Drinking Water vs. Diet Soda

[Inebriated]

Originally Posted by RC

I don't claim to know the facts pertaining to this discussion, and offer no advice on this subject myself.  However, I can report some surprising information that I heard from sports experts who advise some of our US Olympic athletes and NFL football players.  The advice was for events with longish time frames and was given in a meeting held by one of official olympic sports authorities for the benefit of aspiring olympic trainees and US national coaches.

First is hydration, of course, and one must drink before feeling thirsty.  Soft drinks, both sugary and diet, were not held in high regard.  The recommendation was to mix half water and half some product like Gatorade, but make sure no fructose is involved.  Second was Caffeine.  I listened to about an hour's worth of research about how caffeine improved concentration, awareness, and helped reduce early fatigue and loss of mental sharpness, and it was the about the only legal drug that Olympic athletes could take and still pass drug tests for performance enhancing substances.  I was astonished to hear this news, but they even went so far as talking about taking caffeine pills an hour before your event if you did not drink coffee and did not know your exact dosing.  I forgot the dose level recommended (or will not share it,) but it was for events with a rather longish time frame of something like 4 to 6 hours which would be akin to a golf round. The half life of caffeine is a little longer than some things.  The specific sport I will not reveal but it involves immense concentration, quick actions, endurance, and mental awareness with lots of decision making.

Frankly I was not surprised by the recommendation to dilute the sports drinks, but the caffeine advice caught me by surprise.  I had no idea.  Finally, one of the two advisors who was talking to the Olympic coaches about all this was an advisor to one of the NFL football teams.  Personally, I don't drink coffee and cannot imagine taking caffeine pills so please don't take anything in this note as advice or accurate information because it is only a circumstancial note in an internet forum.  Consult your doctor and your own experts or do your own research.  I am just reporting something I heard at a meeting.

I imagine Caffeine pills would give you a feeling like you just did some mild coke...

[WUTiger]

I like to drink a Diet coke or Pepsi after a round just for a little energy boost. Plus, I find cola drinks refreshing.

During a round of golf, I drink water on the front nine and switch to sports drink (electrolytes) on the back nine. This advice comes from an athletic trainer and distance runner who also has a 12 HDCP in golf. He confirmed the idea I had heard before, that extended exercise (past two hours in heat) starts to drain electrolytes from the body. Water will get you through the first nine, but sports drink gives you a little e-boost at the end.

A few seasons back I tried water only, but tended to feel a tight and crampy in the legs about the 15th hole. Like my father, I run out of potassium in hot weather and need a little e-boost. (I take potassium at breakfast, but it won't carry me through 18 holes).  And don't suggest I eat bananas - anything more than one or two bites upsets my stomach.

As for coffee, I might have some with breakfast at home if I feel a little sluggish. But I don't much care for the pre-scramble clubhouse breakfast of coffee and a chocolate donut 5 minutes before tee off.

[gjsuicide]

No! Couldnt be further from the truth.  I dont know where some people get this idea.  Gotta be the corn/sugar growers that spread this lie and consumers buy it because it benefits them.

Quote:

Its better to drink reg soda than diet if your going to drink it at all.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by WUTiger

I like to drink a Diet coke or Pepsi after a round just for a little energy boost. Plus, I find cola drinks refreshing.

During a round of golf, I drink water on the front nine and switch to sports drink (electrolytes) on the back nine. This advice comes from an athletic trainer and distance runner who also has a 12 HDCP in golf. He confirmed the idea I had heard before, that extended exercise (past two hours in heat) starts to drain electrolytes from the body. Water will get you through the first nine, but sports drink gives you a little e-boost at the end.

A few seasons back I tried water only, but tended to feel a tight and crampy in the legs about the 15th hole. Like my father, I run out of potassium in hot weather and need a little e-boost. (I take potassium at breakfast, but it won't carry me through 18 holes).  And don't suggest I eat bananas - anything more than one or two bites upsets my stomach.

