Keeping hydrated

[yvan12 0]

gatorade doesnt help keep me hydrated either, it makes me more thirsty.

i drink lots of water each day and try to drink lots before a game too

Gatorade and Powerade are designed to replenish fluids, salts, and sugars after an activity, not during. As some of you have mentioned, you are more thirsty after drinking it than before. That could be because of the salt content. The sugar will give you a bit of a lift but it is short term at best. The best thing for hydration during the activity is still good old H2O. I have also had the PowerGel from PowerBar and I think it is a great way to maintain an energy level over time. The Chocolate tastes like cake icing and is pretty sweet but if you drink a couple glasses of water with it, it helps. Has anyone else tried it? We sell quite a lot of it to runners, cyclists, and tri-athletes.

[Trooper 8]

gatorade doesnt help keep me hydrated either, it makes me more thirsty.

i drink lots of water each day and try to drink lots before a game too

Gatorade and Powerade are designed to replenish fluids, salts, and sugars after an activity, not during. As some of you have mentioned, you are more thirsty after drinking it than before. That could be because of the salt content. The sugar will give you a bit of a lift but it is short term at best. The best thing for hydration during the activity is still good old H2O. I have also had the PowerGel from PowerBar and I think it is a great way to maintain an energy level over time. The Chocolate tastes like cake icing and is pretty sweet but if you drink a couple glasses of water with it, it helps. Has anyone else tried it? We sell quite a lot of it to runners, cyclists, and tri-athletes.

You shouldn't make blanket statements without backing it up. Water is good for moderate levels of activity lasting less than an hour. But once you exceed that sports drinks can help replentish the readily available stores of glucose and carbohydrates. A somewhat diluted sports drink can help keep sodium levels in the blood stream stable. Do some searches on water vs. sports drinks and find the articles by credible sources.

[hockechamp14 0]

gatorade doesnt help keep me hydrated either, it makes me more thirsty.

i drink lots of water each day and try to drink lots before a game too

Gatorade and Powerade are designed to replenish fluids, salts, and sugars after an activity, not during. As some of you have mentioned, you are more thirsty after drinking it than before. That could be because of the salt content. The sugar will give you a bit of a lift but it is short term at best. The best thing for hydration during the activity is still good old H2O. I have also had the PowerGel from PowerBar and I think it is a great way to maintain an energy level over time. The Chocolate tastes like cake icing and is pretty sweet but if you drink a couple glasses of water with it, it helps. Has anyone else tried it? We sell quite a lot of it to runners, cyclists, and tri-athletes.

That's not true, there's been a lot of research that proves otherwise. A protein/carb beverage is the best choice for during and after excercising for hydration and recovery. A product like surge or endurox is a good choice if you can afford it.

However, I would not recomend mixing gatorade powder with whey protein as that tends to cause cramps when they mix. It may be worth trying for some people though who may be able to tolerate it.

I've used GU before, and now I drink surge. Surge is defenately a better product.

If you don't want to dish out the money for surge, I'd recomend getting cytomax by cytosport, I know I loved the fruit punch flavor. Unfortunately there's no protein in the mix.

Everyone here should read this:

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1173228

As far as water goes, any athlete can benefit from drinking a gallon a day. There isn't a thing as too much water really, because you won't want to drink anymore, so don't force it into your system. I think the bigger problem though is how much floride are you getting in your water?

[stick9 883]

I just started drinking Vitamin Water before games. http://www.vitaminwater.com/

Here is some info on their energy formula.

Ingredients

Vapor distilled water, crystalline fructose, citric acid, caffeine, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), gum Arabic, natural flavor, electrolytes (calcium, magnesium, and potassium), gum ester, zinc picolinate, vitamin E acetate, vitamin A palmitate, niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), beta carotene, Siberian ginseng and guarana extracts, cyanocobalamin (B12), caramel color, pyridoxine hydrochloride (B6)

Product Description

Energy Glaceau Vitamin Water is a tropical citrus flavored water that has been enhanced with many vitamins, including 100% RDA of Vitamin C, and enhanced with Ginseng and Gaurana. Ginseng - clinical research has shown it to restore energy quickly. Vitamin C - an antioxidant which helps protect cells from damage and keeps the body strong.

