water vs. sports drinks vs. colas?

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MetalHex

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If you're thirsty, its because you're already dehydrated. These sports drinks, IME dont quench your thirst, and they get you hooked because they taste good, and because you think "oooh electrolytes". Drink water only
 

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777timesgod

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Go out and do an 8 hour high intensity endurance ride and get back to me. Weightlifting or crossfit or something else, sure, I'd probably give you different advice, but endurance cardio, sugar is about the fastest and easiest thing for your body to metabolize, and if you're burning 5-7,000 calories in a single go, you basically just need to shovel calories into your system in as fast and easily digestible manner as your system will let you.

But I do not disagree that sugar based drinks and gels are the best for assisting your performance. However as you note you need to keep loading your body with them, once you start. I am referring (when I said that they bring you down after a short period) to eating one bar or one small energy drink and going cold turkey for the rest of the workout. Of course if you keep downing the stuff, you will keep the buzz.

Secondly, this was not the point of my post but underlining that these types of fuel are bad for your health and the human body should learn to live without them. Even if it means not reaching your record time. Personally, I could break all my PRs if I took energy drinks or pre-work out/post-workout supplements but do not do so not just because of seeing exercise as a battle against myself but also of being worried for my health when I get older. Better to learn early to improve myself by eating even healthier and re-arranging my workout structure.

Lastly, on an unrelated note, avoid cross-fit. It is a good way to injure yourself or learn to do exercises the wrong way which may lead to building negative pressure on joints and muscles. Yes, it may look fun and provide a different approach but -like the energy drinks/gel- there is a cost associated.
 

jaxadam

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Lastly, on an unrelated note, avoid cross-fit. It is a good way to injure yourself or learn to do exercises the wrong way which may lead to building negative pressure on joints and muscles. Yes, it may look fun and provide a different approach but -like the energy drinks/gel- there is a cost associated.

I don't agree with this. For someone who's never lifted or done high intensity workouts, I would definitely caution them to take it easy. For pretty natural athletes, I don't think there's anything wrong with doing a different type of workout for a while to either switch it up, learn something new, or supplement.
 

777timesgod

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I don't agree with this. For someone who's never lifted or done high intensity workouts, I would definitely caution them to take it easy. For pretty natural athletes, I don't think there's anything wrong with doing a different type of workout for a while to either switch it up, learn something new, or supplement.

Check some videos online of crossfit, there are some nice routines but many are simply haphazard and dangerous. The end result of many of these are deformities of the spine and torn muscles, at a much larger degree than we ordinary weight lifting (raw or through machines).

Jerky moves and lifting weights in an attempt to do it fast rather than actually engage the muscle will lead to injury inevitably. If anyone wants to spicy up their workout (lifting weights can get tiresome) there are Martial arts and sports to choose from. No need to isolate yourself to one type of workout but be cautious.
 

jaxadam

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Check some videos online of crossfit, there are some nice routines but many are simply haphazard and dangerous. The end result of many of these are deformities of the spine and torn muscles, at a much larger degree than we ordinary weight lifting (raw or through machines).

I don't really need to check out videos online, I went 6 days a week for 3 years. That gave me a pretty good idea.

I think a lot of it comes down to the coaches. You can get a Level 1 with little to no experience and a class on the weekend. CFit boxes pop up like 7-11's, and as an affiliate they usually run similar programming which can be poor technique lifts (i.e. snatch) combined with fast paced plyometrics (i.e box jumps) and it's easy to lose focus. In my three years I only hurt myself twice and it was pulling a hammy on the rower and pulling my back maxing on deads. I also never really saw anyone else get hurt bad. Good coaching will focus on form over "crushing that AMRAP time".
 

Drew

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Lastly, on an unrelated note, avoid cross-fit. It is a good way to injure yourself or learn to do exercises the wrong way which may lead to building negative pressure on joints and muscles. Yes, it may look fun and provide a different approach but -like the energy drinks/gel- there is a cost associated.
This, at least, I agree with you on. :lol: Crossfit is stupid, prioritizes speed over form, and for a whole bunch of really wonky reasons I'm blanking on now a fitness nut I know once explained to me is NOT good for your body, in a biochemical sense.

