PopSugar

Stone Fruit Variety or Snack Food Flavor?

YumSugar — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 05:50:44 -0700

Today Party and I were talking about Summer stone fruits, and she remarked that she thought many of the season's fruit varieties had funny-sounding names that reminded her Gatorade flavors! I have to agree - some of the fruit names bear a striking resemblance to names that you might come across in the snack-food aisle. Are you able to identify whether the name is a stone fruit variety or a snack food flavor?

Take the quiz

Celebrity Trainer Gunnar Peterson Says Get More Sleep

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 04:30:00 -0800

Celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson is no stranger to pet projects. Not only did he help Jennifer Lopez train for her triathlon last Fall, he also teamed up with Molly Sims to help the canine set get some more exercise with the PetFit Challenge. These days he is teaming up with Gatorade to spread the fitness word, which he did at the G Gym during the Sundance Film Festival. Recently, I was able to do a brief interview with him - he is a busy man. More a man of action than words, I went right to the heart of the matter and asked about core work.

FitSugar: Let's get down to business - what is your favorite core exercise?
Gunnar Peterson: I’m a big fan of the wood chop, whether it’s standing with a medicine ball, kneeling with a cable, or on a stability ball with a dumbbell.

FS: If I only have time for one strength training move at the gym, what multitasking move should I do?
GP: Squat with bicep curl and overhead dumbbell press, all in one.

FS: What do you recommend for a post-workout snack, after a 60-minute training session of cardio and strength training?
GP: This is what I would consider perfect eating after a workout: salmon, a yam, broccoli and Gatorade.

FS: Speaking of Gatorade, what is your favorite flavor, and when do you think sports drinks come in handy?
GP: I am a lemon lime lover! The original G (Gatorade) for the original G (Gunnar)! You should drink Gatorade during a vigorous workout and post vigorous workout, sports drinks are best.

To hear what Gunnar has to say about training celebs, read more.

FS: Tell us one thing we don’t know about celeb fitness. What is your typical day like? When do you work out?
GP: My typical day starts at 4 a.m. I train before my clients, and I work with seven to nine people between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. While that may not sound like a great day to some, it’s a great day to me. Celebrities work out a lot harder and a lot more consistently than they’re given credit for. They do what they do as well as they do it in peak condition under a microscope. That’s a tall order to fill.

FS: If we could change one thing to live fitter/healthier lives, what would it be?
GP: Get more sleep.

FS: What do you think of reality weight loss TV shows, like the Biggest Loser? What about Jackie Warner’s Workout?
GP: Any show that motivates people to do more for health and fitness than they’re currently doing is a success in my book.

FS: Any advice for folks making New Year’s resolutions to lose weight?
GP: Don’t make a big deal out of the resolution. Of the three “D’s” involved - decide, discuss, and do - eliminate “discuss.”

What's the Big Idea Behind This Sneaky Gatorade Ad?

GiggleSugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:00:00 -0700

I watched the following vid and was overjoyed to see a chick finally kick arse at a male sporting event. But a little research later revealed that our bat girl never made this Spidey-inspired catch; the vid is actually a staged advertisement for Gatorade. The illegitimacy of the play makes me wonder if the Gatorade folks are mocking women's athletic potential with this ad, or on the flip side, if they're seeking to unsettle established gender norms and advance the girls-can-do-anything message. Or a bit a both? Tell me what you think.

Sodium: Fat Free Skim Milk vs. Gatorade

FitSugar — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:30:00 -0700

I seem to have a couple of new obsessions lately: sodium and sports drinks. I thought this little quiz comparing these two common beverages would be enlightening for you. Take it and see if you know which drink has a higher sodium content.

Take the quiz

Tiger Woods Gets His Own Gatorade and the Big Bucks

FitSugar — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 08:45:00 -0700

I have been privy to many discussions questioning the true sportiness of golf. Whether or not you think the sport is physically taxing or not, there is no question that Tiger Woods is an athlete extraordinaire, and all athletes drink sports drinks right?

In March, Gatorade will introduce Gatorade Tiger in flavors that Woods selected himself: cherry blend, citrus blend, and grape. Although the specific monetary amount of the deal has not been disclosed, Golfweek reported that the licensing deal lasts five years and could bring Tiger $100 million. Wow! Now we know why we started seeing him drink from a Gatorade bottle on tour earlier this year.

While the huge amounts of cash that sports figures rake in always amaze me, I am puzzled by the golf and sports drink connection. I think of Gatorade as a drink people grab if they are sweating profusely or doing cardio for over 60 minutes. I know you can sweat walking around a golf course in the middle of summer, but I just don't think of golf and losing electrolytes. Do you? Tell me in the comments section below.

Source

Diet Gatorade: Cool or Not?

FitSugar — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 03:00:00 -0700

Gatorade has done a fine job of marketing themselves as the sport drink. After all, it saved the Florida Gators from getting crushed under that hot Floridian summer, now didn't it? However, this sport drink is known to be extremely high in calories and sugar, which makes most of us shy away from it.

And as consumers gained insight and started reading nutrition labels, Gatorade's sales dropped dramatically -- Clearly there is a movement towards no- and low-calorie beverages, both of which Gatorade is not. In light of all this, PepsiCo, the maker of Gatorade, announced recently that it would introduce a lower-calorie version later in the year for athletes when they are not breaking a sweat.

I commend PepsiCo for finally realizing that people are not buying into their product for anything other than the taste, but doesn't this say something about the original formula?