Of course I still drink plenty of regular water on game days. I take one of these with me and drink it on the way to the rink or in the locker room while I am changing. I feel a bit safer with these then my normal pre-game Redbull.

[hockeymom 2]

This site summarizes nutritiion and hydration for hockey in a very simple and clear manner:

http://www.sheskateshard.com/nutrition.html

[stick9 883]

This site summarizes nutritiion and hydration for hockey in a very simple and clear manner:

http://www.sheskateshard.com/nutrition.html

Great info, thanks.

I notice that is a site for girls/woman. Would any of that info be all that much different for boys/men? Our bodies our different and I assume our needs are as well.

[hockeymom 2]

This site summarizes nutritiion and hydration for hockey in a very simple and clear manner:

http://www.sheskateshard.com/nutrition.html

Great info, thanks.

I notice that is a site for girls/woman. Would any of that info be all that much different for boys/men? Our bodies our different and I assume our needs are as well.

The basic nutrition and hydration needs for hockey discussed on this site are the same for both men and women. Probably one of the weaknesses of this site is that it doesn't go on to discuss women's specific nutritional needs which are a bit different.

[usahockey22 0]

I just started drinking Vitamin Water before games. http://www.vitaminwater.com/

Here is some info on their energy formula.

Ingredients

Vapor distilled water, crystalline fructose, citric acid, caffeine, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), gum Arabic, natural flavor, electrolytes (calcium, magnesium, and potassium), gum ester, zinc picolinate, vitamin E acetate, vitamin A palmitate, niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), beta carotene, Siberian ginseng and guarana extracts, cyanocobalamin (B12), caramel color, pyridoxine hydrochloride (B6)

Product Description

Energy Glaceau Vitamin Water is a tropical citrus flavored water that has been enhanced with many vitamins, including 100% RDA of Vitamin C, and enhanced with Ginseng and Gaurana. Ginseng - clinical research has shown it to restore energy quickly. Vitamin C - an antioxidant which helps protect cells from damage and keeps the body strong.

Of course I still drink plenty of regular water on game days. I take one of these with me and drink it on the way to the rink or in the locker room while I am changing. I feel a bit safer with these then my normal pre-game Redbull.

This is alright, except probably a ripoff...the amount of vitamins present in this water isn't enough to really do anything for the body. Also, guarana is just the name of an herb which contains caffeine, so of course it will help your energy. But caffeine should be avoided with exercise, as it dehydrates you and does no good for a properly conditioned athlete. Ginseng is used in chinese medicine as an "energizer" and libido enhancer, which could help you in hockey probably, although I doubt there is enough in there to make a difference. You could try red ginseng tea...

As long as you are drinking water and eating a normal diet, you should be fine. Energy drinks such as gatorade, or anything with simple carbs, some sodium, potassium, calcium, etc. (OJ plus some salt) would be better. Having an energy/protein mixed drink probably would be the best, although it won't really make much difference as long as you go out and have a nice big meal after you play.

Fluoride in water is a concern for me at least...call it a conspiracy theory, but there really is no need to be drinking fluoridated water, when our toothpaste already contains so much fluoride. It doesn't really do anything for dental health, and it has been linked in studies to other health problems. The US and UK are the only two countries in the world where fluoride in water is a widespread initiative. Even recently in news sources such as the NY times, there was a report that a person or persons at harvard doctored their studies in order to prove fluoride safe for use in the water supply or something of that nature. This is why I drink mostly bottled water (if you buy in bulk it is actually quite cheap). www.fluoridealert.org

[hockeymom 2]

Re: flouride in water. Interesting that the increase in bottled water consumption has also sparked an increase in the number of cavities. Read a few articles recently that indicated the CDA is quite alarmed about it because with flouride in the water and toothpaste the problem of cavities and been virtually eliminated. I've been meaning to go search out those articles...

