Energy drinks before diving ???

[Oriskany Divemaster]

ODM, come on, getting liquored up before a dive

you said keep our normal morning routines:mooner:

Sorry, Axel, I was trying to reach the masses.

BTW, it's your turn to bring the Appleton Estate for the next dive....Just please don't publish this PM as if it were a post.

Thanks.

ODM

 

[AXL72]

EDITED to remind ODM that the post #11 being quoted should have been in PM

 

[rrjc5488]

I am not a doctor but I have had my share of energy drinks and after a couple I feel like a raged crack addict.

A couple? lol. I'd imagine.

I dont see any problem with an energy drink pre-dive as long as you're hydrated. Obviously, caffeine can dehydrate you, so make sure you're drinking water with the energy drink.

Also, it could possibly give you a false sense of "energy." Fatigue is listed as something to contribute to DCI, so if you got an hour of sleep last night and you're exhausted, but that energy drink makes you feel as if you're not tired anymore, your body probably isnt still functioning as if it was well rested.

 

[Blind]

Diuretics before diving are bad if you arnt already hydrated properly. I just drink normal water when diving.

 

[boulderjohn]

A few weeks ago the Today show had a segment called Coffee Myths. One of the ones they mentioned was the dehydrating/diuretic effect of caffeine. They said that yes, caffeine does have that effect, but not nearly as much as people think. In fact, it is more than offset by the amount of water in coffee. Consequently, the overall effect of coffee is hydration, not dehydration.

 

[PlayaCountryBoy]

I have not done research, but I know I wake up every morning at 6:30..take my dog for a walk and buy a 16oz. coffee from the local 7/11. I drink water between the dives and generally abstain from alcohol, so just coca-cola and more water through the night. I've done this out here in the tropics and sub-tropics for years. I have collapse and was incapcitated 4 times in 10 years. During thosee four times passing out, I had made 2-4 dives that day, drank little or no water, and ate nothing throughout the day. By 6 pm when I was ready for food I might would pass out from low blood sugar and/or dehydration. Now, I drink water mostly all day and make sure I take a energy bar or fruit on the boat with me. I also in my save a dive kit put this electrolyte powder that can be mixed in a bottle of water...for just in case. ;-)

 

[sandmanz32]

they do make all natural energy drinks that boost your metabolism with b vitimins. id think those would be ok, but def stay away from caffinated ones with a ton of sugar in them. i drink water, and only water mostly all the time. especially when im diving

 

[hutterw]

[FONT=&quot]I like to drink low fat chocolate milk between dives. Read somewhere that chocolate milk is better at refueling athletes than Gatorade.[/FONT]

 

[Prostar]

Each time I dring a Poweraid before diving, I never get a cramp. If I don't drink one, it is a toss up.

I like the blue one best.

 

[littlewaywelt]

It's not better at refueling than gatorade. It's better for recovery, where you want to consume a 4:1 carbrotein ratio within 30-60 mins post activity for ideal recovery. It's really only relevant when doing big workouts, either very high intensity or very long low intensity where you glycogen deplete or get close. I can't imagine it would make any difference at all for diving.

I've been running marathons off and on for the last ten years, and the 4:1 thing is pretty much standard in many sport recovery drinks. It's different though than most sport fueling drinks where the goal is to stay hydrated and keep blood sugar level and prevent cramping.