Skip navigation and jump to the content for this section.

Skip section navigation and jump to content.

How it Works (4:1)

In 1997, six of the country's top exercise physiologists convened with the goal of developing the next generation of sports drinks. Out of this symposium came Accelerade - the first sports drink to contain carbohydrates in combination with protein in a patented 4:1 ratio. That's a ratio that research has shown is ideal. Because while protein is key, the amount of protein is what's important. Too much, and it can't be processed by the body. Too little, and it won't work like it needs to.

Simply, the science behind the ratio is what takes you beyond rehydration straight to peak performance.

Recovery, the key to peak performance

If rehydration were the only factor to enhancing performance, a conventional sports drink would be enough. But athletes don't just need to rehydrate, their muscles need to recover, too. Protein speeds muscle recovery.

During prolonged exercise, the body breaks down muscle to meet energy needs. Research has shown that consuming a carbohydrate-protein sports drink during exercise can minimize muscle breakdown [8, 9], may aid in supporting muscle synthesis [8], and improve protein balance [8, 9]. In contrast, a conventional sport drink during exercise resulted in an increase in muscle breakdown and a decrease in synthesis which is definitely not optimal for athletes [8].

Why is this important? It is crucial for endurance athletes to maintain lean muscle mass during training and competition to maximize performance. Therefore, a carbohydrate-protein sports drink can aid in maintaining protein balance which helps to maintain muscle mass.

What athlete doesn't want to recover quicker? That's why the protein in Accelerade helps start the rebuilding process of muscles damaged during exercise.

The ability of any athlete to perform at their best is directly related to how fast their muscles recover after exercise. Protein-enhanced Accelerade gives muscles a jump-start on getting back to peak performance. In fact, Accelerade has been shown to significantly reduce muscle damage following exercise. Compared to a conventional sports drink, it minimizes muscle soreness.

In 2004 and 2006, researchers at James Madison University studied post-exercise muscle damage in cyclists who drank Accelerade or a conventional sports drink while riding a stationary bicycle to exhaustion by measuring lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and/or creatine kinase (CK) levels, biomarkers of muscle damage [10, 11]. In both studies, athletes who drank Accelerade during exercise experienced a reduction in musclular damage (evidenced by lower LDH and/or CK plasma values) then when drinking the conventional drink. Athletes who drank Accelerade also reported a decrease in muscle soreness 24 hours after exercise [11].

Why drink Accelerade? Accelerade helps to speed up the recovery process by reducing muscle damage and also decreases soreness that can occur with endurance exercise. Accelerade is beneficial during and also after exercise to enable the athlete to perform at his/her best later on that same day or days following.

  1. Brooks, G.A. and J. Mercier. J Appl Physiol, 1994. 76(6): p. 2253-61.
  2. Dohm, G.L. Exerc Sport Sci Rev, 1986. 14: p. 143-73.
  3. Lemon, P.W. and J.P. Mullin. J Appl Physiol, 1980. 48(4): p. 624-9.
  4. van Hall, G., et al.. J Physiol, 1996. 494 ( Pt 3): p. 899-905.
  5. Romijn, J.A., et al. Am J Physiol, 1993. 265(3 Pt 1): p. E380-91.
  6. Manore, M. and J. Thompson. Sport Nutrition for Health and Performance. 2000, Human Kinetics: Champaign. p. 21-61.
  7. Seifert, J., J. Harmon, and P. DeClercq. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab, 2006. 16(4): p. 420-9.
  8. Koopman, R., et al. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, 2004. 287(4): p. E712-20.
  9. Miller, S.L., et al., Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab, 2007. In press.
  10. Saunders, M.J., M.D. Kane, and M.K. Todd. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2004. 36(7): p. 1233-8.
  11. Romano-Ely, B.C., et al. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2006. 38(9): p. 1608-16.

Accelerade Works with You

Yes, you read that right. Learn how Accelerade refines the well-oiled machine you are.

Find out more

Need More Proof?

Check out these clinical studies that support 4:1. It just might change the way you sweat.

Learn more