the stuff during a swim practice, but was left cramping and vomiting all day!

My guess is that I was also reacting to the Gatorade when I ran the marathon.

I read about some others that had similar problems during some of the races, but I havent heard of anyone with that level of intolerance though I am sure they are out there. 

Now I am trying to determine an appropriate nutrition strategy for IM CDA without sports drinks.

I am hoping that someone has a success story for avoiding the sports drinks during such a long event. I am 200+ so I will need some good caloric intake throughout the day.

Thanks for the advice!



2013-05-10 6:10 PM
in reply to: #4737175

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Subject: RE: Help! Cant tolerate sport drinks. Advice?

I've also had a long history of problems with sports drinks, especially on the run. It's compounded living overseas as the drinks offered on the course are often unfamiliar brands. It seems to vary with the concentration and kind of sugars used in the product. Possibly other additives make a difference--really don't know. I just have brands that are okay, okay only if dilute, or not okay. You could keep experimenting with different brands/concentrations, or switch to mainly other forms of nutrition. Are you able to tolerate sugar-free sports drinks like Nuun or Endurolyte? That would be very useful as you can then use them as a source of electrolytes, if not calories.  In my case I have no problem as long as the drink doesn't contain sugar. 

If all you can drink is water, you could get electrolytes from salt tabs or gels (some, like Powerbar tangerine, also pack a good wallop of them--check the labels). I can also tolerate gels on the bike and run. Why on earth it would make a different that the sugar is in the drink or a gel washed down with water, I have no idea, but it does. Assuming you can tolerate them, gels are doable on the run as well as the bike. Since doing a long race on only gels can be kind of nauseating (suggest mixing flavors, at the very least!), you might mix it up with some solid foods and salty flavors on the bike.

I don't do IM's (just up to and including HIM) and am a lot smaller than you, so your nutritional needs are probably a lot more than mine. But hope this info is useful.

2013-05-10 8:34 PM
in reply to: #4737175

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Subject: RE: Help! Cant tolerate sport drinks. Advice?
Did you take in any water with these supplements that caused you issues?

Something you can do is put maltodextrin powder in little things like this: http://www.ultimatedirection.com/p-573-10oz-bottle.aspx?category=bo... and add it to water on the course. A friend did that for an ultra. Just used a waist belt to carry the powder and had a single bottle that he kept refilling with water and powder.
2013-05-11 8:12 PM
in reply to: #4737175

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Subject: RE: Help! Cant tolerate sport drinks. Advice?
I can't tolerate sports drinks either, have raced 4 IMs with water and salt tablets.  I ate Clif Bloks, and bananas.  I also always carry TUMS or Rolaids in my bento box transition and  special needs bags.  It's a nice insurance policy if you need it.  If you don;t I can guarantee you will find someone on the marathon course who will need them, I pass them out like candy.
2013-05-13 6:59 AM
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Subject: RE: Help! Cant tolerate sport drinks. Advice?
I don't have a stomach problem with sports drinks but HATE Ironman Perform.  I wanted to live off the course so I went with electrolyte tabs and water (and solid calories).
2013-05-13 8:14 AM
in reply to: #4737175

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Subject: RE: Help! Cant tolerate sport drinks. Advice?
have you tried the Skratch Labs sports drinks - they seem to be a lot easier on the stomach and have a very mild flavour compared to something like Gatorade or Perform?


2013-05-13 12:56 PM
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Subject: RE: Help! Cant tolerate sport drinks. Advice?
I would try infinit
2013-05-14 11:47 AM
in reply to: #4737240


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Subject: RE: Help! Cant tolerate sport drinks. Advice?

Thanks!

 

I havent tried the sugar free options. Interesting that you have had the same issues. I havent had problems with the gels I have been using (working with PowerBar right now). I was trying to use what would be available on the course so that I didnt have to mix my own.

I will definitely try the salt tablets!

2013-05-14 11:49 AM
in reply to: #4738164


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Subject: RE: Help! Cant tolerate sport drinks. Advice?

It is a relief to hear someone else be successful living off of the sports drink grid!

