SoBe Life Water - Is it Junk? CCS, need your help plz :P

[Aplunk1]

Okay,
so since the beginning of 2007, I've managed to ONLY drink water, and start the day with a cup of coffee (or two). But, I NEVER drink soda, or anything bad for that matter.

But anyway, I was at the gym, doing a really tough cardio work out, and I needed some vitamins very bad. Staying hydrated wasn't enough. My body was breaking down.

I went to the counter and bought a Life Water. It's a "Vitamin Enhanced Water Beverage".

Does this look bad? Mind you, I NEVER drink any sugar:
Serving size 8 fl oz (240 mL)
Servings per 20 fl oz bottle: 2.5


Serving Size 8 fl oz 20 fl oz
%DV %DV

Calories 50 120

Calories from fat 0 0

Total Fat 0g 0% 0g 0%

Sodium 25mg 1% 65mg 3%

Total Carb 13g 4% 32g 11%

Sugars 13g 31g

Protein 0g 0g

Vitamin C 100% 250%

Vitamin E 20% 50%

Niacin 10% 25%

Vitamin B6 10% 25%

Vitamin B12 10% 25%

Pantothenic acid 10% 25%



I don't take any multivitamins, and most of my workouts are cardio. I just want to know if this is junk, and if I should avoid it from now on. (Because they're just so damn delicious!)

 

[hairwegoagain]

Here I am drinking a Coca-Cola over ice and read this. Since you began your water-only liquid intake, do you notice a difference in how you feel? This is a serious question because I am considering getting on the wagon for a few weeks as a trial.

No milk?

 

[Aplunk1]

Only milk with my cereal, fat free, too.

But to answer your question, absolutely. I haven't felt so mentally prepared or had skin this bright since I was a child. My teeth have whitened, and I sleep better.

I do miss soda tremendously. It's really a discipline thing for me. Maybe when 2008 rolls around, I'll have a Mountain Dew.

 

[Rintintin]

I never really believed the vitamin enhanced water stuff although i've never tried it. Waters usually good enough for me when i'm dehydrated. Sometimes when i'm done my workout I'll have a gatorade (I dont have a gatorade during exercise because it makes me more thirsty i find). But once gatorage/powerade has replaced my electrolites i feel dandy and refreshed.

 

[bubka]

its sugar water, get rid of it

 

[Aplunk1]

its sugar water, get rid of it

Good call. thanks Bubka.

I don't know much about sugar, but mI figured the sugar was probably just sh*t for me.

 

[Harie]

I think you'll be surprised when you do try to drink soda after only drinking water for so long. I didn't drink soda at all for 6 months a few years ago. When I tried to drink a soda again, the only one I could force down was Dr. Pepper. The rest tasted horrible.

Eventually you get used to the taste and can drink others. Pepsi was the absolute worst tasting one. It took me months to be able to like that one again.

 

[CCS]

sugary drinks are not bad as long as they are taken at the right time. If you are going to do long cardio (I think you should break it up into 3-4 15 minute sessions spread throughout the day instead), a sugary drink will help keep you from burning muscle. It is good right after the workout too until your digestive system gets back on track.

I'm not saying drink a lot, but if you burn 700 calories in an hour, you should drink 300 calories during the workout. Weight loss is not something you should do too fast or 1/3 of that weight will be muscle, and more if you just fast. Now if you do interval training, and lift some weights, and spread the calory burn out over a few different muscles in intervals, you probably won't lose any muscle.

Now back to your drink:
It just has B vitamins. Those are good, but you need anti-oxidants. When you do metabolism, you create free radicals. B vitamins make metabolism more efficient so you have less free radicals, but you should also have some anti-oxidants to take care of the ones that get produced. I bet you the vitamin E in that drink is the cheaper dl- isomer and has no anti-oxidant ability, and it is probably the alpha isomer. You need a mix.

Just get some green tee extract and add it to that drink, and you will have a good workout drink.

As for your body breaking down, that could be mild overtraining. Vitamins help with recovery, but I don't think they will make that much of a difference right in the middle of the workout. I think you are not in good enough shape to handle your workout pain free yet. Again, shorten your cardio and spread it out through the day. That's what I do, and I'm cutting up and feeling great.

 

[Aplunk1]

CCS,
thank you for the long reply mate. I read and reread every word you mentioned.

The bottle mentions Antioxidant Vitamins C&E, so maybe they use *some* higher quality vitamins?

I admit that I've been hitting the treadmill and elliptical a bit hard lately... simply because I'm so excited to finally have a gym pass. But, I don't have to the time to make it to the gym more than once a day.

I usually start my workout on the treadmill... Run 20 minutes, walk 2, then run (even faster) for the next 8-10 minutes.

Then I do some mild lifting and rehyrdrate,
then I go onto the elliptical and do about 20-30 minutes nonstop.

I'm trying to get lean, but there was some pain the first few days. It's really slowing down, and my body is starting to get into the swing of things-- like better breathing, less chest pains, and higher feelings of euphoria post-workout.

Am I doing the right thing here? Or is everyday working out too much for me?

I've lost tons of weight, by diet first of all, and now by working out. Hell, I'm about 170 or so pounds, and that's down from 205 2 or 3 months ago.

 

[Aplunk1]

Just get some green tee extract and add it to that drink, and you will have a good workout drink.

I've seen Green Tea Extract gel capsules, and I may have seen some liquid extract at K-Mart/Wal-Mart.

What will the Green Tea do for me? And will it make the drink taste like crap?

 

[CCS]

GTE will stop the free radicals you produce when you work out. I like the taste, though it can be strong if you mix too much.

And sip that drink throughout your workout. Don't drink it all at once, unless it is like 50cal or so.

 

[CCS]

Here I am drinking a Coca-Cola over ice and read this. Since you began your water-only liquid intake, do you notice a difference in how you feel? This is a serious question because I am considering getting on the wagon for a few weeks as a trial.

No milk?

HWGA, I don't think soda is that bad unless you drink it when you've not eaten for a while. As long as you have food in your stomach, that should slow down the blood sugar spike some. So I would not drink it more than 1.5 - 2 hours after a meal, and make sure the meal has fiber in it. Blood sugar spikes can do damage to many things.

The other factor is your teeth. If you drink soda, dry to rinse your mouth with water after wards. Or if you are eating, finish the soda before your last mouth full of food.

Finally, low calorie (almost starving levels) lead to longer life spans, according to studies. I don't think the calories are the problem. When your body burns them, it makes free radicals. You need anti-oxidants (like the bioflavanoids and other stuff in your fruits, veggies, and whole grains) to protect you from the free radicals. The important thing is the anti-oxidant to calorie ratio. If the ratio is too low, then the more you eat, the shorter you live. But if you get the ratio up high, you live longer even if you eat a lot. So if you drink soda, be aware it has calories and no anti-oxidants, so you need to make up for this by drinking more green tea or something with anti-oxidants to make up for what the soda lacks. Vitamins A, C, and E are just some of the many things. Bioflavanoids and other stuff in real food is also need and not in vitamin pills.