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Do you like these?

Normally, I find Gatorade et al to be absolutely disgusting and not fit for human consumption. However, if I've just come in from running or hiking in the desert and the temp is about 9,000 degrees fahrenheit and I'm drenched in sweat, then Gatorade is salvation sent from heaven and I can easily chug an entire quart bottle of it. Talk about context-sensitive.

How do you like 'em?

I use Clif Shots and other gel products, plus water. Also powdered Gatoraid, because it's a lot cheaper. (I actually LIKE Clif Shots, especially the mocha and the chocolate.) But my biggest temptation and downfall is probably the passion fruit Rock Star soda, which isn't good for you at all, of course! I try to not drink it every day! ;)

There was no place to buy Clif Shots around here for a long time--you could get Clif Bars but not the gels. The bike shop in Show Low carries them, but it's 50 miles away. So I asked the manager at Western Drug here in Springerville if they would start stocking it. Western Drug is a combination sporting goods, gun shop, pharmacy, sewing and crafts, and general merchandise store (great place also if you like taxidermy--it's hanging up all over the place in there, from warthogs to water buffalo.) Anyway, they've stocked it now for a couple of years, and the price is lower than I've ever seen anywhere else, 89 cents each. (Now if I could just get the sporting goods manager to start stocking freeze-dried dinners...)

I don't Clif Shots much. They're so sugar-laden, full-strength Gatorade seems tame by comparison.

Sugar, yum yum! ;)

I have a sweet-tooth, so Gatorade tastes awesome all the time! I don't dilute it, but rather drink some and then drink some water. It generally works well, especially if I didn't eat a proper breakfast. I remember a specific trip in the Inner Basin last year when a felt sick from not eating enough, and then I chugged a gatorade and felt a million times better! But maybe it's psychological?

Probably not. I have "crashed" on epic mtn. bike rides (not literally, but I mean I just ran out of energy, totally, this was when I was new to the sport) and someone handed me a bottle of Gatoraid, and it really did help a lot more than water.

I used those mocha Clif Shots with caffeine, plus Gatoraid, when on a longish backpacking trip in the Sierras 3 years ago, and also I had a pkg. of Stay Awake pills (caffeine pills) which I used a couple of times during the trip. One of my companions and I went a different, longer, way from the rest of the group, as I recall. We went that way to see some more lakes and waterfalls. But my companion was pretty tired, being new to backpacking. I mentioned having those pills. "Caffeine pills?" he said with awe and wonder in his voice, "You actually have caffeine pills?" "Sure," I said, "You want a couple?" "Hell yeah!" he said.

Caffeine dehydrates, though.

Vitamin Water is my favorite, especially the jackfruit version

PageRob wrote:Caffeine dehydrates, though.

Yeah, it does, and I don't use it all the time on hikes, but it sure does sometimes help out toward the end of a longish hiking day.

I've been off caffeine for fifteen months now. Personally I don't think the studies on caffeine are completely understood. Contrary to everything reported I seriously couldn't sleep without it before...

One day I woke up and decided to skip the coffee because I was wanting to enhance my ability to camel up on the upcoming hike.. I have successfully skipped the coffee now for the past month now so I guess that's that! (yes, I had a week long headache). Someone told me that the way you hydrate the day before your hike affects how efficient you are on the actual event. I have no reason to doubt it.. Kinda like sleep.. it will get ya in a delayed fashion.

I can totally understand the week-long headache. I'm one who drinks coffee as soon as I wake up. A couple of cups. I can go the rest of the day without any caffeine, but I often do have coffee or something right after lunch. I have a tendency to be tired in the afternoons. I have always been that way, I didn't start drinking coffee until I was living in Kona, about age 26! And of course, it was that Kona coffee I drank at first, with a whopping load of caffeine. Amazing stuff, if you get the real deal (most of what is sold here on the Mainland is "Kona Blend" which can have as little as 1% real Kona in it--I don't think there are any laws protecting Kona growers against this practice, even now.) Also, we always went to the place where they roast it and requested the light roast--there is way more caffeine in light roast, contrary to popular belief. Burning the coffee (which is what dark roast is) takes away not only many of the complex, spicy flavors, but also a lot of the caffeine.

Yup, coffee is a sports drink, too, right?

We get kona shipped to us regularly, one of the positive things about having family on the islands.. and marrying a local girl

Now I'm insanely jealous!

Wendy you need to visit www.oldbisbeeroasters.com for some real coffee. pro'lly no Kona, but for sure a bunch of other worldwide champs.

Just got back from Maui. I made sure to bring back 5 lbs. of 100% Kona coffee. It is sold as either 10% of a blend or the real deal 100%. The best place to buy the good stuff is @ the Costco in Kona (and then don't make the mistake of NOT visiting the Kona Brewery).

McNulty's in Greenwich Village is my ultimate coffee shop. Except for the credit card machine, it's still 1880 in there.

Caffeine has diuretic properties, at least when administered in sufficient doses to subjects who do not have a tolerance for it. Regular users, however, develop a strong tolerance to this effect,and studies have generally failed to support the common notion that ordinary consumption of caffeinated beverages contributes significantly to dehydration.

I don't skip my morning coffee but I wouldn't take additional caffeine because it can increase your heart rate and on warmer days I tend to overheat as well. Of course once you've built up a tolerance there's probably no real advantage.

Most medical literature has dropped all reference to caffeine and dehydration. Some sports medicine folks actually feel that caffeine (in moderation) can be useful if it will help give you the energy to exercise after a long day, etc...

I try to be reasonable about it, but I am also pretty tolerant of it, too. It's not for everyone, of course. Some people get the jitters.

I've been off caffeine for 2 years now and suffered the same headachy, jittery symptoms when going through withdrawal. No more diet Coke or caffeinated beverages for me! I only drink an occasional cup of decaf or green tea every once in a while but mostly stick to herbal teas and I feel so much better than when I was consuming all the caffeine.

Sports drinks.....Gatorade, Powerade, Propel and the like are far too sweet for me and even the Vitamin Water and Life Water seem to be the same. Like some of the other replies here, I seem to do better if I cut it 50/50 with water. I do prefer the Vitamin Water 10 and Life Water to others but also make my own thirst quencher with the powdered lemon propel (50/50) and add POM pomegranate juice. Pomegranate juice is LOADED with anti-oxidants and has vitamin C and folic acid.