Energy drinks for everyday use?

SerpicoUK

Hi all,

Quick question for you. I cycle 2 x 20Km Mon-Fri (commute) and then usually a 50-60Km ride on Sunday. I've cycled this distance for a couple of years. I try and take the commute rides seriously. I do interval work on alternate days with recovery rides in between. But even with the recovery rides I still notice that as the week progresses my legs feel progressively 'empty'.
(I don't drive so taking additional days off is not on the cards.)

I was thinking about try some energy/recovery drinks (probably test out the SiS range with one of the introduction packs).

I've never used them before, are they for everyday use? Any advice concerning their use?

Thanks in advance.

nerdag

The basic idea behind most energy/recovery drinks is replacing lost carbs and supplementing protein.

Flavoured milk meets those reuirements, and will effectively do the same thing. I know a few riders who swear by chocolate milk as a post-big-ride recovery drink. Its a whole lot cheaper than the formulated stuff as well.

Having said that, if you're otherwise healthy, there's no harm in trying the big dollar stuff if you have the cash and are willing to give it a go.

n

Strumpetto

Yes, I will swear by chocolate milk, too. It's $3.99 a gallon. Problem is, it tastes a lot better than anything esle, so I end up buying a lot of it.

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stevetroyer

If you are looking for an energy drink that has all the nutrients, minerals and enzymes needed, it is a superfood, then you may want to look at The Energy Drink. I can send you information on The Energy Drink by contacting me at stevetroyer@yahoo.com

It has been used for weight loss, but professional athletes have been using it for increased stamina and energy to compete. Professional baseball, football, hockey and basketball have been using these products for years. They are available to the general public. I allways ask the one question...what do professional athletes that depend on their bodies for their living use to help them perform? I found that answer and I will share it with anyone interested.

stevetroyer

Chocolate milk has several things wrong with it as far as a recovery drink or an energy drink.

First, it contains lots of high fructose corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup is not easily used by the human body and has been linked to the explosion of obesity that is plaguing the world today. High fructose corn syrup is a dangerous man made product that should not be taken internally. It is in many products today that you buy at the grocery store.

Second. Cows milk contains growth hormones and antibiotics that were injected into the cows in order for them to get fatter sooner and to keep them lactating. The hormones are passed on to you when you drink the milk.

The antibiotics are used to keep the cows disease free...often that does not work.
The antibiotics are then passed on to you through the milk.
Antibiotics kill all the good flora along with the bad flora. The good flora is needed to prevent colds, flu, GI tract infections, ear infections and a host of other sicknesses.

Third. Chocolate milk contains no enzymes usable by the human body. Enzymes are the key to high energy output. If you eat foods low in enzymes(which are needed for digestion)...cooked foods, processed foods, fast foods, then your body takes the enzymes needed to digest that food from your metabolism. When your metabolic enzymes are depleated, you get tired and do not have the ability to perform as you did when you were younger when your body was full of metabolic enzymes. You slow down, gain weight and get fat.

Fourth. Cows milk was meant for baby cows, not for humans. By the way, who was the first person to decide to drink the stuff coming out the bottom of a cow?

Chocolate milk is not a good answer to best performance and good health.

nerdag

Says he who is trying to sell a competing product.

HFCS is typically a mixutre of fructose and glucose. both of which are simple carbohydrates. Both occur naturally in many foods, and I would suspect that products such as sports drinks contain at least as much fructose and glucose, since the emphasis is on carbohydrate replacement.

Obesity is a complex social, physical and health problem. Blaming it on one product/factor is disingenuous and misleading. I would put it to you that it is more likely that overconsumption (rather than sugars per se) and underactivity are far greater contributors to obesity.

Exactly what are the dangers of consuming simple sugars if you are an otherwise a healthy person (i.e. non-diabetic)?

Are you advocating that we should not consume any milk at all?

Most of these compounds are destroyed and broken down into amino acid components when the milk is pasteurised, heat treated, and sterilised. You get far more growth hormone and antibiotics from eating beef that is mildly underdone.

Colds are caused by viruses infecting your respiratory tract, which are indepenent of gut flora.

