Energy Drinks: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best energy drink for me?

How do I sort through the advertising hype and conflicting information?

What about the varying forms of carbohydrate in energy drinks - which one is really the best during exercise?

Why is Cytomax better than commercial energy drinks?

Can Cytomax help with cramping during workouts and races?

Why shouldn't I just drink plain water during exercise?

Brad's Note: Why we carry only Cytomax

Scientific rationale and advantages of Cytomax

What is the best energy drink for me?

So many products….so many advertisements….so much science….so much hype. What to make of it all? What is the best drink for you? That's a difficult question to answer these days, with at least a dozen scientifically advanced energy drinks on the market. Their prominent advertising campaigns detail why each particular drink is highly effective and often claiming to be better than the competition. These compelling messages are typically supported by scientific research, commentary from respected experts and endorsements from top athletes.

The only sensible answer to what's best for you is the one that you like the best. As prominent endurance coach and author Dr. Phil Maffetone says, "the conflicts in the scientific literature regarding sports drinks likely indicate individual variations in athletes. Therefore each athlete must consider his or her own needs independently. The best way to find out what works best for you regarding nutrient intake during physical activity is to experiment during training."

That said, there are some important product quality and common sense guidelines that you must follow. First and most obvious is that the product has to have an appealing taste, even if it's warm and hitting your lips from a dusty water bottle during a long ride (a little different than enjoying an ice cold cup from a frosty tap at some industry trade show!). The product that you choose should probably have several different flavors to add variety to your routine without compromising ingredient consistency or disturbing your system with different product formulations.

Also critical is that your energy drink's glucose percentage should be 4-8%. When a beverage is over 8% glucose content (too sweet), gastric emptying is delayed, meaning fluid and nutrients do not reach your working muscles as quickly as water.

Commercial sodas, fruit juices or an energy drink powder mixed improperly have glucose percentages above 8%. When you consume these beverages, your body treats them like food, extracting calories and nutrients through the digestive process and neglecting your hydration needs. In contrast, studies have shown that energy drinks with 8% glucose solution or less hydrate as effectively as plain water.

Beyond that, you have to assess how your energy drinks affects your workout performance during a good trial period, such using as a complete container of the product in diverse weather and training session conditions.

How do I sort through the advertising hype and conflicting information?

Accelerade touts its "patented 4:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein" and explains that this innovation is "proven" to "extend endurance 24% compared to a conventional sports drink and 57% compared to water." So let's see…all of the sudden the endurance required to perform a 3-hour ride gets me to a 4-hour ride because my energy drink contains some amino acids? Not with the hills around my house! Take a step back when you read outrageous claims like that. As Scott Molina commented at a Q&A seminar in 2004 when asked about performance nutrition and heart rate training: "We went pretty fast before that stuff was around."

While the scientific studies lauded in marketing hype are certainly valid and conducted by respected researchers, it's possible they use oversimplified variables and performance measurement techniques. If you take some untrained college kid and test him on an exercise bike two weeks in a row, it is likely he will extend endurance 24% the following week simply by not partying with the Fiji's the night before…There is simply no logic to the argument that one brand of energy drink can extend endurance 24% from another brand.

It gets more confusing. Ironman legend and Accelerade spokesperson Dave Scott explains that products like G Push contain an inferior carbohydrate source (galactose) that will not sustain your energy effectively during workouts. Yet world champion triathlete Chris McCormack touts G Push as his chosen drink and claims that the main reason he DNF'd Hawaii in 2003 was that he missed his precious G-Push bottle at the special needs bottle handoff.

Well then, are energy drinks with added amino acids effective? Absolutely! Are energy drinks without added amino acids and of varying carbohydrate sources effective? Absolutely!

All of the high performance energy drinks on the market will be effective if mixed properly and consumed in the course of a sensible training program. You can consume leftover punch from a high school dance and win races if you train hard enough. Consider the true story of an elite marathoner's (who shall remain anonymous) carbo-loading meal the night before his personal best race: a half-gallon of rocky road ice cream, a pound of frozen peas and a joint.....