As for coffee, I might have some with breakfast at home if I feel a little sluggish. But I don't much care for the pre-scramble clubhouse breakfast of coffee and a chocolate donut 5 minutes before tee off.

Have you ever worn an onion on your belt or walked a turkey on a leash?

[gogolfing]

I drink a lot of water and it has helped me greatly in weight loss. Have gone from 275 down to 200 pounds, and drink almost nothing but water. Helps me to feel full and I get headaches and feel sluggish if not properly hydrated. First thing I do in the AM is drink 3 14 oz glasses of water and it really helps start the day off. As for diet drinks, I have stayed away from them for over 10 years because of some studies I read around the effects of aspartame. Obviously water has not been the only thing I have done to lose the weight, but it is a great ally in it.

[Shorty]

Originally Posted by WUTiger

During a round of golf, I drink water on the front nine and switch to sports drink (electrolytes) on the back nine. This advice comes from an athletic trainer and distance runner who also has a 12 HDCP in golf. He confirmed the idea I had heard before, that extended exercise (past two hours in heat) starts to drain electrolytes from the body. Water will get you through the first nine, but sports drink gives you a little e-boost at the end.

This is absolutely not true. Golf is not a high intensity workout.

You are not running a marathon in 100 degree heat.

Even if you were, the so called "benefits" of soft drinks like Gatorade masquerading as "sports drinks" are dubious at best.

Water is all you need for golf. Drink plenty of it and eat a banana.

[ladders11]

Water is exactly what you need.  As mentioned, a banana can be helpful.  I also think apples, almonds or walnuts make an ideal snack.

One concern with diet soda should be the phosphoric acid and caffeine that are leaching the calcium from your bones.  Especially older folks need to be mindful of this.  Of course there's lots of toxins in sodas generally and the whole basket may slow your kidneys.

[GoIrish]

i stopped drinking coke a couple months ago. I now drink only propel flavored zero calorie water. tastes great ,but havent really lost any weight.

[mirv]

my dad used to being a cooler full of diet sodas to the course, and a few months ago i told him "when it gets hot in the summer, those sodas aren't going to cut it, we're going to need water."  unfortunately, neither of us care for drinking water particularly, so we compromised on crystal light.

[funkyfred72]

There are toxins and bad stuff not only in drinks, but also in the food you eat.  Eating processed food is just as bad, if not worse.

Originally Posted by ladders11

Water is exactly what you need.  As mentioned, a banana can be helpful.  I also think apples, almonds or walnuts make an ideal snack.

One concern with diet soda should be the phosphoric acid and caffeine that are leaching the calcium from your bones.  Especially older folks need to be mindful of this.  Of course there's lots of toxins in sodas generally and the whole basket may slow your kidneys.

[Gresh24]

Originally Posted by RC

First is hydration, of course, and one must drink before feeling thirsty.  Soft drinks, both sugary and diet, were not held in high regard.  The recommendation was to mix half water and half some product like Gatorade, but make sure no fructose is involved.  Second was Caffeine.  I listened to about an hour's worth of research about how caffeine improved concentration, awareness, and helped reduce early fatigue and loss of mental sharpness, and it was the about the only legal drug that Olympic athletes could take and still pass drug tests for performance enhancing substances.  I was astonished to hear this news, but they even went so far as talking about taking caffeine pills an hour before your event if you did not drink coffee and did not know your exact dosing.  I forgot the dose level recommended (or will not share it,) but it was for events with a rather longish time frame of something like 4 to 6 hours which would be akin to a golf round. The half life of caffeine is a little longer than some things.  The specific sport I will not reveal but it involves immense concentration, quick actions, endurance, and mental awareness with lots of decision making.

