Gatorade- Open. Gulp. Repeat.

Ah, Gatorade.  There you go again...

Those of us who are of a certain age can well remember "There you go again":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3GnWTy8Ebg

In this instance, the Gatorade folks have devised a remarkable slogan: "Open. Gulp. Repeat".  Oh my.  Where do I even start on this one?

(Notice where I noticed it- pumping that other culturally charged liquid, gasoline...)

-By "open", I suppose they mean both the bottle and the mouth.  So far, so good.

-"Gulp".  Which means "Gulp 14 grams, 7 teaspoons of refined sugar, 125 calories."

-Repeat.  This is the dodgy part for us dentists, as repeating small intakes of refined carbohydrates over a period of time is by far the biggest risk factor for getting cavities:

http://www.smilephiladelphian.com/Clock/Caries.html

Bottom line: the Repeat part leads to tooth decay, and the Gulp part increases the chances that you'll end up with Type II Diabetes.  No kidding.  Human beings don't do well when we shock our insulin system too hard and too often.  We simply weren't designed for it.

Yes, Gatorade replaces lost electrolytes.  Yet just so you know, it takes about 2 hours of hard exercise, I mean pedal to the metal, to lose enough electrolytes in sweat to warrant replacement in a healthy young athlete.  And at that point the sugars will be useful too, especially if the event isn't over yet.  I'm thinking swim meet with multiple heats, cycling a century, running the Iditarod.  That kind of thing.  In these cases, go for it.

When you're exercising for under an hour though, or playing a sport like softball where the action is intermittent, please consider water.  Your pancreas and your teeth will thank you.

*More on "Vitamin G":

http://rickwilsondmd.typepad.com/rick_wilson_dmds_blog/2010/02/2010-super-bowl-gatorade-shower.html

http://rickwilsondmd.typepad.com/rick_wilson_dmds_blog/2009/12/gatorade-selling-the-sizzle-not-the-slake.html

Comments

[Dorothy Shapland]

Thanks Rick! When will you be entering the Iditarod by the way?!

Living at high altitude in a semi-arid climate, we are always very careful about staying hydrated - even when NOT exercising. And yet, you will have a hard time finding a decent coach, trainer, medic, or professional athlete (other than those sponsored by this company) that will advise colorful sugared drinks over good old water... even in the Rocky Mountains.

I don't think it's entirely because they are worried about caries though!

[Tom Bentley]

Besides, there's something about gulping bright green (or other suspiciously-lit-from-within liquids that's unsettling, like swallowing a Las Vegas casino when the slot machines are paying out.

[Mary Louise Penaz]

Hey Rick! Great article. Thanks for the helpful reminder.