Glamour on a budget - Mattie Roberts

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No, You Probably Don't Need Gatorade, Either
August 06, 2006

Note to my father: most people are not in danger of elecrolyte imbalance and you need not swig Gatorade throughout your workout.

This came up last night at dinner when we heard a story about a guy who was working out all day in the summer sun...presumably intense training of some variety...and was only drinking water. His salts were depleted and he went into a coma for three days. Bummer...I hope he feels better. This is highly unusual and really only a concern for elite-level athletes. And if you are an elite-level athlete, you know it.

Now Daddy is convinced that he needs to 'replenish his elecrolytes' with a bottle of Gatorade after his hour-long walk. The problem there, of course is that he, like most people in this county, are not nearly vigorous enough in their workouts to warrant a sports drink. Plus, they are so highly caloric that you will undo most of the calorie burn in your workout by drinking a 300 calorie bottle of sports drink.

So unless you are out in the heat sweating for more than an hour...and I'm talking about folks who run several miles a day or work outside all day, hydrating with regular water is all you need for the standard 30-60 minute workout.