Ear infections have nothing to do with gut flora.

GIT infections related to abnormal gut flora usually only happen in people with underlying immune compromise or GIT dysfunction. Depletion of normal flora in and of itself doesn't cause gastroenteritis - you also need an innoculting bacterium or virus.

What you say is correct, but your reasonsing is incorrect. No other foods contain "energy producing enzymes" either. In fact, nothing you eat contains enzymes that are critical to producing energy.

Enzymes are produced by the human body on an "as needed" basis, from amino acids and proteins are that are absorbed through the gut. There are essential and non-essential amino acids, the essential ones being ones you need to eat because your body cannot manufacture them.

Milk has proteins and amino acids in it, whereas sports drinks usually do not have any. So in this regard, milk is a superior food.

That sort of argument is used against feeding babies cows milk, because babies have different nutritional requirements to adults. It is disingenuous to argue the same for adults in the context of using it as a recovery drink.


I'l reiterate my original point:
The basic idea behind most energy/recovery drinks is replacing lost carbs and supplementing protein.

In that regard, chocolate milk meets all of these requirements for a fraction of the cost of any formulated sports drink.

n

stevetroyer

And this from a probable dairy farmer.

I am studying nurtition because I had to. The doctors I originally went to were not trained in nutrition and were not helping me with being overweight, high blood pressure, arthritis and gout. They gave me chemicals which were making me sicker.I had to do something to help myself and so I embarked on a quest for knowledge. I had a goal to be able to ride 100 miles in a day which was quite a goal since I could not on some days even get out of bed. I was in such pain and some days I wanted to die.
I finally found information that has helped me get back to good health and I was able to ride that 100 miles and then some. I am now living life as it was meant to be lived. I love to cycle and live to cycle. I could not before and now I can. It was something that kept me going. That goal. To ride the 100 miles.

Yes you are right about that. Gatoraid has high fructose corn syrup in it. So do many other energy drinks So does most of the processed foods you eat. Hiigh fructose corn syrup is not natural. It does not ocurr in nature. It was developed for profit only and not for good health.
Here is a link to the dangers of HFCS......by a doctor.........
http://www.westonaprice.org/modernf...ghfructose.html
And another link: http://www.solarnavigator.net/solar..._corn_syrup.htm
and this link:http://www.femhealth.com/DangersofHFCS.html

I am not being disingenuous. My life was in danger and I was ill but due to the knowledge I obtained, I was able to get back to good health and superior performance in cycling by using this knowledge. It saved my life.I just want to pass on the information. I am just a messenger.

Enzymes play a major role in the obesity factor today. Lack of enzymes in the food causes obesity. The enzymes needed to digest food if not in the food must be gotten somewhere. So they are taken from the metabolism. So your metabolism slows down and you get tired. You no longer want to exercise. You get sleepy when you eat. You gain weight. High fructose corn syrup does not allow the pancreas to produce insulin to convert the fructose to energy so the fructose is then converted to fat. HFCS is not the only reason why we are getting fatter, but it plays a major role.

People who use dairy products have a higher rate of cancers, obesity and other diseases. Nutrition plays a role in over 90% of all diseases. Cows milk is just a small part of the problem. It is not the perfect food as the advertising would have you believe.


Consuming sugars in large amounts ( which is common in todays processed foods and drinks) is a major reason for type 2 diabetes. Why is it since the 70's when high fructose corn syrup was introduced, we have the obesity explosion, We have diabetes running wild. Check out this link:http://www.unhinderedliving.com/sugardanger.html

Yes. Milk and dairy products are loaded with antibiotics and growth hormones. There are better ways of getting calcium and the other nutrients needed than in cows milk. Many people cannot have cows milk and never use it.

