The First Running Specialty Store In The Philippines For Runners, By Runners

Sports drinks provide the much needed nutrients lost during strenuous activities. These generally contain water, sugar, citric acid and salts that are needed by the body to function properly and efficiently. However, not all sports drinks are created equal; there are some that really hits the mark in providing added performance value during physical activities.

This review will not focus on the nutritional facts of these drinks and the function of the ingredients in every bottle. I feel that it is beyond my technical knowledge to make a professional assessment on that matter. But not to worry, we are currently sourcing out our networks in the field of nutrition to give us their expert opinion about the essential ingredients of sports drink and what they consider is the best brand or type. For now I hope my athletic experiences and know-how in sports will suffice in giving you a practical guide on choosing a sports drink that will suit your athletic needs.

Some athletes choose sports drink based on the following criteria: taste and consistency of the drink, price, availability and sometimes the brand image. Based on criteria, let’s take a look at the sports drink that we commonly see in most races or sporting events in the Philippines.

Gatorade

One of the most popular sports drink in the market, Gatorade has already established a strong relationship with sporting events in the Philippines for the past several years. Every time I remember my first triathlon I would always remember the Gatorade logos and posters, green and orange finish line, and most of all the coveted green water bottles with the Gatorade livery printed. Gatorade is quite synonymous to the world of sport and active lifestyle. With an iconic bottle design and numerous flavors to choose from, Gatorade will always be a strong leader in the world of sports drink.

Love: The moment you drink Gatorade, you feel its immediate effect; you feel refreshed and energized to sprint the last few kilometers. It does the job fast and very efficiently. It cools the body and replenishes lost minerals in no time. One of the best things about Gatorade is the image it conveys. Every time I pick up a bottle of Gatorade during training or racing, I feel like a true athlete. A sense of “Pride” surges through my veins allowing me to go the extra mile. When you drink Gatorade, you associate yourself with high caliber professional athletes competing in the Boston Marathon, Tour de France or Iron Man Triathlons. After a long race or training, when you take a sip of Gatorade, you feel you have accomplished something monumental. This drink doesn’t only replenish your lost nutrients, its marketing campaign also empowers you and transforms you into a serious athlete. Gatorade makes you feel like a professional athlete which in turn can do wonders with your performance.

Hate: For some people Gatorade doesn’t taste that good and a bit tiresome after several hours of continuous use. Moreover, Gatorade leaves a very powerful sour taste and acid feel in the mouth and throat. In some occasions, the powerful flavor stings the throat, making swallowing difficult. You need to drink or rinse your mouth with water to neutralize the strong stingy acid taste. Gatorade is also a bit expensive for its size and content. To combat its high cost, I know some people who would buy powdered Gatorade and make liters of it storing them in water bottles. Lastly, Gatorade must be served chilled or with ice to dilute the overpowering artificial and stingy flavor.

Final words: Difficult and quite tiresome to drink for long periods of time. For some it is best taken or paired with other fluids like water, sports drink or even soft drinks. The acid and powerful sour after taste can stop athletes drinking some more. However, the image it conveys still packs a psychological punch for that athlete chasing a personal record. Wide variety of flavors, accessibility in the market, as well as different sizes to choose from makes it a very popular choice.

Pocari Sweat

I could still remember when a friend of mine who arrived from Japan handed me a bottle of Pocari Sweat during our training runs. I was hesitant trying it since it has a strange name and it looks like a suspicious medicine hehe. After a few gulps of this translucent liquid, I was amazed with how easy it was to drink it. All I can say that time was “Saan galing ito?! Ang Sarap!”

In 2008, Pinoy Ultra Runners ran two ultra marathons: The Banaue-Sagada Run and The Subic Clark-Tarlac Expressway 94km Weekend. Both runs were fueled by Pocari Sweat. Some members of the team were wondering and scratching their heads about the nature of the drink. “Ano siya? Gamot?!” The only thing I said to the team was, “masarap yan, trust me”. Reaching the finish line, the team was really happy and gave Pocari high marks and it eventually became a staple sports drink during training and racing.

Love: Born in the "Land of the Rising Sun," Pocari Sweat is created with hi-tech Japanese technology in mind. It will replenish lost nutrients and even Ions as fast as Godzilla destroys Tokyo hehe. What I love about Pocari Sweat is its balance or neutral taste, making it easy and comfortable to drink for long periods of time. It feels like it is quickly absorbed by the body, faster than finding out why it is called Pocari Sweat. Warm or cold, this sports drink performs brilliantly; it doesn’t give you that strong sour taste. Moreover, it feels very light in the stomach and you won’t feel tired or saturated with its mild taste. Its claim of replenishing lost ions is a big plus factor for anyone looking to recover from a rigorous training or final sprint. It is light and its balanced taste makes it easy to drink, making you drink more, which in turn helps your body recover lost nutrients. The attractive blue and white packaging also projects that light and mild feeling. This is truly an enjoyable product to use and makes you look forward to every water stop.

Hate: Pocari Sweat!!! Pocari Sweat!!! (have you seen the advertisement on TV?) Hehe. I am just having a problem with its name. Some of my friends told me that every time they drink Pocari Sweat, they can’t stop thinking about Japanese and sweat at the same time hehe. Not a good combination while refueling and losing fluids hehe. I was really curious about the name, but never really gave any considerable effort knowing its history until now. Check this out:

Wikipedia: Pocari Sweat

The reference to the bodily fluid resulting from perspiration in the name of the beverage tends to have a certain off putting or humorous connotation for native English speakers. However, the name was chosen by the manufacturers originally for the purpose of marketing the product as a sports drink in Japan, where people generally do not mentally translate names appearing in English and are therefore not bothered by the connotation.

It was largely derived from the notion of what it is intended to supply to the drinker: all of the nutrients and electrolytes lost when sweating (the first part of the name, Pocari, means "like a cloud floating in the sky" or "a situation in which a cloud is floating in the sky" in Japanese, and has a connotation of lightness, buoyancy, and ease). "Sweat" was apparently intended to suggest diligence and its fruits—the idea intending to connote to the user that Pocari Sweat works to make one feel fresh and relaxed. However, some Japanese apparently drop "Sweat" from the name in common usage.

The name isn’t really that appealing. It does not have that psychological image that gives you that mental push. If it’s a can of Popeye Spinach, we know it is good but it is still spinach in an unattractive silver can hehe. On a more serious note, one of the things people do not like about Pocari is the price. It is bit expensive, hitting close to 30 Pesos or more in some areas. The expensive price can sometimes make people buy another sports drink at a fraction of the cost.

Final Words: Overall, Pocari Sweat scores very high for most members of the team. It does what a sports drink is suppose to do, and sometimes even better. The steep price and the unattractive name might turn heads to a cheaper and a more attractive sports drink. It is a great tasting mild sports drink that will help you go reach the finish line and even go further. A highly recommended sports drink. You can never go wrong with Pocari Sweat.

Neville Jay Manaois
Team Principal
Pinoy Ultra Runners