Gatorade Recover - Tastes Great, but Does it Work?
Since trying it at the 2010 Boston Marathon Expo, I’ve been experimenting with drinking the new Gatorade Recover. Unlike most carbohydrate/protein blend recovery drinks, all of the flavors (Strawberry-Kiwi, Lemon-Lime-Orange, and Mixed Berry) of Gatorade Recover taste great.
While it’s been known for some time that consuming protein with carbohydrates after exercise helps with recovery, several studies have shown the optimum ratio of carbs to protein to be 4:1. This has resulted in the development of products such as Endurox R4, which has that carb:protein ratio. Most of these products have a distinct taste that comes from the whey protein used as one of the key ingredients.
Although I like the taste of Gatorade Recover, it has a carb:protein ratio of about 1:1 (14 g of carbs to 16 g of protein). This would seem to be too high in protein for optimal muscle recovery.
Fortunately, Gatorade also makes a G Series Pro 03 Recover Drink, which has a carb:protein ratio of about 3:1 (43 g of carbs to 16 g of protein). This product should do a much better job of helping accelerate your recovery. It also tastes better.
Since Gatorade Recover costs about $2.00 a bottle, I want to be sure that it’s working to help my muscles recover from my workouts.
Update: I also talked with with Lisa Esposito, MS, RD, CSSD, Sports Dietitian at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute at the 2011 ING NYC Marathon Expo . Lisa told me that Gatorade will be eliminating the confusion around having two Recover drinks with different formulations, by settling on the higher carb, G Series Pro 03 Recover Drink. This product not only provides more carbs than the standard G Series Recover Drink, it tastes better, too. Look for this change to happen around June 2012.
Have you tried Gatorade Recover? Does it work for you? Tell me in the comments.
Related Posts:
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Boost Your Racing and Recovery with Gatorade G Series Pro
Would You Pay $10 for a Teaspoon of Salt?
7 Things to Look For in an Energy Gel
Are Two Carbs Better Than One?
Highlights from the 2010 Boston Marathon Expo
Highlights from 2011 ING NYC Marathon Expo
How to Recover Fast with the Right Foods