Milk is not the answer to many people who are lactose intollerant. There are better subsitutes that give better nutrition. I can present to you doctors who will tell you not to eat any kind of bovine milk products. Here is a link to get more information:http://www.rense.com/general26/milk.htm
And another link: http://www.notmilk.com/kradjian.html
If you are going to drink milk, then it should be raw milk from a farmer that uses no antibiotics and no growth hormones. It should be grass fed. Here is a link to a study done on Raw vs. pasteurized milk: http://www.realmilk.com/raw.html
True to a point.You cannot destroy all the hormones with the heat of pastuerization. Check out this website that will explain why growth hormones in cows is not a very good thing for you....https://hfa.org/campaigns/dairy.html
Flora is in the GI tract. The GI tract goes from the ears, nose and throat down to the stomach. Flora is in those areas and can be destroyed by anti biotics. This is very basic stuff and is common knowledge. Carbonation kills flora. So does antibiotics.

GIT infections are related to flora problems. It is also linked to lack of digestive enzymes in the food. If no digestive enzymes are available, then your body goes into the metabolsim to get them. If your metabolism does not have the enzymes, then the food putrifies.....you get indigestion.The acid from the stomach is then produced in larger amounts than normal to try to digest the food that has no enzymes available to digest it. So the acid rises in the GI tract and kills the good flora (biotics) You then get GIT infections from the food that has not been digested correctly because the acid killed the flora which was protecting your GI tract against invasion from the viruses and bacteria. Yes, outside factors are present. As they always are. What I stated is true.And I think you and I agree on this.

Enzymes are taken from the metabolism when there are no enzymes present in the food we eat. Yes metabolic enzymes are made in the body. The metabolism regulates energy. So the energy is not produced by the metabolsim because the ezymes needed to produce that energy is not there any more and was used to digest the foods. And you are wrong about no foods containing enzymes. See this site: http://www.infinity2.com and learn about enzymes. They are critical for digestion, for energy, for life. Enzymes critical for life are available in foods. Whole natural foods. Where do the enzymes come from then? Do they just majically appear? No. They are part of your diet. You are what you eat as they say.
So why then are doctors and many nutrionists advising Major Leage Baseball to use the stuff I am using that has enzymes and minerals for energy in them? Mybe you should contact those doctors and nutritionists to let them know they are wrong.
On this we both agree.


Major league baseball have been using the products I have been using. Their nutrional advisors and doctors surely know more than either you or I on this subject. I defer to them and let them tell me what to know. I am only a messenger.
I know what helped me lose over 40 lbs. and allows me to compete with people in their 20's and 30's. I'm 52.
I had severe arthritis and could not bicycle or even get out of bed some days. I am now as active as I was 30 years ago. I am studying to become a nutrionist because I realized that I can help people with this knowledge as it has helped me regain my health.
Not according to many doctors. I have also found that milk makes mucus. Not a very pleasant thing to deal with when you are trying to pedal as fast as you can!
Check out this site:http://www.ecotopia.com/webpress/milk/
and this site: http://www.associatedcontent.com/ar...omogenized.html
and this site: http://rawfooddietsecrets.com/blog/...to-avoid-dairy/


The energy drink I use has amino acids in it and also has protein. It also supplies chelated minerals and antioxidants and has enzymes in it. It is a superfood.
Oh is it? A recovery drink? As I have shown in this post, which by the way is really too long, that Cows milk is not a good recovery drink or any kind of drink at all.


So says the possible dairy farmer that likes to advertise on the cycling forums.

Chocolate milk, give me a break. You are about the only one I have ever heard that uses chocolate milk. Why chocolate? Why not strawberry flavored milk? How about chocolate rats milk? Or even better...chocolate human breast milk. LOL...I will say this on milk....it is good for you if it is raw milk from a farmer who feeds his cows grass and doe not fill them with steroids and growth hormones. I would stay away from chocolate milk and dairy products made from commercialy grown cows.

nerdag

I was stating a fact regarding your competing interests. At no stage have I advertised dairy products. Making personal attacks doesn't help your case.

Its very good and noble of you to want to share your knowledge and experiences, and that should be encouraged. However, some of the information you're proposing in your posts is inaccurate, and I think its important to point out the errors in your arguments.

I never said that. And I don't disagree that there are documented health risks in consuming it.

What I am saying is that in the absence of metabolic co-morbidities (i.e. your average, healthy cyclist), consumption of simple sugars is not a problem, especially if you are exercising.



