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Sports Nutrition Substitutes Though sport-specific products are often touted as the best thing you can put in your body while doing anything athletic, a few “real food” alternatives—if you can call Twizzlers real food—can give you the nutrients you need, too. Though these alternatives are often more difficult to digest than their sport-specific counterparts, they can be easier on the tastebuds and a good nutritional supplement during or after a long ride, when you just can't stomach sucking down another gel.
the popular energy gel Hammer Gel apple-cinnamon is great for quick, easily digestible energy. it gives you sugar and electrolytes for that energy boost, and also offers a balanced dose of potassium and sodium for effective electrolyte replacement. instead of fast-burning sugar, Hammer Gel provides calories through complex carbohydrates to sustain an athlete’s energy level rather than spiking up and down with simple sugars.
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triathlete.com | January 2011
Rold Gold Honey Twists can be an alternative to a drink like Xood. they are loaded with salt and have more complex carbohydrate than Xood, meaning these pretzels can sustain your energy but don’t give you as much of an immediate boost. But these honey twists are best saved for a long ride rather than a run, or you’ll risk upsetting your stomach without absorbing much of their nutritional value.
recovery drinks such as Endurox R4 offer athletes complex carbs, sodium and potassium to replenish electrolytes, protein to rebuild muscles and simple sugar to quickly replace those burned carbohydrates. though chocolate milk has earned the reputation as a well-rounded recovery drink, Nesquik chocolate milk has more fat and fewer complex carbs than endurox, but it offers similar amounts of sodium, ample potassium, nearly the same amount of protein and a huge dose of simple sugar. // aaron hersh and Bethany leach mavis
nils nilsen
Twizzlers, on the other hand, have a leg up on Hammer Gel with great taste, but the electrolyte supply is unbalanced. their sodium content is lower than Hammer Gel and they have no potassium. twizzlers might not have the complex carbohydrates to sustain your energy levels, but they provide a strong short-term boost from the simple sugars.
When it comes to sustained energy, sports drink Xood mangosteen balances sodium and potassium to provide athletes with complete electrolyte replacement. A serving has 2.5 grams of protein but not very many slow-burning complex carbohydrates. However, since Xood is a drink, it’s easily digested and absorbed, as compared to solid food, which takes more time to process.