[Trooper 8]

This site summarizes nutritiion and hydration for hockey in a very simple and clear manner:

http://www.sheskateshard.com/nutrition.html

Good site, needs updated to reflect current findings on lactate during anaerobic activity though.

[usahockey22 0]

Re: flouride in water.  Interesting that the increase in bottled water consumption has also sparked an increase in the number of cavities.  Read a few articles recently that indicated the CDA is quite alarmed about it because with flouride in the water and toothpaste the problem of cavities and been virtually eliminated.  I've been meaning to go search out those articles...

"After over 50 years of water fluoridation, many children in Newburgh,

New York have more cavities and more fluoride-caused discolored teeth

(dental fluorosis) than children in never-fluoridated Kingston, New

York, according to a New York State Department of Health study. "

http://groups.google.com/group/Fluoridatio...fb89f3a49a0c84c

"3. Whereas the WHO and WHA recommended the introduction of community water fluoridation in 1969, 1975, 1978, water fluoridation was stopped in some of the European Member States of the WHO.49 The reason for these cessations of water fluoridation was not a political one, but the consequence of scientific discussion of its effectiveness and side effects. Water fluoridation was stopped in the following States: Federal Republic of Germany50 (introduced 1952, stopped 1971); Sweden (introduced 1952, stopped 1971); Netherlands51-53 (introduced 1953, stopped 1976); Czechoslovakia49 (introduced 1958, stopped 1988/90); German Democratic Republic49 (introduced 1959, stopped 1990 (Spremberg 1993)); Union of Soviet Socialist Republics49 (introduced 1960, stopped 1990); Finland49 (introduced 1959, stopped 1993); outside Europe: Japan49 (introduced 1952, stopped 1972)."

http://www.fluoride-journal.com/98-31-3/313-171.htm

If fluoride is stopping all the cavities, you would think that all those countries would have a "cavity epidemic" sweeping the nation. Of course this isn't true. US and UK are the only 2 countries where it is still commonplace...

[stick9 883]

This is alright, except probably a ripoff...the amount of vitamins present in this water isn't enough to really do anything for the body. Also, guarana is just the name of an herb which contains caffeine, so of course it will help your energy. But caffeine should be avoided with exercise, as it dehydrates you and does no good for a properly conditioned athlete. Ginseng is used in chinese medicine as an "energizer" and libido enhancer, which could help you in hockey probably, although I doubt there is enough in there to make a difference. You could try red ginseng tea...

As long as you are drinking water and eating a normal diet, you should be fine. Energy drinks such as gatorade, or anything with simple carbs, some sodium, potassium, calcium, etc. (OJ plus some salt) would be better. Having an energy/protein mixed drink probably would be the best, although it won't really make much difference as long as you go out and have a nice big meal after you play.

I tend to play late at night (11pm). I drink plenty of water on game days. I always eat really healthy so that's not an issue. When I get home from work I have dinner and take a short nap. The problem is it's so late at night many times I don't have the energy I feel I need. That's why I started drinking energy drinks before I play. What can I do have the jump I need to play without drinking something like a Redbull? I switched to the vitamin water because it seemed better for me then just a raw energy drink.

[BK 0]

This is alright, except probably a ripoff...the amount of vitamins present in this water isn't enough to really do anything for the body. Also, guarana is just the name of an herb which contains caffeine, so of course it will help your energy. But caffeine should be avoided with exercise, as it dehydrates you and does no good for a properly conditioned athlete. Ginseng is used in chinese medicine as an "energizer" and libido enhancer, which could help you in hockey probably, although I doubt there is enough in there to make a difference. You could try red ginseng tea...

As long as you are drinking water and eating a normal diet, you should be fine. Energy drinks such as gatorade, or anything with simple carbs, some sodium, potassium, calcium, etc. (OJ plus some salt) would be better. Having an energy/protein mixed drink probably would be the best, although it won't really make much difference as long as you go out and have a nice big meal after you play.

