cytomax vs accelerade

Since 2001, over 90,000 cyclist's have joined Cycling Forums to discuss topics from general cycling to equipment, training, racing and travel or vacation destinations (especially in europe during the tour de france). We also feature an great deals in our online store, 100's of articles, classifieds and product reviews.

for those who have tried either or both, what are your experiences and suggestions?

i've used cytomax (liked it) and am considering accelerade (maybe it's better).

war stories appreciated.

Originally posted by geauxdallas
for those who have tried either or both, what are your experiences and suggestions?

i've used cytomax (liked it) and am considering accelerade (maybe it's better).

war stories appreciated.

I've been pretty happy with Accelerade, as I tried it after reading Ed Burke's updated book on muscular recovery (and doing some investigation). I have to say that mixing it at the ratios they specify takes getting used to. I run a little less, but do a second bottle. Living in the desert, you get used to drinking volumes, so that's not a problem for me. Don't go to GNC - there are places on the web for better deals. The best one I've found (and I will probably be ordering from them soon when I run low) is here:

http://www.performancebike.com

I'd be interested in hearing other war stories as well...

Mark

I just started using accelerade. It's great when it's cold but when it warms up I find that it clumps up in the bottle (I've tried premixing, different ratios, etc.) and it quickly loses its taste too. Any ideas? I think I'm going to try cytomax next.

Has anyone tried GPush it claims to be better?

Originally posted by chuy
Has anyone tried GPush it claims to be better?

i've found it very useful, tasty, but a bizarre taste (i know that sounds strange!)

ric

Originally posted by ricstern
i've found it very useful, tasty, but a bizarre taste (i know that sounds strange!)

ric

Ric - I've noticed a trend in most of you posts regarding sport drinks that you're not really a fan of having protein in them. I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on that subject? It really would make this discussing interesting since that is really the major difference between the two rather than a "I use A, she uses B"... (or a different bend of galactose - like GPush - verses others...)

Mark

good point, mark/skinner.

i guess that's the real question here.

What I've started doing is mixing my Cytomax with a quarter scoop of protein. Seems much more economical than buying endorox or other recovery drinks.

when i took cytomax-w/ a week'n'ahalf i started breaking out my back & shoulders,experienced kidney pain & developed a strange "oozing" out of the follicles in my armpits (yes, rather gross)-did a little research & found out these are not uncommon responses to splenda/sucralose the sweetener in cytomax-which is sugar w/ the hydrogen (or is it hydroxl?) groups removed & replaced w/ chlorine-chlorine mind you bounds w/ organic molecules & forms dioxins (the family of chemicals agent orange hails from)-for this reason (chlorine in the water supply) i even have a filter on my shower water-at least the folks at cytomax refunded my $$$-but i'll still never recommend it-i was so turned off by the experience that i haven't looked into sports drinks since-but it sounds like others use different sweetners-if anyone has that info handy (i'm sure you do) could you post the sweetners that your product of choice uses?-i'm curious if anyone uses anything remotely "natural" -does anyone have some "hippy" sports drink recipe to recommend (water w/ honey/maple syrup, for example)-

I've been using Accelerade all summer while triathlon training and am leaving it alone due to serious stomach problems that it causes. In short, it makes me painfully gassy and bloated. The only way I found to minimize the gas build up was to use less than half the suggested amount and let the freshly made mixture sit awhile before drinking with the cap on my water bottle open for the foam/fiz to release after shaking. I mean, you shake that stuff up and it foams up like crazy. Unfortunately, the same thing has happened with other teammates of mine wiht less favorable GI problems. This really sucks since the product really works. It's got the right nutrients and such to help keep you going for long distances. I just bought a can of Cytomax on the recommendation of another triathlete. I'm a little worried about the lack of protein but will try to off-set that with my diet.

Anybody else know anything about the agent orange induced armpit oozing the other guy mentioned in his reply. i'm scared.

