Sports Drinks or Plain Water

SPORTS DRINKS OR PLAIN WATER: Every now and then I’ll bring a water bottle full of some sort of sports drink like Gatorade. Usually I’ll drink it if I need the extra sugar boost to help me deal with a tougher ride. However, my drink of choice has always been water. I’ve met a few people that will include Gatorade or Redbull in their hydration pack. In fact I once rode with a guy that had two bladders in his his back pack, one was filled with water and the other Gatorade.

The only problem I have with drinking Gatorade is that the sugar does make me more thirsty and it leaves an after taste. I guess if I’m drinking more of it, my body does get more hydrated. Besides they have so many different colors and flavors to choose from!

Now if I really want to pull out my secret weapon for the trail, I’ll drink one of those Monster Energy Drinks that I sometimes keep tucked away in my back pack.

But since caffeine is a diuretic, it will work against me later on. So I’ll drink this puppy towards the last leg of the ride just to give me that extra umph.