Consuming protein during exercise is an excellent idea and certainly can be proven in lab studies to generate a performance benefit. After all, up to 15% of your energy sources during exercise come from the burning of amino acids. If you have some in your bloodstream you can logically preserve muscle tissue, which will generate a performance benefit and assist with recovery.

Now, do you necessarily need to derive the protein from an energy drink? No. You can consume it from any source - the nuts from your trail mix, a meal replacement formula like Cytomax Pre-Formance (taken soon before your workout or during your long workout), the added amino acids in many energy gels and energy bars. Hey, when I was 12 years old I did the 78-mile McDonald's Bike Ride for diabetes fueled mainly by McDonald's French fries and hamburgers.

What about the varying forms of carbohydrate in energy drinks - which one is really the best during exercise?

That probably depends on the individual with the truth edging very close to John Parker's legendary quote in his novel, Once a Runner: 'If the fire is hot enough, anything will burn - even a big Mac." The point is to maintain a reasonable attitude about performance nutrition and the benefits it may offer. Like Dr. Maffetone says, the only true answer for the best energy drink is the one that works the best for you. And nothing you swallow is gonna improve your endurance 24%, unless it is on the banned substance list!

Cytomax, the only energy drink offered at this web site, does not contain significant levels of added amino acids. Product formulators prefer to focus on the more crucial elements of a hydration drink - hydration, electrolyte balance, sustained carbohydrate energy, antioxidants and performance enhancement with acid-buffering Alpha-L-Polylactate and Succinates.

That does not make Cytomax 24% worse than a "patented 4:1 carb-protein ratio" drink. Cytomax has research proven effectiveness just like all the other drinks, it is and has been extremely popular among thousands of users for 15 years and it may be a good choice for you. Or, you may find other products more appealing and effective.

Why is Cytomax better than commercial "thirst-quencher" drinks?

Most commercial sport drinks are made with primarily simple sugar as an energy source. This gives you quick energy but may cause a corresponding blood sugar drop when the initial sugar spike wears off. Many commercial drinks ignore the scientific research that proves 8% carbohydrate solution is ideal for gastric emptying. A drink with too high a sugar content is processed as a food by your body and does not contribute adequately to hydration. In addition, commercial drinks often contain artificial coloring and preservatives that can harm your health and performance.

Commercial drinks do not include any other the other performance and recovery-enhancing ingredients found in Cytomax and other advanced drinks. These sophisticated carbohydrate sources help you sustain energy levels over entire workout and prevent exercise-induced glycogen depletion.

Cytomax's patented Alpha-L-Polylactate buffers lactic acid in your working muscles, preventing burning and cramping during training and reducing soreness the next day. The antioxidants in Cytomax help fight free-radical production in your body head-on during your workout. The succinates in Cytomax improve the rate of oxygen delivery to your working muscles, reducing perceived exertion at all intensity levels.

During workouts, you will be able to push your body harder without depleting your reserves and becoming exhausted at the end. This is due to enhanced oxygen carrying capacity, lower blood lactate levels, and stabilized blood sugar levels. In the hours after workouts, instead of feeling lingering fatigue, you will feel refreshed and replenished - even after even highly intense workouts. Cellular balance will be restored quickly when you deliver the nutrients and performance ingredients your body needs during exercise with Cytomax.

Can Cytomax help with cramping during workouts and races?

Cytomax is designed to be easily absorbed by your system and quickly distributed to your working muscles. Drinks that contain too much simple sugar or have a carbohydrate content that are too high are difficult to assimilate and will linger in your stomach. You may feel bloated or succumb to muscle cramps when your fluid replacement drink does not efficiently reach your muscles. In addition to its acid-buffering properties, Alpha L-Polylactate has been found to enter your muscle tissue 2-10 times faster than simple carbs. Cytomax also contains the ideal levels of sodium, potassium and other electrolytes to ensure your cells remain in perfect fluid and electrolyte balance during and after your workout.

Why shouldn't I just drink plain water during exercise?

Water is nature's perfect fluid replacement will and always be. However, your needs during exercise include more than just water. You need to ensure an ideal balance of fluid, nutrients, and electrolytes in every cell of your body.

