The Glycogen Window and Cheap Gatorade..

Yes, if you cannot afford expensive fuels to push you along on that trail there are a few affordable choices that can hold the "pep" in your step. Most runners dont need fuels for under 1.5 hours, but in this hot weather I would recommend it to any runner on a run over 45 minutes. Most researchers agree that the optimal concentration of carbohydrates in a sports drink is about 6%. It doesnt have to be gatorade, as the cost can add up. Enclosed are recipes that are close to gatorades ingredients. In college, we used honey in our water in our training as a cheap summer alternative when the school wasn't giving out free fuel =) Why sugar fuels? It gives you an easy to digest and absorb way to keep yourself from hitting the wall early, also a little bit of salt can help too. Lite salt, FYI is salt made with half potassium and half sodium.. but keep in mind the ratio in the human body is not 1:1 but rather 1:3 (with too much potassium giving the cardiac muscle an increased likelyhood of excitability) The mixes given below are safe and better (in my opinion) than those made with just regular salt alone... For making your own cheap mixes here are two recipies: (borrowed from Dr. Hayes website) Energy Mix #1 10 tbs. sugar (5/8 cups or 120 grams) .75 tsp Morton Lite salt (4.2 grams) 1 package of unsweetened Coolade mix for flavor Water to make 2 liters The recipe will give a total of 124 grams of solute which in 2 liters water gives a total of 6.2% concentration. For an 8 oz serving this gives: 14.2 grams carbohydrate (6%) 53 calories 103 mg Sodium 121 mg Potassium You'll notice that the amount of potassium is quite a bit higher than Gatorade, but the rest is pretty close. If you wanted to reduce the potassium, another option would be to use 1/2 tsp. each of regular salt and the Morton Lite Salt. This would change it to:104mg sodium40mg potassium Energy Mix #2 If you wanted to reduce the amount of potassium, or simply didn't want to buy some Morton Lite Salt, here is another option. 1/2 cup orange juice 9 tbs. Sugar 3/8 tsp Salt Water to 2 liters This gives, per an 8 oz serving:14.4 grams carb (6.1%)104 mg sodium28.4 mg Potassium I believe that you could substitute 2 tbs. of lemon juice for the orange juice and it would come out the same (or at least close). Remember, the exact proportions aren't as important as just using it for your long runs. Glycogen Window?? Reloading EARLY can save you quite a bit on fuel (and pain!), as you have a 30 minute window after each workout in which your body absorbs directly from your stomach straight into your tissues. (Normally, the re-fueling process takes time and is hard to get directly to where you need it... the cells). Re-fueling directly after exercising with easy to absorb fuels such as bread, banannas, yes- junk sodas, and anything else with basic sugars goes directly to your tissues speeding your recovery by as much as 40%. This does not include protein, complex carbs found in vegetables or legumes (beans) which take time to be broken down into their molecular building blocks. So... if you are craving a Mars Bar right after you hit the gym... its OK to give in! Happy Trails! Doc Lisa