The Heat Drink In Cool Weather?

As the weather is starting to turn a bit cooler (here in Texas it means 100 degrees down to 90), I get a lot of questions about the use of Eload(TM) Heat Endurance Formula in cooler weather.

Now first off, heat is relative to where you live. In Texas for instance it's pretty normal for the gauge to redline at a bit over 100 degrees. In many of the northern states, some people burst into flames if temperatures even think of getting near 95. Our current cool spells here in Austin have been around 88-92 degrees.

When a relatively cool spell comes about(even if it is 90 compared to 100), people suddenly think they don't need many electrolytes anymore because they "feel a lot cooler than last week". This obviously is much more the feeling when people are training in the winter.

So what gives? Yes, your electrolyte output slows in colder weather, but so does your fluid loss. The problem is many athletes switch from sport drinks to water during the cooler weather months because they feel that they don't need the electrolytes. This is horribly untrue and whoever started this rumor should be sacked!

Why not water? Okay, if you were in need of a blood transfusion, would you say it's okay to use half blood and half saline? Probably not. So why when we sweat do people chose only to put 1/2 or less of what's lost back in their body? Obviously this is an extreme example. The results of putting 1/2 blood back in the body are much more disastrous than putting 1/2 the electrolytes back. But where do you want to draw the line for your body? Is 1/2 as good good enough for your body? Why would you put none of the electrolytes back by using water?

More smack talk about water - Water shuts off your thirst mechanism. It thins your blood/sodium balance needed for muscle function, cell absorption, and blood pressure control. Water bad! Some would say that it's okay for exercising under 1 hour. Sure, you won't die or you probably wouldn't notice a performance difference, but for whatever effort you do have in under an hour, your recovery will not be as optimal. Why are you working out? If I'm going to train for any amount of time, I want it to pay off as much as possible, period!

So if Eload(TM) is made for the heat, then how could it be good for the cold? Simple. Fulfilling what your body needs in the heat is the most difficult task to undertake. Everything less than hot weather is cake after that. If you made a drink to only perform in the cold, then guess what? It probably won't do so well in the heat. Got it? Need a flow chart? :)

Here's a link to a fluid intake calculator or as I'd rather refer to it as, an Eload(TM) intake calculator. This will help determine if you are consuming enough fluids(Eload) during your exercise. http://www.eload.net/Calculator/FluidCalc.htm

Now go electrolyte yourself! Cheers!

Osmolality and Carbohydrates - The Facts

We've seen a lot of hype lately about sports drinks and their osmolality as well as carbohydrates. I'm not going to go into great detail about this but I will make some basic points for your reference. If you would like to know more you can go to www.eload.net and look under "Science of e load(TM)". Be sure to take a look at the carbohydrate comparison chart to shed some better light on all the carb "hype" that's out there as well.

The Bottom Line
* In a 4-8% solution (40-80 grams/litre), dextrose, sucrose, maltodextrin and amylopectin are well tolerated. The longer chain carbohydrates like maltodextrin and amlyopectin may be associated with incomplete digestion, contributing to bloating, flatulence, diarrhea and dehydration.
* The higher the glycemic index, the faster the carbohydrate fueling, and the more advantageous to the athlete.
* Osmolality is not an important concept if the drink is a 4-8% solution (40-80 grams/litre). Indeed, from a gastrointestinal tolerance viewpoint, the more important concept may well be the total GRAMS of carbohydrate in solution, not the osmolality.
* Dextrose facilitates sodium absorption in the small intestine, and reabsorption from the kidneys, and because of this, is the carbohydrate of choice for a drink in the heat where sodium balance is crucial.
* Maltodextrin (and other long chain carbohydrates like amylopectin) cannot be used in higher percent solutions to increase caloric density, even though osmolality may remain lower than comparable dextrose based solutions. Higher percent solutions of long chain carbohyrates are known to slow gastric emptying and are thought to leave short chain carbohydrate remnants undigested. This can contribute to bloating, flatulence, diarrhea and dehydration.

Would You Like That Served With A Chill?

The attendees at this year's Outdoor Dirt Demo at Interbike on Sept. 25th and 26th will be getting a special treat. Medion Corporation, makers of eLoad(TM) Heat Endurance Formula, EMEND(TM) Heat Recovery Formula and Zone Caps(TM) Electrolyte Sustainer will be working in tandem with New Sun Productions to offer other exhibitors and attendees relief from the heat!

Along side the sampling of Medion Corporation's brands, the first sports drinks medically designed to treat and prevent heat related illnesses, New Sun Productions will be providing a solar powered, air conditioned trauma tent for people to get relief before and/or after taking their demo rides at Bootleg Canyon's expo area. New Sun Productions will also have Wingnut Gear(TM) hydration packs to load up with eLoad(TM) for use on the trail. Look for the awesome setup near the off-road trail head.

2006 Texas State Championship Road Race Update

As many already know, Medion Corporation was set to supply eload for neutral feed and bottles for the Texas State Skill Based Championship Road Race originally scheduled for the end of June. This date was postponed due to a sudden decision by the military to hold manuevers on the course, which is perfectly legal because the course was planned on military soil, Fort Hood to be exact.

The race promoter Andy Hollinger now has a new date set for the State Championship. It will not be on Fort Hood property this time, avoiding any further "pulling rank" by the military. Instead this will occur in nearby Copperas Cove, Texas. The date is now Sunday, October 15th 2006. For more information on the race and neutral feed support by Medion Corporation you may go to http://www.theracingpost.us/Copperas%20Cove%20Challenge.htm