I've posted this for my friends that are endurance athletes.

If you would like a sports drink that will hydrate you effectively and provide the ideal ratio of sugars and electrolytes... then try mixing your own!

The recipe...take a 24 ounce bottle of water, pour off 4 ounces. To the remaining 20 ounces add 4 teaspoons of dextrose, plus 1/8 teaspoon of salt, plus 1/32 teaspoon of di-potassium phosphate.

This drink will carry you through the longest most demanding athletic competition keeping you hydrated properly and assuring you that the electrolytes are being replaced in perfect proportion.

Carbs or Fat for Fuel

By Rick Bramos, U.S. Army Coach A.C.E.

One of the major problems with today's fitness programs is a dependence on carbohydrates for muscle fueling. Athletes have been shifting away from low glycemic fat/protein fuel into the high glycemic carbohydrate fuel for a few decades now, resulting in an inefficient fueling source especially for endurance sports.

The fact is that throughout the day the fat cells will provide a significant portion of fuel for general activity and during sleep fat flowing out of the fat stores will keep you fueled until morning.

Traditional nutritionists still believe that carbohydrates are the preferred fuel for the body, which is not true. Any of the three energy-producing nutrients - carbohydrates, fat, and protein - can provide the body with energy, according to the landmark book Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism.

The body only uses these carbohydrates first to keep blood sugars under control. After a meal containing carbohydrates is ingested, insulin is released into the blood, with a particularly large increase in secretion occurring after the ingestion of sugars and simple carbs. This is sometimes referred to as "insulin shock."

Some of the cells will uptake this sugar immediately for fuel (not so for fructose)... some will get stored in the muscle in the form of glycogen. The liver can also store some of this sugar in the form of glycogen but also converts some of it to fat. Fat cells store it as fat.

Insulin levels can remain elevated for 60-90 minutes, inhibiting the release of energy from glycogen in the liver and from fatty acids, which are a major energy source during prolonged cardiovascular exercise. The aerobic system (oxidative phosphorylation) derives one third of the ATP ( the source of energy for muscle action) from metabolizing carbohydrates and two thirds from fats.

The point is that athletes use fats very effectively for consistent long term energy if insulin is kept down at normal levels.  During athletic competition the percent of energy derived from fat should actually increase to conserve blood sugar and muscle glycogen.

The reliance on the many sport drinks today produce the "insulin shock" discussed previously and inhibits the oxidation of fats. Therefore it is important to experiment with the sugar concentration of your drink to enhance the body's ability to use the aerobic system effectively.

Remember, many of the energy drinks and gels are hypertonic with respect to body fluids. In other words, their density of sugars and electrolytes is greater than that of the body fluids, meaning you are also not hydrating effectively!

One of the best electrolyte formulations may be as close as your kitchen. The Web has tons of nutrition information, but not all of it is accurate. Go to my website (2daystofitness.com) for a formula for mixing the correct ratio of dextrose (glucose), salt and di-potassium phosphate in a 24 ounce water bottle that will supply just the right ratio of electrolytes to keep you hydrated and allow your body to tap into the fat stores for a consistent energy supply for exercise over a prolonged period.

A pre meal for a very lean athlete should be a balance of protein, complex carbs and fat.

I recommend a cup to a pint of heavy cream every day for very lean endurance athletes for consistent long term energy without the insulin spikes. I also like a teaspoon of virgin cold pressed coconut oil with breakfast as this monounsaturated fat will provide energy without the insulin spike. Overweight athletes need to abstain from the cream as they have plenty of body fat to burn aerobically.

The fear of change is the "demon" that keeps us from experimenting with what might really work.

Rick Bramos, U.S. Army Coach A.C.E., is well known for his work as a fitness coach and has worked with thousands of clients during the past 35 years. He was a physical activities specialist with the U.S. Army and used that expertise and discipline to own a Gold's Gym and become an award-winning bodybuilder and powerlifter. He was A.C.E.certified in 1989 and helped pioneer exercise programming in S.C. A strong kinesiology and nutritional background prompted him to co-author a book, 2 Days to Fitness, with Dr. Ron Grisanti, D.C., D.A.B.C.O., M.S.. For more information, go to 2daystofitness.com