Linda,

Gatorade is pretty low in electrolytes even in non-dilute form.  If you're diluting it further, you are getting very little electrolyte at all.  I haven't reviewed the research for a while, but my recollection is that 200mg of sodium per 8 ounces of fluid was optimal for absorption.  Gatorade has about 110 mg per 8 0z. serving.  It's worth googling "sodium concentration in sport drinks" to look at the research yourself.

Several other products have a higher concentration of electrolytes.  I've used Clif and Powerbar in the past.  The Powerbar formula in particular suited me because it was substantially less sweet-tasting than Gatorade or, God forbid, Powerade.  Unfortunately they quit making ice tea flavor, my personal favorite.

If you feel the need to dilute your drink, you can add electrolytes.  Hammer Nutrition has electrolytes in powder and capsule form.  Other than a tendency to separate out if you don't shake your bottle before drinking, it works pretty well.  I've also simply added table salt to my drink to increase sodium.  Although it doesn't sound that appetizing, toward the end of endurance workouts a little added salt tastes better than you'd expect.

Whatever you do, experiment in training so you know what to expect in a race.

Good luck.

I second the Hammer Endurolites.  I train in the AZ summer heat so have used them alot for training.  Most of my races aren't during the hot time of the year so I usually only take one before the start of a longer distance race.  If it is a longer race I've usually got some salty cashews or nuts in my bento bag.  I've never tried soy souce packets - interesting.

I'm in the same boat as the OP. I agree that it's probably due, in part, to lack of fitness. However, I suffer from the same problem (I need to ramp up my game!) and I sweat A LOT. Like abnormally so. It's genetic. So, I'm constantly battling cramping/dehydration when I race or workout. Cramps destroyed my time during my first Olympic last summer. I'm in a constant search of a magic formula that will eliminate my cramps (almost always my quads).

My drink of choice is now Pedialyte. Yes, it's a little more pricey than anything else, but it seems to help a lot. It has way more electrolytes than any other drink I know of.

DO NOT buy the name brand stuff (unless it's the powder packs - there's no generic for those). I've found the best place to get them is the store I hate most: Wal Mart. The bottles are like $3.49 and are like 32oz. They also have the best price on the 8-pack of powder for around $8 or so. I'll use two packets per 32oz of water. Yes, it can taste sweet. But you can dilute it a bit. I wish there were more options but the manufacturer seems to have pretty tight control over the stuff and you can't find it anywhere else for cheap. CVS has it, but it's almost as expensive as the brand name.

I also pop a few Endurolytes before I start a workout/race.

Outside of working out, I like to drink stuff that's high in sodium, potassium, etc. I've become a big fan of V8 juice. It's good just in general.

After all that, I still cramp up. But I'm beginning to increase the intensity of my training, so hopefully my body will adjust accordingly. I hope.

Check out First Endurance products. I live in AZ and the EFS products don't stay on the shelves of most bike shops during the summer.

I've used Hammer product before, but EFS works for me.