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When it comes to beverages on keto there is an invincible wall that you always have to face. The definite options that you have are coffee, soda and plain water with salt. But there are few options available that you can take under the suitable time and situation.
First you have to understand the mechanism of ketogenic diet. High fat low carb is basic. If you dig a little deeper it’s the insulin that plays a vital role in ketogenic diet and that’s what determines what beverages are suitable for ketogenic diet.
Today we will get to the bottom of Powerade Zero in ketogenic diet.
Powerade Zero Primary Sweetener Sucralose Explained
There is absolutely no doubt that Powerade Zero have no sugar in it. Does that make it keto friendly? Well no, cause it uses artificial sweeteners and some sweeteners will kick you out of ketosis no questions asked.
The primary sweetener of Powerade Zero is sucralose. Sucralose is one of the most used artificial sweeteners in keto diet. You might know sucralose as Splenda, which is the most commonly used sucralose based product.
The problem with sucralose is that it has maltodextrin added to it. Maltodextrin can trigger insulin response which will kick you out of ketosis if are loading up with sucralose.
Sucralose is also known for it’s excitotoxin response which puts your brain in hyper active mode.
Sucralose in packet should be avoided in ketogenic diet no question asked. But in beverages the effects of sucralose can be manipulated and we will show you how to do that.
Despite the effects of sucralose people take Powerade Zero on ketogenic diet and no it doesn’t kick them out of ketosis.
Resource: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5817296/
Powerade Zero On Keto: No But Yes!
Okay, so should you take Powerade Zero in ketogenic diet? Yes you can but you cannot take it all the time specially under specific circumstances.
If you are new in ketogenic diet and trying hard to get into ketosis, try to avoid any artificial sweeteners. And in extent beverages like powerade zero.
The reason for that is, you are starting your ketogenic diet and if you are loading up with artificial sweeteners for no good reason you will never reach your goal and ketosis.
Then again, if you are having keto flu and down on energy even after having all the electrolytes, you can sip into powerade zero to get back your energy level. This is the only situation when we suggest powerade zero to the ketogenic beginners.
Powerade zero is a BIG NO if you are doing intermittent fasting or prolonged fasting with keto diet. Powerade zero will kick you out of fasting state if not ketosis. To keep the fasting effective, just don’t go for any artificial sweetening beverages when fasting.
If you are someone who is in ketosis for a longer period of time, sure you can go for Powerade zero. Since your body is already fat adapted there is a high chance a small insulin spike will not do any harm or kick you out of ketosis.
Our Experiment with Powerade Zero: We have tested our blood glucose before and after Powerade Zero consumption. There is no glucose spike after consumption. Powerade Zero is truly a zero glycemic index beverage.
Yes But What Time: Best Time For Powerade Zero
We are recommending two specific time to have Powerade Zero but you are free to explore your own timing for this beverage.
First, at the mid-day as your coffee or other drinks substitute. If you are someone who takes drinks or coffee every now and then you can try powerade zero as an alternative. It will give you the boost to get through the rest of your day with a good mood swing.
Secondly, after workout or an evening walk. Everyone either do some workout or goes for an evening walk. If not even the journey back home from office sometimes gets tiresome. The best way to recover from that is a good drink. Powerade zero will do the trick and will help you to recover from all the electrolyte deficiency.
Powerade zero will add an extra card in your deck of ketogenic beverage option if you can manipulate the timing and it’s dosage.
There are also a few other times when you can chose Powerade Zero. Such as keto flu. When your body is going through electrolyte deficiency this beverage might come handy. It will not knock you out of ketosis and also will replenish the electrolyte deficiency to get through keto flu.
How Should You Take Powerade Zero?
If you already had powerade zero you know that is a very sweet drinks which feels odd in a ketogenic tongue. Also we already discussed that adverse effect of loading up on sucralose, the primary sweetener of Powerade Zero.
We found adding plain cold water to it as a very good option as it reduces the sweetness of this beverage to a great extent.
Adding some other juice or drinks that needs some sweetening also makes a great cocktail of keto friendly beverage.
Why No And Avoid? Insulin Versus Blood Glucose Spike
Despite all the good things, why did we say BIG NO to Powerade Zero?
Well, because we didn’t test if it causes any insulin spike or not. We did test our blood glucose before and after but insulin the key factor in ketogenic diet.
Insulin dictates whether your body runs on ketones or glucose. If there is any or significant insulin spike in your body, you will be out of ketosis instantly. Blood glucose can remain stable with an insulin spike inside your body.
If you are fat adapted means you are in ketosis for a long time, small insulin spike might not kick you out of ketosis. But if you are new in ketogenic diet that small spike can cause you problems.
Powerade Zero Nutrition And Electrolytes
Important note for ketogenic enthusiast about Powerade Zero’s nutrition facts is that it contains zero carbohydrates and sugar.
Powerade Zero also contains few vital electrolytes like sodium and potassium. Though the amount of these electrolytes may vary from person to person but after an intense workout these amounts might not be enough for a day long requirement.
Powerade Zero is a very well thought of product for the people who are in need of a quick refill for electrolytes in their body. With some added water Powerade Zero is a good option for electrolyte drinks in ketogenic diet.
Resource: https://www.coca-colaproductfacts.com/en/products/powerade-zero/white-cherry/32-oz/
Bottom Line
Artificial sweeteners and zero sugar beverages are only an option to ease your way to ketosis and your journey with ketogenic lifestyle. Just don’t try to make it a part of your journey in the beginning. Once you are well keto adapted you are good to go with beverages like Powerade Zero. Consuming beverages like Powerade Zero more often might not kick you out of ketosis immediately but it will trigger insulin spike in the long run.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3982014/
https://www.coca-colaproductfacts.com/en/products/powerade-zero/white-cherry/32-oz/