I tend to play late at night (11pm). I drink plenty of water on game days. I always eat really healthy so that's not an issue. When I get home from work I have dinner and take a short nap. The problem is it's so late at night many times I don't have the energy I feel I need. That's why I started drinking energy drinks before I play. What can I do have the jump I need to play without drinking something like a Redbull? I switched to the vitamin water because it seemed better for me then just a raw energy drink.

I used to have late games. I would eat some fruit (banannas, oranges and apple slices) about an hour before my game and it seemed to help. It was probably the sugar in the fruit that provided the temp energy.

[sabre09923 0]

Re: flouride in water. Interesting that the increase in bottled water consumption has also sparked an increase in the number of cavities. Read a few articles recently that indicated the CDA is quite alarmed about it because with flouride in the water and toothpaste the problem of cavities and been virtually eliminated. I've been meaning to go search out those articles...

Wow, my teeth have been messed up (they look sort of stained), and my dentist says that it was because of the flouride in water (dental flourosis as usahockey22 pointed out). I only drink tap water when I need to, and drink at least 3 12 fl. oz. bottles of water a day, and even though my teeth are still discolored, but I haven't had a cavity in many years. I don't know why, I don't think my oral hygiene has improved...

On another note, I used to drink flavored Dasani, which has Splenda in it. During that time (I used to drink maybe 2 bottles a day), I would get splitting headaches from time to time... Maybe twice a week. I stopped drinking the Dasani, and within a month, I noticed that I wasn't getting any headaches anymore. Those old articles were right.

[Fire0nIce228 1]

A good schedule of hydration before during and after exercise is this...

2 Hours before - 3 cups

15-30 min before- 2 more cups

every 15 min during activity- half to full cup

after activity- 2 cups for each pound lost

DO NOT drink too much gatoraid, poweraid, etc. at one time. Sports drinks are water, carbohydrates and minerals. They serve to give you energy, maintain glucose levels, and increase the rate of water from the small intestine, which keeps you hydrated. If you consume more than 6 to 8 ounces of sport drink every 10 to 15 minutes, it may not completely empty out of the stomach, and can cause stomach aches, if its not cool that can also adversely affect you. Also, more than 10% of Carbohydrates can cause diarhea (the big pregame shit that we all seem to ENJOY). Also, drinks like this are not typically needed unless your active for over an hour at a decent rate.

I guess the big thing is, don't down a thing of sports drink before you hit the ice like i see so many of my teammates doing, it can make you sick and hurt you, not help you.

Edit: I'd also assume that drinking redbull, etc. before a game can also not help so much because theres excessive amounts of the stuff thats in them also..

[hockeymom 2]

USAhockey: Thanks for all the fluoride info! This certainly is one of those subjects with experts lining up on both sides of the issue. I’ve been filtering the city water for primarily aesthetic reasons and have been wondering if it was a good idea. Thanks again for the info.

[yvan12 0]

gatorade doesnt help keep me hydrated either, it makes me more thirsty.

i drink lots of water each day and try to drink lots before a game too

Gatorade and Powerade are designed to replenish fluids, salts, and sugars after an activity, not during. As some of you have mentioned, you are more thirsty after drinking it than before. That could be because of the salt content. The sugar will give you a bit of a lift but it is short term at best. The best thing for hydration during the activity is still good old H2O. I have also had the PowerGel from PowerBar and I think it is a great way to maintain an energy level over time. The Chocolate tastes like cake icing and is pretty sweet but if you drink a couple glasses of water with it, it helps. Has anyone else tried it? We sell quite a lot of it to runners, cyclists, and tri-athletes.

You shouldn't make blanket statements without backing it up. Water is good for moderate levels of activity lasting less than an hour. But once you exceed that sports drinks can help replentish the readily available stores of glucose and carbohydrates. A somewhat diluted sports drink can help keep sodium levels in the blood stream stable. Do some searches on water vs. sports drinks and find the articles by credible sources.

I stand corrected. Thanks.

