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Helpful Hydration

Danielle Kosecki at triplethreat found some interesting research on the absorption of sugary sports drinks.

When it came to sports nutrition/hydration, nutritionists used to believe that our bodies could only absorb one gram of sugar (a.k.a. energy) per minute, meaning any excess Gatorade or gel would just sit in your stomach. However, in 2002 Asker Jeukendrup, a nutritionist and triathlete, discovered that athlete’s bodies would use independent systems to digest two different sugars—glucose and fructose—when they were blended in a two-to-one ratio. This means the cumulative energy uptake is great than downing a single sugar. In fact, test subjects were able to burn up to 105 grams per hour. Whether these sugars allow athletes to train at higher intensities is still unknown but PowerBar has since reformulated its drinks and gels based on Jeukendrup’s studies and has also started funding his research.

Now I need not feel so bad drinking Gatorade at full strength on long rides.

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