Dentist Orders- NO GATORADE. I need HELP!

[Aggie_Ama]

I love gatorade for my long rides. It gives me a nice little boost and keeps me hydrated. I went to the dentist today and I have a lot of problems. I am one of those people that get cavities despite flossing, brushing, etc... The dentist was asking me about sugar and I told him I didn't eat much sugar.

Then we discussed gatorade. Every weekend on my long rides I am easily drinking Gatorade for 4-6 hours. He said this is letting the sugar just basically eat away at existing problems and the dryness of my mouth only lets the bacteria go wild. I know, pleasant thought. Being that I have to have up to 3 root canals I am all for cutting sugar out.

There was a question to this long post.... What can I replace my gatorade with that is low sugar? I tried browsing the posts, but I am short on time. Thanks for the help!

[SadieKate]

Try plain water and gels. Get a flask so you don't have to deal with the packets, take a squeeze of gel frequently (or as necessary) and then follow with plenty of plain water, rinsing your teeth at the same time.

For electrolytes alone, Endurolyte comes in both capsules and powder form.

[FreshNewbie]

I am also trying to cut on sugar that comes from sports drinks. I recently tried Hammer gel in raspberry flavour and it's good. I mean even compared to GU it's better. It has only 2 g of sugar, now compare it to 25 grams of sugar coming from Gatorade. If you check out Hammer website, they have a recipe that combines their Heed product with water and something else and thats basically to sabstitute for Gatorade. Good luck with root canals!!!

[bcipam]

There are alot of products that contain no sugar for example ELETE. Just add to plain water. Of course it won't taste like Gatorade (which for me is a good thing).

[Eden]

It sounds like you'd still need to watch the gels - even if they are low in simple sugars,they are still pretty much all complex sugars (carbs) which will stick to your teeth and cause problems too. Be sure to carry plain water and rinse out well after the gels - maybe sugarless chewing gum might help? I like it sometimes to keep the fuzzy mouth feeling from energy drinks away and it might help with dry mouth.

plus another sugar free electrolyte alternative is Nuun - it does have sorbitol, which some people can be sensitive to.

[Nanci]

Don't they say chewing sugarless gum fights cavities? So do your gel or whatever, then rinse with water, then chew gum???

Nanci

[Denise223]

I used to work for a dentist, and what they recommended for people who drank gatorade was, to use a straw. Probably not a real feasible thing to do while riding, I know --

There is (over the counter), a moisturing mouth spray for Dry Mouth by Sensodyne called "Oasis". You can purchase this at any Walgreens, CVS, etc.... It's a little one ounce spray that you can easily keep in the back of your jersey when riding. (it's minty flavored).

This "Oasis" also comes as a mouthwash/rinse, too.

Denise

[milestogo]

I had the same problem: not really from Gatorade per se, but just too much stuff with sugar during long rides. My solution: I take my toothbrush and a very tiny tube of tootpaste in my pocket, and brush once en route. Usually, if I am out on a long ride, I have time to stop and do this. Also, I brush again straight away when I finish riding. The key is really to get the sugar out of the mouth. This has worked well for me: no more new cavities (still keeping the fingers crossed).

[SadieKate]

Supposedly, gum using Xylitol helps prevent cavities. However, since you need to be continuously drinking it seems that gum would be a big hassle and might actually cause you to drink less. I know I'd be worried about inhaling the stuff.

It seems to me to be better to get your calories in a manner that lets you rinse the sugar as you must get in carbs somehow on longer rides. It would seem that you could get the residual sugar from gel rinsed with plain water better than the residue from a solid good.

Electrolytes can be taken in using pills or powder.

[Running Mommy]

How wierd!!! I was just in the dentist yesterday having a whole filled in the side of my tooth, and the dentist said the same thing. Except he knows I have to injest at least SOME gatorade (or cytomax in my case) so he told me to follow it with a water chaser and try to swish the water around in my mouth, and to brush as soon as I'm done training. He also mentioned sugarless gum, but I'm not much of a gum chewer..

[winddance]

Have you tried gatorade rain? It's got a lot less sugar than regular gatorade.

The green one doesn't suck.

[velogirl]

Has anyone else noticed how yellow all the pros' teeth look in photos? Testament to the fact that being on the bike for many hours with a continual stream of food of any type (especially the sugars) can't be good for you.

I chew gum. I started the habit after I quit smoking. I chew on the bike. I chew during races. I kinda just park it on the side of my mouth. I've never had a problem inhaling it or getting it stuck in food (then again, I only use drinks and gels on the bike, no solid foods).

BTW, I had one of my main salivary glands removed last year so now my mouth feels dry all the time. My dentist prescribed special gum for me that's supposed to stimulate salivation. Seems to do the trick.

One cavaet on gum is that it masks the feeling of thirst, so you need to be extra careful about hydrating enough.

[Aggie_Ama]

Thank you all so much! My dentist recommended I consult a nutritionist, but I figured you ladies might have some answers. With a proposed dental plan of $2800-4500 how can I afford to consult a nutritionist?

The HEED looks like it might fit my taste/texture preferences and cut the sugar. 2g per serving is a big improvement over Gatorade. The dentist has recommended chewing sugarless gum to help fight off the bad stuff. I am just not sure I want to be chewing gum while riding.

[CorsairMac]

There is also a product put out by Alacar called Electro-Mix, has all the electorlytes and 0 sugar. none, nada!

They are the people that make Emer-Gen-C which...btw...has even MORE eletrolytes than the Electro-Mix and you can get it in a sugar-free variety also.

I just add a pinch of salt to it to keep my sodium in balance.

[Quillfred]

I've been in the same dental hell.

Finally, good news re: my oral health. No work to be done last visit.

The hygenist explained that there is a 20 minute cycle for the saliva to re-enamel(?) the teeth after having sugar (which feeds the bacteria), which in turn stick to teeth, attacking tooth enamel and contribute to decay.

They sold me a type of gum called "Spry" which has Xylitol as sugar. I believe the main trick is that chewing sugar-free gum resalivates the mouth which "slicks" up our teeth and makes it hard for the bacteria to stick?? There is also mouthwash which might be easier to carry in a flash during a ride, thus enabling one to swish and spit without stopping. This brand is expensive and I'm looking into cheaper alternatives. I'm pretty sure we have dental people here who can explain it more accurately. The hygenist also warned me against having "dry mouth" while riding.

Thanks for bringing up the topic as I am looking for prevention myself.