When you put maximum effort into a workout, you deplete your system of stored energy. You may feel great while your heart is pumping and the adrenalin is flowing during your workout, but this exercise-induced depletion extends your recovery time and may cause fatigue, mood swings, sugar cravings, episodes of strong thirst, and body temperature fluctuations in the hours after your workout. These are all signs that your body is in a breakdown state.

You can still push yourself during workouts, but you need to make it easier on your body afterwards if you want to avoid fatigue and burnout. As water has no calories and no antioxidant or lactic acid buffering properties, it is best to mix fresh filtered water with Cytomax to gain the maximum benefits of fluid replacement.

When you drink 32 ounces of Cytomax at every workout for every hour that you exercise, your systems will return to perfect balance much faster. You will recover faster and have more energy in the ensuing hours because you exercised, rather than less.

Brad's Note: Why We Feature Only Cytomax
Cytomax is the primary drink I have used since 1988 and I want to remain true to my mission statement of only carrying products that I use and enjoy in my own training and daily life.

A compelling argument can be made that Cytomax is the premier sports drink on the market and quite likely the best choice for you for numerous reasons:

1. Popularity: Cytomax has the highest sales volume of any high performance energy drink, indicating a large and diverse group of athletes and fitness enthusiasts enjoy the product. Cytomax was also voted #1 for numerous consecutive years in reader surveys by Velo News magazine and has been on the market continually for longer than any other high performance energy drink.

2. Elite Athletes: Cytomax has been used by numerous world-class athletes over the past 15 years, including paid endorsers, unpaid endorsers and secret purchases from athletes and teams under contract with other energy drink manufacturers. The product has been used by top athletes in the toughest endurance events on the planet:

• Western States 100-mile run: Tim Twietmeyer, (6-time winner, 21-time sub-24 hour finisher), drinks only Cytomax on the trail for 17 hours+ every year
• Tour de France: Numerous American and foreign riders have used Cytomax willfully and without contractual obligation - often secretly in bottles with other labels. Frankie Andreu, who has the most Tour finishes of any American, often wrote about Cytomax in his popular race diaries.

3. Science: The product formulation, modifications and raw ingredient components are overseen by one of the world's leading exercise physiologists and sports nutrition scientists, Dr. George Brooks of UC Berkeley.

4. Polylactate: Proprietary carbohydrate source Alpha-L-Polylactate is the only raw ingredient scientifically proven to buffer lactic acid production in working muscles - perhaps the most profound benefit any energy drink can claim beyond the benefits provided by carbohydrates and electrolytes that are contained in all energy drinks. Please see the following article Scientific Rationale and Advantages of Cytomax.

5. Flavor Variety: Choice of 8 outstanding flavors is unrivaled by any other energy drink:

• Cranberry Grapefruit
• Go Grape
• Natural Citrus
• Natural Orange
• Peachy Keen
• Pink Lemonade
• Pomegranate Berry
• Tropical Fruit
  

6. Unconditional Money-Back Guarantee: return container, empty or full, and we will refund your money.

7. Pricing: Bradventures exclusive arrangement with CytoSport offers this product to you at 36% off retail pricing for a 4.5lb container!

Scientific Rationale and Advantages of Cytomax

by Dr. George Brooks, PhD

Cytomax is a unique fluid and electrolyte replacement drink that goes far beyond just delivering sodium, potassium and sugars like most other energy drinks. Cytomax contains an organic and inorganic form of Polylactate, sodium and potassium succinates as well as the amino acids L-glutamine and L-alanine. These compounds work together to give you a venue of rehydration, electrolyte replacement, energy fuel, and a buffer that allows you to effectively reduce muscle cramping. This translates into better performance and decreased recovery time.

Benefits of Cytomax's acid-buffering Alpha-L-Polylactate

Polylactate is a polymer of the lactate molecule. It is a series of L-lactate molecules bound together with amino acids and pyruvate. But, unlike lactic acid (C3H6O3), Polylactate is not an acid! Simply put, it is lactic acid with the acid component removed. Although not apparent, there is a difference.

By reacting the lactic acid with certain amino acids, the acid leaves the resulting molecule. This allows the lactate to be utilized rapidly to supply energy, maintain blood sugar (glucose), and neutralize (buffer) acids that are naturally produced in the body, including lactic acid. You could then say that lactate serves to balance out the acidic pH induced by the presence of lactic acid.

