Gatorade (only slightly OT)

I'm not a nutritionist, but a couple of things that I've learned from
studying this topic myself:

1) Straight-up sugar (sucrose) isn't what you're looking for, its
glucose that's more important.

2) Salt is a good thing; not necessarily a lot, but some. Sweat
contains a fair amount of salts, and the medical folks I've talked to
say that you should try to replace some of the lost salt to prevent
Hyponatremia (here's an article on the subject and endurance sports,
which seems appropriate for us: http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/salt.html)

3) As mentioned, Pedialyte is nice because its formulated for kids
with an eye towards avoiding excess sugar. IMHO, Gatorade's recent
reformulations have been aimed more at competing with soft-drinks than
as a way to improve the performance or bodily function of athletes.

I find that straight Gatorade (or other sports drinks) is too strong,
and can lead to nausea - especially if I start the flight already
hydrated. Instead, I use a ~30/70 to 50/50 mix of Water and Gatorade
or Pedialyte-type drink. I vary the concentration based on the
temperature an sunlight at my flying location (more of the Gatorade/
Pedialyte solution if I expect to sweat more or be exposed to longer
periods of intense sunshine). If I use something like Pedialyte that
is lower in carbs, I make sure to bring slightly more food along in
the cockpit. I prefer granola bars with fruit and nuts in them to
provide complex sugars, carbs, and protein; and I comparison-shop to
find the ones that are lower in sugar (hint: chewy/moist bars don't
often make the grade). I also like a handful of Almonds from time to
time (Blue Diamond Oven Roasted with Sea-Salt, or Emerald Nuts Cocoa
Roasted - they are are surprisingly healthy and not high in sugar).
Another reason I like nuts or the "drier" granola bars is because they
encourage me to drink some fluids to wash my mouth out afterwards
(drinking is all too easy to forget, especially when flying a
competition or trying to make a goal). I try to eat something roughly
every 2 - 3 hours, to keep my system on an even keel.

Enjoy,

--Noel