What is wrong with acidity? Your stomach fluid is full of hydrocloric acid which is one of the strongest acid around (ph-2 or something). The problem with a lot of the lay theorists on this board is that they do or don't do something based on if it sounds wrong or feels wrong, but have no scientific evidence. FYI, professional hockey players used to eat oranges between shifts to recharge and remain hydrated until Gatorade became the norm. There is nothing wrong with drinking water, however if you if sweat a lot you will be tired after a few intense games, more likely you will need replenish electrolytes (sodium, potassium) and carbohydrates (sugar) to keep you going. If you don't, you may get cramps and suffer overall lack of stimulation. In that case you will need a banana as well (or a nutritional bar that has sodium and potassium) Gatorade offers a solution to both as it provides calories and sodium (just look at the label). G2 on the other hand, does not offer sugar, you would do that if you are running and trying to lose weight, but not great competitive players who are already pretty fit and need the energy. Of course, the best way to make sure you are competitive on the day of is to eat a lot of carbohydrates (potatos, pasta) the day before and remain hydrated throughout! I used to be a long distance runner so I know. Just watch the professional tennis players, they eat banana, granola bars, drink some water, and blend in some coloured drink with I assume is gatorade or similar, or do ALL of the above. Sure they are sponsored, but they won't take something that adversely impact their performance. To reiterate some earlier points. Caffeine acts as a dehydrator and will counteract the benefit of the water you take in, so coke, coffee, and tea are not good although in small portions they won't matter. Alcohol is bad, but this point needs not to be repeated too much. Protein is needed to re-build the muscles, so the number one rule is you need carbohydrates BEFORE the workout and protein AFTER the workout. Protein builds your muscles for your next work out (in a day or some), it does nothing for you during the games. Bigger muscles will need more energy to burn, which means you will need more carbohydrates as you become stronger. After you exercise you body is in optimal state to absorb the protein so a shake or milk will be beneficial. You will get sugar from chocolate milk, so plain milk is preferred. Moreover, milk has fructose, which reduces gastric emptying and can cause intestinal discomfort during vigorous exercise. Overall, I agree with a lot of what Visor said, but feel a second voice is needed to set the points straight. If you don't believe me, please consult a nutritionist.
Well, what is wrong with offering my opinion based on personal experience? When I drank orange juice while playing, it upset my stomach... no other factors in it.
Nothing wrong with personal experience and I don't want to pin you down as a lay theorist (though most of us are most of the time ). However, that does not mean ACID is the cause, maybe the juice was too cold? Maybe you drank too fast? There are other things in it beside the acid, how do you know that it is not other things that caused you discomfort?
Hm, fair point. However, I'm not sure that just because the stomach is so acidic that drinking acidic things won't have any effect on your stomach. Either way though, if you like the orange juice, just drink it! I can't imagine that it'd have any negative effects.
Try 1,3 DMAA or a Geranium extract... You'll feel like you are on speed ... Not as heavy crash as pure caffeine but much more potent. You only need 25mg per serve of DMAA.
he doesnt specify how long the rest time is and when the next game is ... if we're talking about minutes to the next game, then anything other than water and electrolyte/glucose replacement sport drink would be unwise in addition to protein, milk also has fat in it that make it difficult to digest and will divert much needed blood flow from your muscles to the stomach, causing cramps in both the stomach and muscles
How many matches will you play in a tournament in UK? It's usually over one weekend and you might play several matches. Emptying the stomach of milk protein (plus all that fat), will take some time. I would think small amounns are OK but if you drink 1 pint or more, then you are probably being ambitious. Always have some common sense. Referring to the orange juice, I like it but a lot of orange juice is concentrated. I personally prefer to dilute it a bit if taken inbetween matches. My favourite now is electrolyte tablets - easy to carry around and easy to find water. Gatorade doesn't work for me - just don't like the taste since I first tried it many eons ago in Canada.
Thanks everyone for the advice. Gatorade seems to be the choice of the majority. I am just curious where I can buy it. I feel tired after playing 30 minutes or so. If there is a drink that can help me a bit to continue playing after a short break of 15-20 minutes, that will be great. I saw the international top players drink the home made fluid or eat something dring the short break. I would like to know what they are and copy them.
I think Cheung kind of boiled down what the ultimate answer to the OP's question. All the right liquids in the world won't replace not being fit. If you get tired after playing 30 minutes to the point where you can't play another game for another awhile, that means you need to play more badminton more often or do more running. Of course that doesn't mean you shouldn't be drinking the right liquids =), that's also very important. But you should realize that they're there to supplement your fitness and to make sure you stay hydrated and replenished on the electrolytes you sweat out. They for the most part are not meant to make you less tired.
I am near 62 and have been fascinated by the sportmanship of badminton. I just try to play longer hours to enjoy the game without dropping my limited skills due to dropping energy level.
Ah! Well my apologies I was not aware of your age. I'm glad you really want to stay active and play badminton, it definitely is a sport I will be playing throughout my entire life. Well, I suppose my original point would still stand to some degree in that if you really want to play longer hours, you have to do some physical work outside of badminton to increase your endurance. Or you would just play badminton for a longer duration to push yourself each time (within reasonable limits so as not to injure yourself) and your endurance will increase that way. This is of course on top of the gatorade you will drink.
I guessed the OP was talking generally about a general nights playing rather that a tournament situation. I agree. Best to just eat a bananna or so during a days play, then recover at the end of a day.
Thanks again for everone's advice. Tomorrow night I will be playing badminton for recreational purpose. I will eat a banana before the game and bring a bottle of Gatorade to drink during the short break. I will see how it goes. I will also do some exercises, as advised, to strengthen my muscle.
A lot of the older players I play with are really smart with placement, and they take more risks and do not go as hard to retrieve shuttles to conserve energy. But that comes from decades of playing so it may not be the right advice for you. You should play more doubles and maybe do more jogging to avoid being tired too quickly, as badminton is a taxing game. If you are in Ontario, Gatorade is available in all the supermarkets, but it does not seem you need it unless you sweat a ton in 30 minutes. In fact, Gatorade is completely unnecessary for rec level player if you play under 1 hour. Easy into the game and have fun!
ok, but in all seriousness that sounds like an issue regarding fitness. yoga will help a lot. also try these exercises.
ohh, I don't think you can have too high expectations. Given your age, just increase the duration gradually. A relevant point to the discussion is to ask how long have you been playing badminton?