With a product to sell that may or may not make any difference whatsoever.


I suggest that you go an look up what an enzyme is, an the role of enzymes in metabolism.


This is plain wrong, wrong, and wrong.

Post-prandial sedation occurs because blood is preferentially directed towards the gut after you eat to facilitate digestion. To function optimally, your parasympathetic nervous system kicks in, which is why you feel sleepy.

You gain weight because you eat too much, or don't expend enough energy exercising.

Any carbohydrate (HFCS, simple sugars, whatever), always stimulate insulin secretion. Insulin does not generate energy. It stores glucose inside cells, and promotes the formation of fat cells.


I'd like to see the double blinded RCTs, or multicentre retrospective cross sectional studies that prove this.



This is probably one of the only things you've said that is close to being correct.


Like popping a Caltrate pill? Seriously, you'd need to eat 2kgs of broccoli each day to get the same amount of calcium as you get from one glass of milk, which only accounts for 25% of Recommended Daily Intake.


Most ear infections are caused by viruses, which are independent of gut flora. Common bacterial causes of ear infections are haemophilus, and streptococcus, both of which are typically respiratory organisms, and have little to do with the GIT.



What you're peddling is misinformation to satisfy your own agenda, whether that be selling your "energy drink", or "spreading your message".


There's this thing called a cell, which all living organisms consist of. And they all manufacture specific enzymes related to that particular cell's function.


Send their contact details my way, and I'll make sure they know that you're peddling misinformation.


Ever heard of conflict of interest?



If you really must know, I am a medically qualified doctor. I don't regard myself as an expert in nutrition, but I do think I know a thing or two about how the body works.



I'm not the only one. All my riding colleagues (one of whom has a PhD in dietetics), and plenty of others I suspect. Would it make you feel better if I said flavoured milk?


Now you're just being absurd.

n

matagi

Nope, it has to be chocolate milk, nothing else cuts it as far as I'm concerned.

stevetroyer

How do I know who the heck you are? I made no personal attack...just raising the question of where you are coming from. You say you are a doctor......well I'm the king of Egypt. So I say...so it must be....but really?

If you are a doctor...then your arguments about milk should be concidered grounds for having your license revoked. You say you are a doctor.....show me where I am wrong with documentation.

On this we agree.

Over consumption of anything is not good for you. Water is beneficial to the body, but drinking a swimming pool can kill you. We need ozygen to live...but pure oxygen can kill you.




I have a friend who is a doctor and trained in nutrition. I know what enzymes are and how they are used. He has been educating me.


I know of quite of few doctors that will disagree with you. I have personal experience with this. My intake of enzymes and whole food vitamins has been instrumental in my energy being increased. I do not have the sedation or have not noticed it since I have gotten healthy. Enzymes are needed for digestion. There are primary enzymes like protease, lipase that you can take to help with that. There are many stages of digestion. If one of those stages are missed, incomplete digestion ocurs. It all comes down to digestion.If no enzymes are present then they must be found from somewhere. So they are taken from the metabolism.Your metabolism slows down. You do not exercise. You get fat.
True but you are ignoring why you eat too much. I know of several people who have lost weight without exercise because they could not. They were paralized and by the intake of enzymes and proper nutrition, their metabozlism was able to get back to healthy levels. When he metabolism is running correctly, they do not have the need to eat more. The brain controls the need to eat.

Always? Please explain why doctors are telling people to stay away from HFCS. Of course Insulin does not generate energy. But Insulin is needed for sugar use. HFCS is being ingested at a rate of over 66 lbs per year per person in the US. HFCS is not natural in any way. It is a product of researchers looking for a cheaper way to use corn that is subsized in the US. HFCS is a danger and you are doing a disservice by selling this short. Pure fructose contains no enzymes, vitamins or minerals and robs the body of its micronutrient treasures in order to assimilate itself for physiological use.

Because it is metabolized by the liver, fructose does not cause the pancreas to release insulin the way it normally does. Fructose converts to fat more than any other sugar. This may be one of the reasons Americans continue to get fatter. Fructose raises serum triglycerides significantly. As a left-handed sugar, fructose digestion is very low. For complete internal conversion of fructose into glucose and acetates, it must rob ATP energy stores from the liver.



