As a facility who works with youth and is a member of the International Youth Conditioning Association I thought this BLOG post was appropriate to share. We are frequently asked about “sports drinks” for kids and this one does a nice job of explaining the various types of Gatorade.
IYCA Training Advisor, Dave Gleason, posted this incredible question on our Members Only message board a few days ago for Dr. Chris Mohr. Dr. Mohr is a consultant to a number of media outlets and corporations including the IYCA, Discovery Health Channel, Clif Bar, Fit Fuel, etc. and has authored or co-authored several textbooks that were published in 2007.
Dave’s questions: Gatorade is making a big push with its Series – Prime, Perform and Recover. I have questions about:
1) Its efficacy
2) Its quality
3) Its potential as a viable alternative for the young athletes we deal with on a day to day basis.
Dr. Chris Mohr chimed in with an answer:
- Prime — the 1st in the “series” is really just a convenient way to take carbohydrates. It’s more concentrated than normal Gatorade, but not quite as concentrated as a gel. I’d stick with basic Gatorade if it were me.
- The Perform is regular Gatorade.
- And the Recover is mainly protein with very little carbohydrates. This would be more suited for an anaerobic athlete, who isn’t burning through glycogen and doesn’t have to be as concerned with replenishing glycogen as quickly. If you’re working with a more endurance based athlete, I’d want more carbohydrates in the recovery product than this offers.
Hope this helps and let us know if you have other questions!