Originally posted by iceberg
I've been using Accelerade all summer while triathlon training and am leaving it alone due to serious stomach problems that it causes. In short, it makes me painfully gassy and bloated. The only way I found to minimize the gas build up was to use less than half the suggested amount and let the freshly made mixture sit awhile before drinking with the cap on my water bottle open for the foam/fiz to release after shaking. I mean, you shake that stuff up and it foams up like crazy.

I don't roll at their mixture levels either - I'd be broke for the quantity of fluid I have to drink here in the southwest (Tucson). I do a mounded scoop for 22 oz. Trick I've found for keeping foam down is ice. I know it's not as soluble at lower temps, but after riding a couple hours here, it's bathwater temp if you don't. I can't say foam has ever been a problem.

GI problems are very different from person to person. My friend (an excellent rider) can't near take the level of crap I eat and drink. He'd barf if he tried. My stomach is pretty much cast iron, so I understand from the contrast between my friend and myself about the nature of what a drink can do to you.


Anybody else know anything about the agent orange induced armpit oozing the other guy mentioned in his reply. i'm scared.

I'm almost positive there's more here than just a drink. Sounds like his body is either:

A) expelling waste that is reacting to deodorant/sweat/residual detergent on jersery
B) needs to visit a local naturalist/herbalist to get his PH right in his body. May want to get him on a detox program.

I've had my body expell stuff that is truly gross (wounds healing, etc) and most times it not what we think it is causing it.

Good Post!

Mark

I'm almost positive there's more here than just a drink. Sounds like his body is either:

A) expelling waste that is reacting to deodorant/sweat/residual detergent on jersery
B) needs to visit a local naturalist/herbalist to get his PH right in his body. May want to get him on a detox program.

the thing is i use salt/crystal block deodorant (& barely) also i eat vegan & mostly organic/filter all water, etc-so it probably wasn't deodorant or any particular need to detox-also the effluent in question was exactly the color of the cytomax (peach flavored)

if you do a google for sucralose, after the splenda website the top 3 hits are about the dangers of sucralose/splenda

other people seem to do fine w/ it-if anything i think the issue might be that i'm pretty clean/detoxed already & my body is going to react to the littlest thing-

Originally posted by taxicab
I'm almost positive there's more here than just a drink. Sounds like his body is either:

A) expelling waste that is reacting to deodorant/sweat/residual detergent on jersery
B) needs to visit a local naturalist/herbalist to get his PH right in his body. May want to get him on a detox program.

the thing is i use salt/crystal block deodorant (& barely) also i eat vegan & mostly organic/filter all water, etc-so it probably wasn't deodorant or any particular need to detox-also the effluent in question was exactly the color of the cytomax (peach flavored)

if you do a google for sucralose, after the splenda website the top 3 hits are about the dangers of sucralose/splenda

other people seem to do fine w/ it-if anything i think the issue might be that i'm pretty clean/detoxed already & my body is going to react to the littlest thing-

damn i just bout a 4.5 lb of cytomax, just mixed my 1st batch
you got me nervous dude.

Originally posted by taxicab
other people seem to do fine w/ it-if anything i think the issue might be that i'm pretty clean/detoxed already & my body is going to react to the littlest thing-

This is a direction I've seen. You sound like my sister - ultra conscious about diet/environmentals, where I've seen her change her intake over a couple meals and it having bizzare results like fatigue, rash, etc. You're reaction is definitely interesting, but I figure the amount of sucralose they are putting in has to be pretty low (read: why would I put in a substance that has no carbs, in a carb drink, beyond any level than to help palatability).

I got a dump of Cyto's ingredients here:
CytoSport's unique complex carbohydrate blend including amylopectin starches and maltodextrins from corn hydrids, alpha L-Polylactate (Our patented L-lactate formulation containing non-acidic L-lactate ionically bound to L-arginine, fructose, glycine, L-histidine, L-alanine, sodium L-lactate, potassium L-lactate, L-pyruvate), dextrose, citric acid, guarana extract, natural and artificial flavor, potassium succinate, L-glutamic acid, inosine, magnesium succinate, calcium succinate, malic acid, ascorbic acid, L-alanine, L-glutamine, xanthan gum, beta-carotene, ginseng extract, sucralose, quercetin, lemon bioflavonoids,chromium polynicotinate (ChromeMate).