Well cows milk does not have magnesium in it does it? You need magnesium in order for your body to use calcium. There is a synergy that must be present. All the co-factors must be present in order for anything to be used by the human body. If you choose to drink milk or partake of dairy products, I would recommend taking supplements containing magnesium, preferrably chelated magnesium.



There is flora in the GI tract just prior to the stomach up to the throat and into the ear canal. That flora is the first line of defence against viruses that cause ear infections.


I have seen some of your posts in the past, You seem to be very argumentative and ascerbic.I doubt your credentials from some of the postings you have made. I disagree with you on chocolate milk. Your statements are absurd.


Duh........





Obviously. I am not an expert yet. But a supposed doctor coming on this forum telling people that chocolate milk is good for you is just plain quakery.You should become an expert in nutrition because poor nutrition is responsible for most of the diseases we suffer from today. By saying you are not an expert, then I question why you put out information like drink chocolate milk. Your statement about chocolate milk says volumes as to your medical expertise. If I was a doctor, I would want to know what helps people, not what makes me the most money. Nutrition is the number one health issue that can either make and keep you healthy or can kill you. You are what you eat.


No it would not. And doctors used to think that bleeding was the answer to ilness. They killed George Washington. And doctors were prescribing me chemicals that were causing me liver damage to help with my arthritis.They made me into an invalid. My goal is to put as many of you out of business as possible with nutritional information which by the way nutrition is responsible for most of the diseases out there today.

I show absurdity with absurdity.
I would direct you to DR. Brent Allen, Jennifer Fernise, DR. Toby Watkinson and many other doctors and nutrionists. They all agree with what I have been saying. Major Leage Baseball, the NY Yankees, Boston Red Sox and all the other professional baseball teams agree with what I have learned. What professional athletes have you been associated with? Are there any that use your idea of chocolate milk? I'm sure that if I go into a locker room, there are gallons and gallons of chocolate milk...NOT!......absurd....yes...rats milk......why not...it is milk......it does meet with the nerdag seal of aproval....it is mamal milk........add a little chocolate and you have the very thing you propose. No rats....what about dogs milk......lets milk dogs and bottle it......add some flavor......it would be up to you..whatever flavor you would like....absurd...of course.....we use cows because they produce more milk.

Monsanto came up with hormones to make cows produce 10 times the milk they normally would. Those hormones have to be present in the milk. It has modified the cow. Dairy and pharmaceutical interests must love you. Nedrag...the dairy farmer doctor who prescribes chocolate milk .....LOL Quick everyone...drink your milk.....it is good for you......LOL.......

obxbes

Making it simple I drink Chocolate milk and feel better. It also seems to make me fill full so I don't eat as much.

Bro Deal

Why does nutrition always bring out the quacks and snake oil salesmen?

What's next? You are not going to try to sell us magnetic bracelets, are you?

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"You are like the wind and I like the lion. You form the tempest. The sand stings my eyes and the ground is parched. I roar in defiance but you do not hear. But between us there is a difference. I, like the lion, must remain in my place. While you like the wind will never know yours." -- Mulay Hamid El Raisuli, Lord of the Riff, Sultan to the Berbers, Last of the Barbary Pirates

nerdag

I'm flattered that you'd take the time to check my posting history to verify who you are actually talking to. Clearly, you don't have the confidence in your own knowledge to make arguments based on facts.

I'll keep it simple this time.

I would like to think that you're a misinformed individual who has a misplaced faith in the stories that you have been told.

More likely, you're a dodgy salesman who will say anything to make a quick dollar because you think the people you're selling your snake oil to are more stupid than you are.

n

j.r.hawkins

SteveTroller, I know nerdag is a medical doctor and have evidence to support that independent of his assertion here. What exactly is your claim to authority and expertise?

Oh, that's right... "my friend is a doctor and he's been telling me some stuff" (a paraphrase to cut to the chase)

Seems to me you're a crank on a bike, but not the sort you'd find connected to a bottom bracket.