From time to time I see people in the gym sipping on a Sports drink like Gatorade between their sets. This is a good idea for some people, and by some people I mean those who JUST weight gain. Most people who go to the gym are trying to trim body fat from their stomachs and hips and build some lean muscle. Too bad almost everyone I’ve seen in the gym drinking this stuff fit into that most people category.
Commercials will boast about how these drinks will replenish energy levels and keep you hydrated and I’m not about to discount any of that. However, most people don’t need them. The best way to reduce body fat is to force the body to dip into all that stored energy that is its body at and burn it! This can’t happen if it’s getting fed another energy source to burn like what you get in a sports drink.
To get a little more scientific, when sugars are high in the bloodstream, a storage hormone called insulin is secreted from the pancreas. This storage hormone shuttles the sugars into muscle cells or converts them to fat…and stores them. Therefor, when insulin is high in the bloodstream it hampers fat burning. Not good for the 6 pack!
Water is your friend till the end of your workout. Let the sports drinks do what they should…Replenish. Drink them AFTER good intense workout. It would be a great idea to have them with some BCAAs and Glutamine to ramp up your recovery and get you back in the gym stronger and sooner!