Dentist Orders- NO GATORADE. I need HELP!

[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.

[Aggie_Ama]

I tried the HEED. Oddly DH and I both think the lemon lime tastes like Vanilla. It is a no go, because that is too weird. Is it possible they flavored my can wrong? I wish it had worked because it contains Xylitol, which my dentist recommended.

I also tried the NUUN today. The flavor reminded me of diluted gatorade. I really like it and the convenience factor for long rides. The little tablets can easily be carried and mixed into water.

Sport Beans have 22 grams of sugar, but even with the root canals I can't part with my beans. I might need to look into sugarless gum or mouthwash to follow them.

[velogirl]

I tried the HEED. Oddly DH and I both think the lemon lime tastes like Vanilla. It is a no go, because that is too weird. Is it possible they flavored my can wrong? I wish it had worked because it contains Xylitol, which my dentist recommended.

The other flavor, mandarin, tastes like Vanilla too! Actually, I think they only smell like vanilla (I've used both flavors). I actually liked the tast of both (oh yeah, they taste the same).

I went lower-glycemic earlier this year and thought HEED might be a good solution for me. Unfortunately, I just didn't get enough fast calories from HEED and bonked on some longer rides (4-5 hours) Even though I had the right number of calories, my body just couldn't absorb them as well or as quickly.

[Kitsune06]

This has a round-about sort of solution, but bear with me.

When I first had my tongue pierced, I had to keep it clean etc and still retain a semblance of normal life (work, outings, etc) so to keep bacterial levels low, I was told to rinse well with water after eating (when I couldn't brush) and I carried a small bottle of biotene with me (the bottle was coincidentally an empty travel-size bottle of some other mouthwash, but still very effective) Biotene uses enzymes instead of alcohol for its antibacterial action, so it won't burn and can be used as often as needed, contains xylitol to prevent plaque buildup, and tends to be helpful in preventing dry-mouth (always a problem when I'm biking, no matter how much I drink)

hth!