[chk hrd 164]

This is alright, except probably a ripoff...the amount of vitamins present in this water isn't enough to really do anything for the body. Also, guarana is just the name of an herb which contains caffeine, so of course it will help your energy. But caffeine should be avoided with exercise, as it dehydrates you and does no good for a properly conditioned athlete. Ginseng is used in chinese medicine as an "energizer" and libido enhancer, which could help you in hockey probably, although I doubt there is enough in there to make a difference. You could try red ginseng tea...

As long as you are drinking water and eating a normal diet, you should be fine. Energy drinks such as gatorade, or anything with simple carbs, some sodium, potassium, calcium, etc. (OJ plus some salt) would be better. Having an energy/protein mixed drink probably would be the best, although it won't really make much difference as long as you go out and have a nice big meal after you play.

I tend to play late at night (11pm). I drink plenty of water on game days. I always eat really healthy so that's not an issue. When I get home from work I have dinner and take a short nap. The problem is it's so late at night many times I don't have the energy I feel I need. That's why I started drinking energy drinks before I play. What can I do have the jump I need to play without drinking something like a Redbull? I switched to the vitamin water because it seemed better for me then just a raw energy drink.

To keep your energy level up before a game try a fruit juice, I prefer apple juice because it is not to thick and doesn't have alot of acid like O.J.. You can also drink some gatorade, powerade type drink but do it in moderation and offset it with water. Another thing that sounds wierd, but works, is jelly beans or gummy bear type candy. You want to try to keep the blood sugar levels up and constant, but you want something that will clear your stomach quick and not cause your system to crash.

I play late games alot so when I get home I always try to have a small cup of juice before I go to bed to keep the blood sugar levels constant and let them go down naturally instead of having my system loose it all because of the energy my body expended.

There are some good articles about sports and glychemic (sp) indexes that are helpful.

[usahockey22 0]

USAhockey: Thanks for all the fluoride info! This certainly is one of those subjects with experts lining up on both sides of the issue. I’ve been filtering the city water for primarily aesthetic reasons and have been wondering if it was a good idea. Thanks again for the info.

Yep, it has also been linked to many other problems, mainly in children...bone cancer, kidney and liver damage, fluorosis, hormone issues (ie kids becoming physically "mature" at young ages, a problem which is more and more frequent). Unfortunately, a filter will not remove fluoride, which is why I try to not drink tap water at all, and just get bottled. I actually have been using a fluoride free natural toothpaste as well for about the last 8 months, and my teeth seem perfectly fine, no cavities, etc. Actually I think my teeth were much better at my last dental visit since I stopped using fluoride toothpaste, because the fluoride tends to accumulate on the teeth which is what they scrape off when you go in for dental visits...they were scraping and scraping last time and got nothing off, and all this time I thought it was plaque. Maybe not...

[hockechamp14 0]

This site summarizes nutritiion and hydration for hockey in a very simple and clear manner:

http://www.sheskateshard.com/nutrition.html

A lot of the information on the hydration page is outdated. Continuous consumption of a carbohydrate or carbohydrate and protein drink through excercise offers many more benefits than plain water. With high quality ingredients such as the quick absorbing protein and carbs in the surge I drink, it is hardly a matter of it sitting in your stomach.

On another matter, my games go for 2-2.5 hours, not nintey minutnes, so it obviously applied differently to different situations.

Read the first two studies on this page for more information:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.f...%22%5BAuthor%5D

[usahockey22 0]

Even the "fast absorbing/predigested" etc whey protein powder won't be absorbed until maybe 30-45 minutes after you consume it (assuming you take it all by itself, on an empty stomach even). But all information does show that consuming a lot of simple carbs and protein around workout time (before, during, and most importantly immediately after) will improve recovery time and/or help your stamina. Generally the recommendation is about 2:1 for grams of carbs and protein. If you are going to have only one shake, the best time is right after your workout.

[hockechamp14 0]

Even the "fast absorbing/predigested" etc whey protein powder won't be absorbed until maybe 30-45 minutes after you consume it (assuming you take it all by itself, on an empty stomach even). But all information does show that consuming a lot of simple carbs and protein around workout time (before, during, and most importantly immediately after) will improve recovery time and/or help your stamina. Generally the recommendation is about 2:1 for grams of carbs and protein. If you are going to have only one shake, the best time is right after your workout.