As far as simple carb based energy gels, virtually every single pro cycling team and I think, without exception, every marathon-distance or longer runner I know personally, relies on them. If there was really an advantage to using something else, you'd see teams doing that. God knows with the amount of money Team Sky has dumped into racing, and the success they've had for it, if there was any nutritional advantage we'd see it there. And yet: https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/...o-eat-to-compete-in-the-tour-de-france-182775
 

jaxadam

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I'm blanking on now a fitness nut I know once explained to me is NOT good for your body, in a biochemical sense.

Probably something along these lines: you're combining a GH (growth hormone) style lift with a testosterone production pace. Generally GH benefits from heavy, complex lifts with longer rest periods. T production is increased with lighter loads at faster pace with shorter rest periods. So combining a 5 rounds for time of 5 deads at 325 with box jumps or burpees or something like that does not give mutually exclusive benefit to GH or T, and it's not a situation where the sum of the parts are greater than the whole.
 

Drew

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Probably something along these lines: you're combining a GH (growth hormone) style lift with a testosterone production pace. Generally GH benefits from heavy, complex lifts with longer rest periods. T production is increased with lighter loads at faster pace with shorter rest periods. So combining a 5 rounds for time of 5 deads at 325 with box jumps or burpees or something like that does not give mutually exclusive benefit to GH or T, and it's not a situation where the sum of the parts are greater than the whole.
No, it had something to do with the emphasis on not drinking water, coupled with doing rapid high-intensity sets, and the combination could actually be outright damaging to your muscles, I think.

Reading between the lines you do crossfit and have had success staying healthy doing that, and at the end of the day the single most dangerous thing you can do to your body is sitting on the couch with a bag of Doritos and a Coke, so if it's working for you then right the fuck on. :yesway:
 

Seabeast2000

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No, it had something to do with the emphasis on not drinking water, coupled with doing rapid high-intensity sets, and the combination could actually be outright damaging to your muscles, I think.

Reading between the lines you do crossfit and have had success staying healthy doing that, and at the end of the day the single most dangerous thing you can do to your body is sitting on the couch with a bag of Doritos and a Coke, so if it's working for you then right the fuck on. :yesway:

https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/rhabdomyolysis-symptoms-causes-treatments#
 

KnightBrolaire

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No, it had something to do with the emphasis on not drinking water, coupled with doing rapid high-intensity sets, and the combination could actually be outright damaging to your muscles, I think. :yesway:
you're talking about rhabdomyolysis, muscle tissue breaks down and proteins enter the bloodstream .It's basically one of the side effects of heat stroke.
Crossfit itself isn't the problem. it's that they emphasize high intensity circuit workouts and don't explain to newer members the importance of proper hydration. People who are new to working out are the people who get injured the most ime, since they overestimate their initial ability, and tend to have less than optimal form.
 

Drew

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you're talking about rhabdomyolysis, muscle tissue breaks down and proteins enter the bloodstream .It's basically one of the side effects of heat stroke.
Crossfit itself isn't the problem. it's that they emphasize high intensity circuit workouts and don't explain to newer members the importance of proper hydration. People who are new to working out are the people who get injured the most ime, since they overestimate their initial ability, and tend to have less than optimal form.
Yup, that. Crossfit alone isn't the issue, but the focus on speed and downplaying of hydration are major compounding factors.

That and crossfit being the anti-Fight Club, of course.
 

MetalHex

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you're talking about rhabdomyolysis, muscle tissue breaks down and proteins enter the bloodstream .It's basically one of the side effects of heat stroke.
Crossfit itself isn't the problem. it's that they emphasize high intensity circuit workouts and don't explain to newer members the importance of proper hydration. People who are new to working out are the people who get injured the most ime, since they overestimate their initial ability, and tend to have less than optimal form.
My buddy had that. But he sits down all day at work, hunched over, working on an old Bridgeport milling machine for 10 hours a day; and not on a comfortable chair, but a semi-padded adjustable stool.

There would be blood in his urine. Thats one of tell tale symptoms of rhabdo
 
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