In general, you need 200-300 calories per hour. This is regardless of season, temperature, humidity etc. Electrolytes needs, however, vary with how much you sweat.

Gatorade Endurance is loaded with sodium and is, in my opinion, a drink more appropriate for hot/humid weather.

Serving Size 8 fl oz.
Calories - 50
Sodium - 200mg
Potassium - 90mg

For me, on hot/humid days, I can take in 40-60 oz of fluid per hour. That would be 250-375 cals per hour, with 1000 mg to 1500 mg of sodium per hour. In other words, 60 oz per hour of Gatorade Endurance would be too much cals and sodium (for me). Even 1000 mg of sodium per hour is a lot. I do OK on 600 mg.

Gels, though, are energy only and do not have electrolytes.

Other sports drinks (Succeed and Hammer products, for example), are more "advanced" than Gatorade. With Succeed, the sports drink doesn't have much electrolyte content and instead you take salt pills every hour or 2.

I have one quick question. I have been looking at Succeed and the S tabs. I have not yet used anything other than water. However my runs are getting longer and I'm running in a remote area. The Succeed looks more beneficial to me than the Gatorade.
I plan on running the HM Miami ING in January. They are using Gatorade Endurance. Should I start using the Gatorade now? Or should I plan on carrying Succeed with me? I am an incredibly slow runner and it will take me at least 3 hours to finish the 1/2. So I'm going to need something other than water. Do other people carry their own sports drink?
Thanks for any suggestions.

Karen

quote:<HR>Originally posted by jgrandits:
Is gatorade alone sufficient to drink during a marathon<HR>

Yes. People, even elites, do marathons all the time with nothing else.

quote:<HR>Originally posted by jgrandits:
do gels provide better fuel source?<HR>

Possibly. Depends on your personal needs and how YOUR body works. Many people benefit from the additional calories. But... You can get the same boost from more Gatorade if you absorb that more easily.

The key is experimentation during training. Find out what works for YOU.


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leitnerj, I read all your posts and value your opinions.
Regarding fat utilization, at a low body fat, what fat is being used for fuel?
This is all new stuff to me, please don't think I'm an idiot. I'm trying to make sense of it all. And I'm certainly not trying to create controversy. My personality is such that I need to make sense of things.
Thanks.

quote:<HR>Originally posted by kimber45:
leitnerj, I read all your posts and value your opinions.
Regarding fat utilization, at a low body fat, what fat is being used for fuel?
This is all new stuff to me, please don't think I'm an idiot. I'm trying to make sense of it all. And I'm certainly not trying to create controversy. My personality is such that I need to make sense of things.
Thanks.<HR>

Even at a low body fat, you have glycogen stores sufficient to provide a lot of energy for quite a few miles. Most of these runners have a few things going for them, however. They are experienced, fast, and know what their bodies need to cover the distance they are racing. (and they weigh next to nothing, which lowers their enery requirements)

With regards to mere mortals...I have done up to 23 mile runs with nothing more than 20 ounces of gatorade and electrylyte capsules and water. This was during the summer. During races though, I usually plan on 3 to 4 gels, either Gu or PowerGels.

To get to your point...I wouldn't rely on just Gatorade during the race, unless it is the Endurance formula. If your stomach can handle a few extra gels, then use them.

I know my stomach will handle what I throw at it on race day, so I can cheat during training runs.

During marathons I don't mess around. Even at 190 pounds, I try to consume 300-400 calories worth of gels, and another 300 calories worth of whatever_enhancement_drink is available.

Experiment. We are all an experiment of one.


http://This message has been edited by Docster (edited Oct-14-2007).

in my best marathon so far, I took in plenty of water, 2 gels at about miles 16 and 19, (~200 kcal, total?) and all the water and ultima I could handle. ( 0 kcal in ultima? I did not care much at the time.)

I can't much tell the difference if I take a gell, or use gatorade only, or water only. I go by feel. If I feel hungry - the need for extra calories, I take a gel. # 1 is hydration, then, I think about energy.

Water alone, gatorade alone, or use gel supplements. They can all work, depending upon speed, training, and the individual.

I'm going to chime in here because I don't fully understand the fat burning question (my body fat is below 5%). I was always under the impression that fat is more difficult to burn, meaning that the body works harder to burn fat resulting in lower performance if you're not putting in other sources of energy while running a marathon? Wouldn't running an entire marathon while not taking in any carbs be more detrimental to performance? I know that the glycogen stores don't last very long but I thought that was the reason why you had to take in other carbs during the marathon? Again, I'm new to this and have been trying to take some of this in. Are there any studies that suggest that burning fat is easier on the body when discussing performance?