I think whey hydrolsate is absorbed a lot faster than 30 minutnes. If you're talking about whey isolate or concentrate, then sure. Obviously hydrolsate is optimal for this kind of thing.

I wouldn't necisarily say afterward is the best time. I do take a PWO shake, but there's been a lot of dissenting opinions if it's possible that a PRE workout shake has twice the effectiveness as a PWO shake. I'm skeptical too, and besides, I feel more hardcore slamming the shake right after I finish :P .

[usahockey22 0]

Ehh...30 minutes would be pretty damn fast for any nutritional content to be absorbed by the body. Proteins take a while to break down and then hit the blood stream. Anyway, it doesn't really matter as long as you take them. Pre workout and during workout shakes have been shown to be beneficial, but without a doubt, a post workout carb/protein shake has been shown the most effective...of course I'm talking about for anaerobic/muscular strength type recovery. When it comes to aerobic/endurance exercise, then a pre and/or during workout drink would certainly increase performance.

[hockechamp14 0]

Ehh...30 minutes would be pretty damn fast for any nutritional content to be absorbed by the body. Proteins take a while to break down and then hit the blood stream. Anyway, it doesn't really matter as long as you take them. Pre workout and during workout shakes have been shown to be beneficial, but without a doubt, a post workout carb/protein shake has been shown the most effective...of course I'm talking about for anaerobic/muscular strength type recovery. When it comes to aerobic/endurance exercise, then a pre and/or during workout drink would certainly increase performance.

From another t-nation article by Dave Barr:

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=556939

One landmark study showed that even a full hour after training, blood flow remained elevated by 30% compared to rest, when an amino acid and carbohydrate formula was consumed right after the workout (28)! What’s even better is that consuming the drink before exercise increased blood flow by over 300% during training, while a 200% increase was observed without drink consumption. In other words, you get an additional 100% increase from resting blood flow when the carbs and protein are taken before your workout! The pre-workout drink also maintained an elevated blood flow by 66% over normal resting values an hour after the workout.

While these data are certainly impressive, they don’t mean anything unless they can also demonstrate that this increase in blood flow actually helped stimulate amino acid uptake by the muscle (i.e. protein synthesis). In fact, compared to rest, the pre-workout drink maintained amino acid uptake by ~230% a full 60 minutes after training, and the post-workout drink by 165%.

28. Tipton KD, Rasmussen BB, Miller SL, Wolf SE, Owens-Stovall SK, Petrini BE, Wolfe RR. Timing of amino acid-carbohydrate ingestion alters anabolic response of muscle to resistance exercise. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2001 Aug;281(2):E197-206

The main thing is obviously different things work for different people, but I think too many people here are being too old school about hydration, when if they try something a few times, it won't hurt them.

Thinking outside the box is the only thing that creates improvement. I'm sure we wouldn't be happy with bauer skates from 1980, so why would we use the same hydration principles?

[usahockey22 0]

Notice that the study you cited is for "resistance exercise". This means weight training and not something like a hockey game. And of course, t-nation uses all of these studies to push its products before anything else...not to say that the actual study isn't valid or reliable (although if you take the time to read the study, it consisted of only 6 test subjects...), but you have to watch the context with a source like t-nation, as well as the wording and see how it applies to the activity you will be doing (sports, not lifting, primarily).

We all know that taking protein/amino acids before/during/after lifting will help protein synthesis...but will this help performance during a sports game such as hockey? Gatorade and other sports drink companies insist that protein has no benefit for endurance exercises, which is why it's not in their drinks. I'm sure it would help post-exercise muscle recovery (as eating a large meal afterwards would too), but I don't know if protein/carb drinks would actually benefit performance as opposed to just carb/water drinks...increased amino acid levels and blood flow is good, but any positive effects from that wouldn't take place until well after a game. If you're looking for a supplement to increase muscular performance and not recovery (for the short term), well then something like creatine would work a lot better, as it replenishes creatine and ATP levels quickly, which leads to improved performance while you are exercising.