So what do you guys think...

OMFG! Blow, Booze, and Threesomes on Gossip Girl

TresSugar — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:00:00 -0800

You know what the Parents Television Council doesn't like? Threesomes. Implicit or explicit, it says there's no place for a ménage à trois on network TV. Fair enough! The council has asked The CW to reconsider airing Monday's Gossip Girl episode, which will feature a threesome.

After an US Weekly interview about the sartorial splendor of Gossip Girl, Costume Designer Eric Daman took a jab at the controversy while talking to New York magazine's Daily Intel. He made a very valid point, saying:

"So, it’s okay for them to be doing blow and drinking Scotch when they’re 18, but it’s not okay for them to be having a threesome?"

I can't really argue with that! About a quarter of TrèsSugar readers have had a threesome, which sounds about right to me. In my experience, teen drinking is more about taking your vodka messy in Gatorade bottles rather than neat in martini glasses - forget thinking about threesomes! So while the Parents Television Council can take their argument to the network that brought us OMFG, I'd have to say GFL! What say you?

Photos courtesy of The CW

Why Exercise Won't Help You Lose Weight . . . Sort Of

FitSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:00:36 -0800

There have been a lot of reports in the last year confirming that contrary to popular belief, not all exercise leads to significant weight loss. If you want to shed pounds, it mostly comes down to diet. It’s no surprise that changing your diet can help you lose weight, but for decades, many people believed that exercise was the best pathway to a slimmer, fitter you.

Today the New York Times added to the news that exercise doesn’t significantly aid in weight loss by reporting the results of an exercise and obesity study. The study followed a group of 58 obese individual who underwent three months of supervised aerobic activity but didn’t change their diets at all. And while the group lost an average of seven pounds, many participants barely lost three.

I admit that when all of these studies started coming up I was a little shocked, but it turns out that high intensity workouts mainly burn carbs, not just fat.

To hear what type of exercise may maximize fat loss, read more.

The article explains: "'The message of our work is really simple,' although not agreeable to hear, said Edward Melanson, PhD, the lead author of the study. 'It all comes down to energy balance,' or, as you might have guessed, calories in and calories out. People 'are only burning 200 or 300 calories' in a typical 30-minute exercise session, Melanson points out. 'You replace that with one bottle of Gatorade.'"

Fat loss can be maximized, but it’s a matter of how you approach your workout. To do this, work out at a lower intensity in your fat-burning zone, which is 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate. For most people this zone falls between 105-134 beats per minute. Melanson’s study also found that once weight is lost from reduced calorie intake, exercise might prevent it from coming back by resetting metabolic pathways that stop the body from wanting to store fat.

The research is interesting, but should not dissuade any of us from our fitness goals. The benefits of exercise reach far beyond weight loss - it helps the brain function better, reduces stress, creates a toned body, and is important for healthy heart function.

Is Pickle Juice the New Sport Drink?

FitSugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:00:01 -0700

I feel bad throwing out pickle brine, but I never know what to do with it when I eat the last pickle. My friend saves the juice for her Bloody Mary mix but I'm not a big fan of the brunchy cocktail. But apparently pickle brine has another use - as a sports drink!

You lose electrolytes whenever you have an intense workout or sweat intensely. Even though it sounds weird that pickle juice makes a good electrolyte replacement, it totally makes sense when you consider how much salt is in the juice. Sodium is an essential component in helping the body retain fluids, which is extremely important for long workouts, marathons, or any other endurance activity. Not having enough fluids in your muscles can result in some serious cramping and dehydration.

It's definitely an acquired taste, but if you feel like you want a natural alternative to Gatorade, try adding some pickle juice to water, or make some pickle juice popsicles. I might give it a shot the next time I'm out on a major bike ride or an all-day climb in hot weather.

Source: Flickr User nonelvis

Sports Energy Products Explained: Drinks, Powders, and Tablets

FitSugar — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 03:47:52 -0700

In order to sustain your energy for long workouts, you need to refuel with some kind of sporty energy product. Sport nutrition products are manufactured in so many forms these days - sport drinks, powders, energy bars, goos, and chews - so how do you know which one is right for you? Hopefully I can ease your confusion starting with sport drinks, powders, and tablets.

Popular brands of sport drinks include Gatorade, Accelerade, and Powerade. These pre-made, often neon-colored drinks contain carbs that you need for quick energy, and sodium and water that you need for hydration. A proper sport drink contains about 15 grams of carbs and 110 mg of sodium per eight-ounce serving. You can also buy powders you mix with water to make sport drinks. You only really need these drinks if you are working out for an hour or longer or are sweating profusely during your workout. I wouldn't sip these while running on the treadmill for 30 minutes. The sugar isn't necessary for short workouts, and as long as you hydrate with water before and after exercising, you're good to go.

What about Smartwater? To find out read more.

There are also beverages that contain electrolytes and no sugars, such as Smartwater or Function Water. Or if you want a little flavor but not a ton of sugar, NUUN tablets can be dissolved in your water. Electrolyte-enhanced water will help prevent dehydration but help your energy levels by providing glucose (aka sugar, which is turned into fuel for your muscles).

So here's the bottom line. If your workout is under an hour, drink plain water before and after. If you're working out and sweating a lot, sip electrolyte-enhanced water every 10 to 15 minutes while working out. If you're working out for an extended period of time, and are also sweating out fluids, sip a sports drink every 10 to 15 minutes.