Water vs. gatoraid/poweraid etc.for working&exercise

[Ds]

So what would be a good drink before, durning and after?

I have a watercooler full of water bottles, mix'd flavors of power aid, and gatoraid. more water then the others but still.
I work outside in the sun roofing houses, and doing pretty much anything and everything.. but my cooler always stays full of ice and the stuff I mentioned above.
Should I be drinking more than the other? I'm sweating like a motherfucker all throughout the day and never piss considering i drink almost 3 or more bottles of gatoraid/poweraid and 2+ bottles of water, i mix them up so im not like drinking them all back to back.
I'm still sweaty by the days over and have a awful headache.. don't know if that means I should drink more H2o or what?
anyways whats best for working and working out(exercise)
thanks.

 

[modern buddha]

Before, during and after what? Your day roofing, a hard workout in the gym, or a marathon?

 

[CHiLD-0F-THE-BEAT]

'Recovery' drinks work to replace salts and liquid in the body that sweat can remove. They can be useful if you're taking part in extremely taxing activities, but won't do much if you're just doing everyday activities.

I found a good article on the topic here (cut for size);

NSFW:

What’s in a sports drink?
1. Carbohydrate
It is well accepted that consuming carbohydrate can have per- formance benefits in a range of sporting events. Carbohydrate provides a fuel source for muscles and the brain, and contributes to the palatability of sports drinks. Ideally the carbohydrate concentration of a sports drink should range between 6- 8%. High carbohydrate solutions can impair gastric emptying dur- ing exercise. Note: all sports drinks presented in Table 1 contain carbohydrate within this range.
2. Electrolytes
Sports drinks include the electrolytes sodium and potassium. The addition of sodium to sports drinks does have potential benefits. Sodium-containing beverages can encourage fluid intake by driv- ing the thirst mechanism. Sodium also increases fluid absorption and retention. Sports drinks may also help with salt replacement for athletes who are heavy or salty sweaters. Most commercial sports drinks contain sodium in the range of 10-25mmol/L and in the case of some sports waters, even lower. It should be high-
lighted that low sodium drinks are not suitable when rehydration is crucial to subsequent performance (i.e. must replace a fluid deficit in a short period of time). The addition of potassium to sports drinks is beneficial to assist with muscle contraction dur- ing exercise.
3. Flavour
Flavour is an important feature of sports drinks. Research indi- cates that voluntary fluid intake is higher for fluids with flavour compared to plain water due to the taste. The more you enjoy the flavour of a drink, the more you drink.
4. Other Ingredients
Some beverages marketed as sports drinks have other added ingredients like vitamins, minerals, protein and herbs. The levels of antioxidants (Vitamin E and Vitamin C) in both sports drinks and sports waters in Table 1 provide relatively small amounts. A small number of products marketed as sports drinks contain pro- tein. The recovery benefits of carbohydrate and protein ingested together post-exercise are well documented however, the poten- tial performance benefits of ingestion during exercise are mixed. It should be acknowledged that additional ingredients may affect the palatability, and subsequent consumption of a sports drink.
When should sports drinks be used?
1. Before Exercise
Sports drinks may be used by athletes before an event to fine tune their fluid and fuel intake. The carbohydrate tops up muscle glycogen fuel levels, while the added sodium may reduce urine losses before exercise begins.
2. During Exercise
Sports drinks are primarily designed for use during exercise, for optimal fluid and fuel delivery. They will will allow the athlete to per- form for longer and more effectively in training and competition.
3. Recovery
Sports drinks assist to meet individual’s nutrition recovery goals by replacing fluids lost in sweat and also assist with refuelling targets to replenish glycogen stores. When aggressive re-hydra- tion strategies are required, drinks with a higher sodium content may be more useful. To meet all recovery goals, the ingestion of sports drinks should be complimented with other foods and fluids that provide additional carbohydrate, protein, and other nutrients essential for recovery.

Water is definitely the best liquid to rehydrate - it's cheap, readily available and doesn't contain any calories or food colourings.

 

[suburu]

i drink almost 3 or more bottles of gatoraid/poweraid and 2+ bottles of water, i mix them up so im not like drinking them all back to back. I'm still sweaty by the days over and have a awful headache.. don't know if that means I should drink more H2o or what? anyways whats best for working and working out(exercise)

I'd guess the reason you're getting headaches is because your drinking 3/4 bottles per day of Gatorade. Just one of these drinks, is loaded with sugar and the amount you're drinking is pretty bad for your health. It will do a good job of eroding your teeth pretty quickly if you're going for the 'Bleedin' Gums Murphy' look.:D

You should not be drinking that much gatorade whether your working or working out. Stick to drinking water when you're working and maybe 1 bottle of Gatorade after a hard workout. If you can wean yourself off it!

 

[moonyham]

'loaded' with sugar?^ Err... no, coke is 'loaded', powerade etc do not have much sugar in them.

Most diets are too heavy in salts etc so you dont really need the 'electrolytes' that these drinks give you. Eat a good diet and drink more water and you will probably feel better. Also, cold water is harder for your body to absorb, so try drinking it just room temp etc.

 

[suburu]

Err, yeah, err, bottle of Gatorade has 56g of sugar, err, bottle of coke has 64g of sugar i.e lots of sugar

 

[moonyham]

Err, yeah, err, bottle of Gatorade has 56g of sugar, err, bottle of coke has 64g of sugar i.e lots of sugar

different types of sugar though. Coke has regular cane sugar or worse yet HFCS, powerade etc have maltodextrin and other 'better' sugars that dont fuck with you so much

 

[L2R]

D's, if you really like sports drinks, you could save money and control your portions better if you buy them in powder/crystal form and just mix it with water yourself. i only use the stuff if i am doing heavy cardio.