I will most likely move forward with that strategy. Thank you for encouraging me in this

2013-05-22 12:06 PM
in reply to: jmackintosh

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Subject: RE: Help! Cant tolerate sport drinks. Advice?
Second on Skratch. It's purely hydration so you will have to find an energy source elsewhere, but I always hate the slimy taste sports drinks leave. Skratch is more like flavored water without all the sugar. If you are prone to cramping this will also help with that as well. As for fuel, I can only stomach one or two gels, just too sweet for me and would rather have something more solid, so I use Pro Bar Fuel bars while on the bike. All organic and vegan as well. Give it a try while training to see if it works for you and don't wait till race day.
2013-05-27 9:39 AM
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Subject: RE: Help! Cant tolerate sport drinks. Advice?
I had the same problem until I tried Nuun. Really works well for me and I can always get water in the race and pop in a tablet.


2013-05-27 3:15 PM
in reply to: audiojan

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Subject: RE: Help! Cant tolerate sport drinks. Advice?

Originally posted by audiojan I had the same problem until I tried Nuun. Really works well for me and I can always get water in the race and pop in a tablet.

Nuun are the only ones I like

2013-05-29 7:31 AM
in reply to: Meljoypip

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Subject: RE: Help! Cant tolerate sport drinks. Advice?
Nuun is great but remember it is not a source of calories, only sodium and other electrolytes. You will still need food. Also a Probar fan but I can't get it here and since they're organic, they don't tend to last forever in the fridge. Not nearly as sweet as many other sports nutrition products and some cool flavors, ingredients that you can pronounce like fruit, nuts, carob. Meant to take one (PBJ or the one with pistachios) in my bento box for my HIM and accidentally ended up with something else....didn't cause a problem but definitely would have been less grossed out by sweetness if I'd had it. When I'm in Oregon, they're a favorite for long rides, bike touring, and hikes. Not cheap but they are bigger and heavier than most other bars so you'd need to get fewer.
2013-05-29 8:48 PM
in reply to: jmackintosh

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Subject: RE: Help! Cant tolerate sport drinks. Advice?
Try Amrita bars - they are amazing - for calories. I like a 50/50 mix of plain coconut water and water for hydration and Salt Stick caps for electrolytes. This combo (along with Justin's almond butter packets) have been great for me on up to 100 mile bike rides.
2013-08-26 12:02 PM
in reply to: jmackintosh

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Subject: RE: Help! Cant tolerate sport drinks. Advice?
I cannot tolerate them either so I make my own, naturally sweetened version with oranges, limes, pure maple syrup, a bit of sea salt and water. It is tasty and it works for me. The nutritional values per 8 oz are 60 calories, 15 g carbohydrate, 0 g protein, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, 75 mg sodium, 115 mg potassium.

I have the same issue with sports gels and have yet to find a decent homemade recipe sans agave or brown rice syrup, or maltodextrin.
2013-08-26 1:43 PM
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Subject: RE: Help! Cant tolerate sport drinks. Advice?
Originally posted by Evergreen

Originally posted by audiojan I had the same problem until I tried Nuun. Really works well for me and I can always get water in the race and pop in a tablet.

Nuun are the only ones I like

I was really into Nuun until I realized it had artificial sweetener acesulfame potassium.  It's very similar to aspartame.



Edited by noelle1230 2013-08-26 1:43 PM


2013-09-01 1:53 PM
in reply to: jmackintosh


15

Subject: RE: Help! Cant tolerate sport drinks. Advice?
Originally posted by jmackintosh

I am new to endurance sports but training for the CDA Ironman this June. I had a marathon last fall cut short because of severe stomach cramping with no clear reason why. At first i suspected the GU gels we were using, since I had very little training with them, but recently I purchased the PowerBar Perform mix which produced a similar result. This time I only had 16 oz of the stuff during a swim practice, but was left cramping and vomiting all day!

My guess is that I was also reacting to the Gatorade when I ran the marathon.

I read about some others that had similar problems during some of the races, but I havent heard of anyone with that level of intolerance though I am sure they are out there. 

Now I am trying to determine an appropriate nutrition strategy for IM CDA without sports drinks.

I am hoping that someone has a success story for avoiding the sports drinks during such a long event. I am 200+ so I will need some good caloric intake throughout the day.

Thanks for the advice!





For the Ironman distance... don't worry! Rely on:


for immediate energy
- carb gels if you can handle
- salt tablets

for longer effort
- nuts (salty nuts are an excelent mineral source)
- cream crackers (yap... king of all triathlete cookies)
- peanut butter sandwich in white bread or tortillas
- salty rice or corn cakes

and of course
- bananas
- dates
- raisins

as gel substitutes


a good mix of raisins and nuts can be the Fuel for short efforts alternative!

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