Ever wonder why you see pro cyclists swigging Coke during races? Turns out that Coke or another soda might be a great exercise drink after all.
Dr. Gabe Mirkin has a recent post in his excellent e-zine about the way in which a drink that combines glucose with fructose results in greater amounts of sugar being transported to the working muscles. Adding caffeine to the mix further increases the amount of sugar available. I haven’t had a chance to go back and look at the studies Dr. Mirkin cites, but I have been trying to have some caffeine with my recovery drink for some time, ever since I came across this study suggesting that a carbohydrate/ caffeine mix was more effective at promoting glycogen replacement after exercise. Of course, I don’t consume nearly as much caffeine (8mg/kg of body weight, which for me would be about three cups) in one sitting as the study suggests is necessary for it to be effective, so I’m probably not doing much more than fueling my already raging caffeine addiction. But caffeine does have an ergogenic effect, and not necessarily in venti-sized doses. A recent statement from the International Society of Sports Nutrition suggests that even moderate doses can aid performance. ?It looks like I can continue to suck down my double espressos before races to good effect, and despite having sworn off sugary sodas years ago, I might even try a Coke in between races when racing more than once in a day.
