electrolyte replacement drinks

I went to pick up my race bib and shirt for my race this weekend,  I figured walking down to the store to get them would be a good substitute for sitting around thinking about what I was going to have for lunch.

While there I was looking at the wall of gels/bars/blocks/drinks/etc, and decided I'd start doing some sampling.

So I decided to delve into some electrolyte and or energy replacment for my events.  I'm still new, and haven't tried anyting up to this point.

I picked up a package of Ultima Replenisher, This one is a BananaBerry mix, and it tastes pretty good.  I also picked up Kiwi-Strawberry, but haven't tried it yet.  Those are the links to the specific drinks and their nutritional information.  Both of these products use stevia for the sweetener.
Here is the comparison chart for this product, and several of the other popular drinks on the market.  I purchased the single serving package, I think it was $1.25, it is recommended to be mixed with 8-16 ounces of water depending on your preference for the flavor intensity of the drink.

The other product I picked up was Natural Hydration Goji Bery Green tea.
Their info can be found here.
I think this is a new product, the store said they just got it in.  I haven't tried this yet, I'll let you know once I do.  These come in a convenient tube of tables.  Just drop a tablet into your water shake and you are gtg.  We will see.  I like the convenience of the packaging and the neatness of not being a messy powder that I can and will spill all over the place at some point.

The third thing I tried was Clif Black Cherry Shot Block.  I had seen them mentioned here before, so I figured I'd give them a try.  I'm a little concerned about the sugar conten, I guess we will see how that reacts with the stomach.

So does anybody have a favorite beverage or energy suppliment that they use or would recommend.  I still wouldn't recommend any of these as I am just starting my trial of the products, but if nothing else the BananaBerry tastes good, and I'm all for that.  I just can't drink plain water.  I'd have to be that guy crawling through the desert with the buzzards watching him before I'd chose plain water over just about any other beverage.

Scott

Sorry Scott, but I don't use any of them for anything half marathon or shorter.  I did try some sport beans last week between the bike class and the run and they worked well.  you might find that you can tolerate some of the sugars better during an event or heavy training than you would be able to otherwise.

I did use a couple of the gels during my marathon last year without any trouble, but had a BIG problem with the Accelerade sports drink (gave me the runs something fierce).  I don't LIKE the gels, but they work great.

Linn

Update, well the Goji Berry tea was not so tasty.  Damn it was the expensive one of the bunch too.  Guess I'm going to be stomaching it until it's gone. 

Scott

Hey Dude,

   I use the Cliff Shot Lemonade flavor, and I have not dumped and it tastes great! It's got a good amount of salt so it helps out with that too. As far as tea...Caffeine has a dehydrating effect on your system, so I would not recomend it as a replenisher. Just my opinion. everyone is diff tho and it will be a lot of trial and error. My quack recommended I try Gatorade G2....End result.............. Although the cliff drink has a lot of sugar, it is natural cane juice and not refined so maybe that's why I don't dump on it. Good luck this weekend my brutha!

-Dan

In the heat of summer, I was using Electolyte Stamina Power Pack for my long runs.  I get it at the Vitamin Shoppe.  It has 10 calories per pack (sweetened with stevia), and you mix it with 6 oz of water.  It comes in a few flavors - I've tried the orange and raspberry.  They taste ok.  I think they did help me, especially on those 90 degree, 100% humidity days.

I am kind of scared of gu, and other shot drinks I see at the running store.  I can be a little hypoglycemic, so I shy away from sugar and carbs.  I may not dump right away, but I am afraid my blood sugar will crash later.       

I used to use ultima...I liked the berry.

It will only provide electrolytes, not fuel. Keep that in mind. If you drink it, you will ALSO need water!

Speaking of which, I like NUUN much better. Easier to use/carry as it's in tablet form.

I currently use INFINIT, which is a custom blend sports drink.

PM me and I can send you more info.

I like a drink called 'Want More Energy?'