I have heard just the opposite regarding caffeine.  When I played athletics in college we had to sit through the mandatory NCAA drug awareness meetings, of course telling us the dangers of all drugs, performance enhancing, and otherwise.  What got my attention was they also addressed caffeine and how bad it can be, and recommended taking it completely out of your diet.  They said in the long run, you will have much better performance, sharpness, and stamina without it.

I have also heard diet sodas are very bad for you for a number of reasons, and drinking regular soda is better.

[saevel25]

I haven't touched a pop since the day before the first day of lent. I tell you what, after the cravings stopped. I slepted better at night, i have tons more energy, my energy is more stable through out the day.

I will say this, just drop pop all together, diet or not. Its better for ya

[robinoso]

I can tell you that when I was actually in shape and not 10-15lbs over weight (I blame the baby!), I found that water did help with weight loss.  I didn't chart it, but I was in a goove eating well and going to the gym regularly and decided to cut all cokes and stick to water and tea.  I did this for at least 3 months and kept my same routine.  I dropped at least 5lbs that I normally wouldn't have.  So although, it wasn't a ton more after that period, it still helped.  You aren't going to lose weight by just cutting cokes, unless you drink a 12 pack a day and if that's the case you are in trouble already.

Water is nature's energy source.  Drink it.

EDIT:  I didn't look for the link, but we had a debate about Diet Coke and the addiction their false sugar can cause...seemed likely, but I still drink them :)  Soooo good...

[Yukari]

Wow, that is a news to me.
Anyway, I stopped drinking diet coke for about a month now.  It was tough the first few days, but after the craving subsided, I no longer care for it.

Now I only drink water throughout the day.  I am hoping I can see some results by 3 months time.

Originally Posted by Gresh24

I have heard just the opposite regarding caffeine.  When I played athletics in college we had to sit through the mandatory NCAA drug awareness meetings, of course telling us the dangers of all drugs, performance enhancing, and otherwise.  What got my attention was they also addressed caffeine and how bad it can be, and recommended taking it completely out of your diet.  They said in the long run, you will have much better performance, sharpness, and stamina without it.

I have also heard diet sodas are very bad for you for a number of reasons, and drinking regular soda is better.

[Zeph]

If water is better when you want to lose weight than soda? I would think that is rather obvious. Look at the energy in both of them. Water got virtually no kalories, soda got quite a lot more. Water in itself won't help you drop weight, but the effect may. By drinking water, you are filling up the stomach, which might make you eat less. But if you 2500kc one day, it doesn't matter if you also drink 1 or 4 galleons of water.

[iacas]

The zero-calorie diet sodas, they say, either suppress hunger or increase it, too. Who knows. I'm cutting back though.

[saevel25]

Spike in sugar levels in the blood cause hunger.. HFCS in regular sodas are 45% sugar 55% fructose. The fructose goes directly to the liver, were it can cause damage if in high concentration, similar to alcohal. the  sugar is dumped into the blood stream and will cause an insuline reaction. This is also bad. The spike in blood sugar causes hunger.

Caffiene isn't that bad, but it has been known that diet sodas inhibit weight loss. They have nnothing to do with hunger. Well drinking more water actually supresses hunger, so carbonated soda is about a 4 to 1 ratio when it comes to water. Meaning if your dehydrated, it will take 4- 8 oz cans of cola to equal 1 - 8oz serving of water. So if you drink like 20 cans of soda you might become less dehydrated.

Just drink water, if you want flavor, drop in a lemon or something.

If your going to need Caffiene i would go with Cofee or Tea.

[Yukari]

I think you missed the point of this thread entirely.  It is about the differences between water and DIET soda, not regular soda.

Originally Posted by Zeph

If water is better when you want to lose weight than soda? I would think that is rather obvious. Look at the energy in both of them. Water got virtually no kalories, soda got quite a lot more.

Water in itself won't help you drop weight, but the effect may. By drinking water, you are filling up the stomach, which might make you eat less. But if you 2500kc one day, it doesn't matter if you also drink 1 or 4 galleons of water.