sports drinks?

[heybabe]

I've started ramping up my running and have done a couple of longer runs lately in high heat & humidity. After both runs, in addition to water, I had intense cravings for a sports drink. orange Gatorade, to be specific. I think it was my body's way of telling me I needed more than just water?? I have had sips here & there, but have never really used drinks while training/recovery (other than smoothies).

Can someone recommend one that doesn't have a ton of sugar and not a ton of artifical sweetener and junk? I'm having a hard time finding something that is clean and has lower sugar. Does that exist? Or is a clean sports drink an oxymoron? Or should I just stick to water and some banana and call it a day?

[hjohnson050711]

i just sip lemon lime gatorade right after a run (not much at all) then drink some milk.

the few sips seem to make the cravings go away

[noisemaker]

Some of my running friends swear by the nuun tablets. I think they are sugar and sweetener free. I can't vouch for the taste, but they seem a little cleaner than Gatorade, anyway.

[al320]

when i drink gatorade, i make it from the powder and dont make it at full strength, i find it to be too sweet.

i was at a race a little while ago and they were selling this brand called Body Armour, it's 10% coconut water (or something like htat, maybe 2%?), and some of the flavors were REALLY good. of course, it's $2/bottle at my supermarket (whole foods also carries it, i dont knwo what the price is - i liked the cherry citrus). i know it had less calories than gatorade, but i havent compared the sugar content.

[shauni27]

I dilute my gatorade with water for my runs. sometimes after I feel like I need a couple of sips of straight up gatorade, but not always.

[heybabe]

Jun 18, 2012 12:58:27 GMT -5 noisemaker said:

Some of my running friends swear by the nuun tablets. I think they are sugar and sweetener free. I can't vouch for the taste, but they seem a little cleaner than Gatorade, anyway.

oh, yeah, I have seen those coolers at the trail, but they're always empty when I go to try it. I'll look into it. Thanks!

[Deleted]

V8 after a big workout helps me.

[doughseedough]

I like Nuun a lot. I've tried most of the flavors and they've all been good. It's a really light taste.

[grk2012]

Coconut water is an excellent source of electrolytes without added sugars, too. Kind of an acquired taste though.

[melodramatic26]

I really like the low calorie/ no artificial colors (they are all clear) gatorade. I tried a friend's regular gatorade last weekend and couldn't stand the sweetness of it at all.

[ckinla]

I like coconut water. The mango is good, but the chocolate is my favorite. Of course, there IS a lot of sugar, so I just have a few swigs, and save the rest for my next run. And then I drink a lot of water. :-)

[kams]

I love nuun tablets. No sugar, but it does contain sorbitol (naturally occurring, low gi). The tri-berry is delish.

[gnomesweetgnome]

The Nuun tablets are good - I have tried grape and tropical flavors, and I like them both (grape is my fave, though).

[jgleespen]

I like the nuun tablets, but I also use watered down lemon lime or orange gatorade

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[heybabe]

Thanks for your input, everyone. Think I'm going to try Nuun.

I have only ever tried H's plain coconut water, but I am not a fan. Tastes like slightly sweet dishwater to me.

[mayflowers22]

I always go for Gatorade!

[Wines Not Whines]

I drink regular gatorade or powerade, but I like the idea of watering it down. I usually take a hydration belt that holds two bottles, and I put water in one and gatorade in the other. I'll take 1-2 sips of gatorade and then the rest water.

I've never craved energy drinks though. I drink them because I know they make me feel better during a long run, so it's a logical reason, not a craving. I wonder if you're really craving salt or sugar.

[heybabe]

Jun 18, 2012 19:30:32 GMT -5 Wines Not Whines said:

I wonder if you're really craving salt or sugar.

That's what I'm thinking. I think I was craving salt/electrolytes/something that made orange Gatorade sound really, really good.

[k3pick]

Another vote for Nuun! All the electrolytes without the sugar of gatorade. Grape, tropical, and strawberry lemonade are my favorites.

[jdbyogi]

I don't really care for gatorade generally (well, the Kirkland brand from costco), but I actually love it after a long or hot run. It's like the nectar of the gods. I don't need a whole bottle or anything, but man, it's just plain amazing and helps me feel better after a few sips than anything else. It doesn't even taste sweet to me after a hard workout, but I have very low blood pressure and I need the sodium and electrolytes. I may give nuun a try, to leave out some of the sugar.