I'm looking for something to consume before a race for extra energy. I drink XOOD during practice and before races now because its light, not too sweet and doesn't upset my stomach. Still, I'd like something with a little more caffeine to get me a little wired before a sprint.
Anyone have any suggestions? I would most like to hear from people with sensitive stomachs like myself. I have a lot of stomach acidity, so citrus is pretty much out. Cliff shots and blocks make me violently ill. So does Redbull. FRS upsets my stomach a little. Those are about the only other drinks I have tried other than Gatorade, which is fine, but doesn't hype me up any more than the XOOD.
Former Member
My stomach isn't particularly sensitive, but I can't imagine drinking anything with milk or soymilk before a race or during a meet. Yuck. Just doesn't seem right :p
I like espresso because it's low volume, and low acidity if you get it from a good barista. I find that it digests much faster than say, a cup of coffee. Also it tastes great and is one of my favorite caffeinated drinks.
Another hot beverage that can be put in a thermos and drank over the course of a meet is yerba mate with honey and ginger. Mate contains compounds that are similar to caffeine, but it's not as strong as coffee. It's also high in B vitamins. It provides more of a slow, sustained energy instead of twitchy cracked-out coffee energy. Mate is more of a 1650 or open water drink, whereas espresso goes better with sprinting. I like to add ginger to mate for the taste, but it could also help soothe a sensitive stomach.
"Sports drinks can make the bladder quite active, especially with all the caffeine, and who needs to visit the bathroom 3 or 4 times during a meet."
I did a recent paper on sports drinks. Some of them also have added hefty amounts of sodium too. It's not only to help with electrolytes, but to also make the drinker crave more sports drink. Hence, all the trips to the bathroom. Check your labels!
