Gatorade G Series Pro 01 Prime Pre-Game Fuel Energy Drink
Endurance athletes, like distance cyclists, need to start their exercise routine with a full fuel tank, i.e., a good shot of carbohydrates. Gatorade G Series Pro 01 Prime Pre-Game Fuel is a mixture of both simple and complex carbohydrates, along with a shot of three B vitamins, that can help you get off on the right foot. The folks at Gatorade suggest you drink this product 15 minutes before you begin exercising.
The Gatorade G Series Pro 01 Prime Pre-Game Fuel comes in a 4-ounce flexible package and is only available in two flavors—lime and berry. Each package has 120 calories, 110mg of sodium, and 30g of carbohydrates. It also has 20% of the amount of three B vitamins you need each day (niacin, vitamin B6, and pantothenic acid). This product does not contain either caffeine or protein.
I have tried both flavors of this energy drink and prefer the lime flavor. It tastes a lot like regular Gatorade (what a shock), but it is both thicker and sweeter. Each 4-ounce serving of this drink will cost you around $2.29 at your local store, which is the same price that you will find on Amazon.com.
While I have nothing against Gatorade G Series Pro 01 Prime Pre-Game Fuel, I do believe there are better alternatives that are just as effective and certainly a lot cheaper. I would suggest you try an 8-ounce glass of Welch’s Grape Juice instead of the Gatorade. Eight ounces of Welch’s Grape Juice provides 140 calories, 38g of carbohydrates, 15mg of sodium, 120mg of potassium, and 1g of protein. It also gives you 120% of the DV of Vitamin C and a boatload of antioxidants. Given the choice between a small dose of B vitamins or a major serving of antioxidants, I’ll choose the antioxidants every time.
In my area a 64-ounce bottle of Welch’s Grape Juice retails for around $4 a bottle, which comes out to just .50¢ a serving. Not only is a glass of Welch’s Grape Juice a much more economical choice, but I think it tastes better too!
Nikonaddict
September 19, 2011 at 8:10 PM
Thank you for this article! I always like to read product reviews before purchasing new products myself. I don’t ride nearly as much (or as far) as you do and I don’t want to waste what little time I get on my bike. Are you going to review the other Gatorade products? Our local sporting goods store has a big Gatorade display — including some products I’ve never heard of before.
AllSeasonsCyclist
September 19, 2011 at 8:58 PM
I do have a few more Gatorade products to review before the end of the year. Gatorade is a great company, but they just don’t understand cycling! They could mop the floor with their competition if they knew the difference between the needs of weightlifter vs. a cyclist. A few years ago nearly every cyclist I saw carried two bottles of Propel in their bottle cages, but once they stopped selling Propel with the “Sports Cap” those cyclists were forced to switch to another brand (maybe they still sell it on other markets, but not where I live).
BackOnMyBike
September 19, 2011 at 9:38 PM
are you going to review their pregame protein bar?
AllSeasonsCyclist
September 19, 2011 at 10:57 PM
If you mean the Gatorade G Series Pro 01 Prime Pre-Game Fuel Nutrition Bar (who thinks up these names?), then the answer is YES. I bought four of these bars a couple weeks ago. Unfortunately, when I started to try them out I noticed that the bars EXPIRED on May 25 (yep, four months ago)! It’s not the fault of Gatorade that some merchants sell old stock, so I am going to purchase a few more bars (fresh ones) and will review them next month. No opinion on them at the moment.
All Seasons Cyclist
October 2, 2011 at 12:11 AM
For the record, I tried to purchase the Gatorade Pre-Game Fuel Nutrition Bar at a Dick’s Sporting Goods tonight, but the “freshest” ones they had expired SIX WEEKS AGO! I have no idea how long the shelf-life is for these bars, but the folks at Gatorade really ought to encourage merchants to rotate their stock better.