Other Ingredients: ** Product contains no complete proteins, only selected amino acids as disclosed in the ingredient declaration. *** Contains fructose and starches - NO sucrose.

To answer your question about ingredients, I found this link about different types of sugars:

http://www.accelerade.com/1-5.asp

After looking at ingredient lists again, ultimately gets me back to the question that Ric Stern dodged earlier in this thread - have people see a marked benefit to adding protein in a sports drink?

Thx,
Mark

My take on both?

I used Cytomax for a couple of years, swithed to Accelerade then back to Cytomax. I determined that I needed more sugars for my type of rides, short, fast 25 - 60 milers. Added to that is apparently my body's need for more sugars to power my muscles. As a larger rider, I found that the protein in Accelerade was not giving me the energy I needed. I went back to the sugars (Cytomax) and started performing better.

I would suggest matching your rides with different forms of "on the bike nutrition".

Does anyone have info on nutritional needs during different HR levels? That would be interesting.

I switched to Accelerade this summer and it hit my GI like an explosion! And I have a "cast iron" stomach - nothing has ever bothered me. I have tried using Accelerade at a lower concentration (1/2 the directions) and that seemed to help quite a bit.

Personally, I mix one scoop of Accelerade and one scoop Cytomax. That way I get a good balance......

Help. I really want some Cytomax. I lost my contact. I live in the UK. Can anyone advise? datmin01@hotmail.com
It's quite remarkable.

I used to use Cytomax alot but got tired of the insoluble grit settling in the bottom of my bottle. I noticed that I had GI problems and bloating with the peach flavor but not the fruit punch or orange. Others I know have reported GI problems associated with a particular flavor, so I guess it could be one of the minor components causing these problems. Try experimenting with different flavors.
Earlier this year I decided to try Accelerade and so far I like it. I drink more when I have accelerade than when I have cytomax or Extran. I don't like the fruit punch accelerade...too tart. Orange goes down well for me.
Extran is a little too light on flavor for me. But I think it is good for electrolytes.....just a feeling, no solid data.
As for performance I think there are too many variables in my training and riding to say which works better. However, there is a century ride that I have done for the past 4 years. This year I used accelerade instead of cytomax and felt a lot better at the end of the ride. But maybe I prepared better, maybe I didn't over do it, maybe the moon was in Venus and Taurus was ascending!! I can't really say it was the change in drink.
My philosophy is to just find things that won't harm my performance rather than things that may improve it. For me, losing 10 pounds (or even 20) would do tons more for my performance than finding the opitmum drink. If it doesn't make me ill and I like the taste, I'll drink it.
At the moment I mix and match the 3 drinks but will probably not replace the extran when it runs out. I'm lucky to live near a couple Supergo and Performance retail stores. I buy sports drinks when they are on sale. Last time I bought accelerade I paid about $15 for a small can.....I bought two since that worked out cheaper than buying one large can and I got to try 2 flavors. I typically get cytomax for around $30-32 (large can) and Extran for $18 (small can).
I also tried the low glycemic index cytomax (cytomax lite) a couple years ago when someone gave me a small can for free. Has anyone else tried it? I used it as a pre-ride drink and actually liked it.

I may be unique, but I've never had an issue with either Cyto or Accelerade. I like the concept of protein the drink, but I can't say for sure whether it has really mattered.

I do know that I'm concerned when a carbo drink like Cyto has fake sweeteners. Why do they need it in a CARBO drink??? Some flavors even use acesulfame potassium (aka Ace-K), which has a nastier rep than sucralose/aspartame.

Has anyone tried Hammer Nutrition's stuff? Low sugar. I definitely notice a sluggishness on their gel (you can mix it with water) and/or their Sustained Energy and Perpeteum powders. Pity -- they don't use fake anything.