Gatorade Endurance
Gatorade Endurance is 59% sugar, twice as much as e-Fuel. Instead, e-Fuel is loaded with complex carbohydrates which allows for significantly more energy uptake (explained below). Gatorade Endurance does provide complete electrolyte replacement and does have some fructose (that’s a good thing) but it is lacking in antioxidants found in e-Fuel that help protect against tissue damage, reduce soreness and aid in the recovery process. Read on for a complete comparison:
calories (8 oz)
e-Fuel
80
Gatorade
Endurance
60
e-Fuel provides 33% more energy (calories) than Gatorade Endurance, and we are able to do this through the use of complex carbs instead of the sugars. To learn how this is possible, read details in the complex carb section below.
complex carbs
e-Fuel
14 g
Gatorade
Endurance
6 g
By far the biggest difference between e-Fuel and Gatorade Endurance is that e-Fuel uses primarily complex carbohydrates. This is critical because your body can uptake more energy when you use complex carbs instead of simple sugars.
This isn’t something we’ve invented, it’s proven science. Here’s how it works:
The carbs/energy in a sports drink are transported into your cellular system through osmosis. If you recall learning about osmosis in science class, it’s the way a fluid crosses a membrane. In order for the fluid to cross, it has to be an equal or lower concentration than the fluid on the other side of the membrane. In this case you’re trying to get the sports drink across your cellular membrane so you can use the energy. Ideally you want the drink to be isotonic, which means it’s the same concentration as your cellular fluids. At this point the drink can be rapidly absorbed and carry the carbs and electrolytes along with it via osmosis.
What’s interesting is that the concentration of a fluid (also called the osmolality) is largely dependent on the NUMBER of particles in the fluid, and less dependent on the size of the particles. Complex carbs by definition have a larger molecular structure than simple sugars, basically they have more glucose molecules stuck together. But remember, it’s the number of particles, not the size that matters most. What that means is that at the point of absorption (isotonic), a fluid with complex carbs can transport nearly twice as much energy into the cellular system compared to one with simple sugars.
Many drinks (including e-Fuel and Gatorade Endurance) use at least some maltodextrin for this reason. Maltodextrin is a complex carbohydrate with an extremely large molecular structure. Where e-Fuel sets itself apart from other products is that we use much more complex carb and less sugar. This allows you to get more energy when you use e-Fuel compared to our competitors. If you’re doing any type of endurance sport, then maximizing energy uptake should be important to you.
Gatorade Endurance does provide more complex carbs than popular competitors like Skratch and Tailwind that are all virtually sugar, but they still do not go far enough for endurance athletes in our opinion.
sugar
e-Fuel
29%
Gatorade
Endurance
59%
If you’re doing short workouts sugar can provide adequate fueling. But if you’re doing any kind of endurance event then you will perform better using complex carbohydrates instead of simple sugars. See our complex carb discussion for more details.
carb sources
e-Fuel
Maltodextrin
Fructose
Gatorade
Endurance
Sugar
Maltodextrin
Fructose
The maltodextrin used in e-Fuel is a long chain complex carbohydrate. As we explained in the complex carb discussion, the advantages of complex carbs are significant.
Fructose is also a sugar, but it’s very different than all other forms of sugar and we use it in all of our products for a very good reason.
Fructose sometimes gets a bad rap for endurance athletes because it is thought to cause stomach and GI discomfort. Like anything else, if you take too much fructose it can be a problem. But if you use it properly it can actually significantly improve performance … without stomach issues. Here’s why:
Most of the energy that we use during endurance sports comes from consumed carbohydrates that are converted into glycogen and stored in our muscles. Glycogen can then be quickly broken down into glucose and used to fuel the muscles. The liver also stores glycogen which has been converted from fructose and serves as an additional “fuel tank” to power your muscles.
Here’s where it gets interesting …
The main route for glucose absorption from the gut is through a transporter called SGLT1 – a protein that acts like a door, helping glucose go from the gut to the bloodstream. SGLT1 has a maximum capacity and can only transport around one gram of glucose per minute (240 calories/hour). Fructose, however, is absorbed with a different transporter, called GLUT5. By using both transporters you can increase the amount of carbohydrate the body can use during exercise up to approximately 300 calories/hour.
GLUT5’s sole job in life is to transport fructose, so if you’re not consuming fructose then you’re not using the GLUT5 transporter … it’s like having an additional fuel line and not using it, why would you do that? In addition, your secondary fuel tank (your liver) will be under utilized as well.
The rapid absorption of fructose mixtures and special handling of fructose in the liver are the two main reasons that fructose can also also help to speed up recovery after exercise. A recent study found that when athletes drank sports drinks containing both fructose and complex carbohydrates after exercise, they accelerated the recovery of their liver glycogen stores. It almost doubled this rate of recovery compared with drinks that didn’t have fructose, when the same total amount of carbohydrate was consumed.
Bottom line … if you want to “be your best”, incorporate some fructose into your training and competition nutrition program.
sodium
e-Fuel
150 mg
Gatorade
Endurance
200 mg
In developing e-Fuel we relied heavily on the decades of independent research performed by the American College of Sports Medicine. They are a non-profit with no “skin in the game”, they just try to figure out how to make athletes better, stronger and faster. Electrolyte replacement is an area that they have studied extensively, and e-Fuel’s electrolyte levels are designed to meet their recommendations.
potassium
e-Fuel
60 mg
Gatorade
Endurance
90 mg
Potassium is the other electrolyte that is important to replace during your training and competition, along with sodium. The level of potassium in e-Fuel is designed to meet the American College of Sports Medicine’s recommendation for replacement during athletic activity.
antioxidants
e-Fuel
vitamin C 60%
vitamin E 60%
Gatorade
Endurance
vitamin C 0%
vitamin E 0%
citrates
e-Fuel
Sodium Citrate, Potassium Citrate and Citric Acid
Gatorade
Endurance
Sodium Citrate, Calcium Citrate and Citric Acid
Citrates assist in the carbohydrate to energy conversion process as well as slow the build up of lactic acid in your muscles.
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