Often in nature, success in any system depends on balance. For instance, for crop growth there needs to be a balance of nutrient soil, sunlight and water. Excessive or insufficient amounts of one component produce a poor result. Balance in human physiology determines success of many metabolic processes. One critically important process has to do with the balance of formation and removal (utilization) of lactic acid in muscle during vigorous activity.

When your muscles use blood sugar or stored carbohydrate (glycogen), much of these carbohydrates end up as lactic acid, a very strong organic acid. Lactic acid is a very strong organic acid. In physiological systems, almost all the lactic acid formed dissociates to the extremely useful lactate component (that represents 98.9%), and a hydrogen ion, or proton that represents 1.1%.

These protons are the acidic part of lactic acid. The production and removal of lactic acid are normally in balance so that despite rapid production, little accumulates. In the past, scientists believed that during exercise lactate was the "dead- end metabolite" which was produced as a result of insufficient oxygen being present which resulted in fatigue. In contrast, we know that lactic acid is produced all the time in many cells, tissues and in muscle, even at rest when there is plenty of oxygen around. Only when the production of lactic acid exceeds the rate of removal does the acid part of the molecule linger to cause a burning sensation and fatigue that hampers performance.

Therefore, if muscle effectively uses carbohydrates faster than lipids, more energy is available for a given oxygen supply and muscles contract more forcefully when carbohydrates are used as fuels. Moreover, by releasing lactate during exercise, some muscles can fuel other muscles, including the heart (which consumes and utilizes lactate from the blood). Additionally, the liver takes lactate from the blood and produces carbohydrate for the muscles during exercise! In fact, the liver consumes two lactates and two acid protons to make one sugar molecule.

Thus, during prolonged hard exercise and recovery it is desirable to give your body what it uses most rapidly, and give it something that will help remove acid protons formed during exercise. This can be accomplished with a designer molecule, the lactate without the acid proton, such as Polylactate. Cytomax contains mainly the organic salt, Polylactate, but also a small amount of inorganic potassium and sodium salts of lactate. In this case, lactate is used to carry and replenish the salts lost in sweat during exercise as well as to stimulate thirst, ensuring adequate hydration. However, relative to energy use, inorganic salt loss during exercise is slow.

The active ingredients in Cytomax are composed mainly of the organic compound, Polylactate, but also a small amount of inorganic potassium and sodium forms of lactate. In this case, lactate is used to carry and replenish the salts lost in sweat during exercise as well as stimulate thirst - ensuring adequate hydration. However, relative to energy use, inorganic salt loss during exercise is slow. Therefore, should you try and replace energy during exercise by using an inorganic salt such as sodium, potassium or calcium lactate, the lactate would rapidly be removed leaving a large salt load. This will likely cause dehydration. Instead, with the completely organic Polylactate in which amino acids are used to carry the lactate molecules, you body is provided substances all of which are useful during exercise and recovery.

Benefits of Cytomax's Amino Acids and Succinates

Cytomax contains the amino acids L-glutamine and L-alanine, since these play a key roll in the process of gluconeogenesis (conversion of muscle tissue into glucose) and the removal of ammonium ions from the blood. During exercise, amino acid pools in skeletal muscle are compromised in order to deliver these glucose producing amino acids to the liver. There they will be de-aminated and the carbon skeletons of most (mostly alanine) will be used for fuel. This process (gluconeogenesis) depletes muscle protein and consequently hinders muscle mass. By providing these two amino acids, Cytomax ensures that both plasma levels and intramuscular amino acid pools have enough aminos for fuel to go around.

Cytomax also contains Succinate ETF in the form of calcium, magnesium and potassium succinates, as well as inosine. Succinates are a Krebs cycle intermediate. They occur normally within aerobic cells, such as muscle. Succinate supplements such as Succinate ETF increase maximal oxygen consumption and high-intensity exercise capacity by enhancing the ability to use lactic acid as a fuel during exercise.

In summary, Cytomax will help you replace fluid and electrolytes, provide carbohydrate energy, stimulate body glucose production, buffer the effects of acids produced during exercise, maintain amino acid pools in muscle and enhance the use of lactic acid for efficient energy during exercise.

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