cruiser revolution

Who would’ve thunk it…the humble Slurpee might just be the edge you need if you find yourself racing this summer on an especially hot day.

In a study that was reported on first in the New York Times,  researchers found:

young male recreational athletes who drank a syrup-flavored ice slurry [like a slurpee] just before running on a treadmill in hot room could keep going for an average of 50 minutes before they had to stop. When they drank only syrup-flavored cold water, they could run for an average of 40 minutes.

The senior investigator, Paul Laursen, said the effect is short-lived.  According to Laursen:

It would not even begin to last long enough to run a marathon or do a century (100-mile) bike ride, for example. But it would be perfect for a sport like tennis or for a 5- or 10-kilometer race.

Could it be effective then for a BMX racing then?

I think it might.

While not part of the study, the nature of BMX racing with it’s need for short-bursts of energy, recovery and then some more short-bursts of energy seems to make it a good fit for the kind of sport where the type of cooling provided by a Slurpee might pay off in increased performance.

Laursen found ice slurries were beneficial because  it lowered brain temperature more effectively than cold water. He also reasoned that:

 slurries might also effectively cool the body before exercise. The advantage… is that they are even colder than ice — 30 degrees Fahrenheit — an effect that occurs when sugary water is swirled with crushed ice.

Very interesting!

I’d love to test this out…if only there was a 7-11 close to my local track! Maybe I’ll throw a Freezie or two in the cooler and see if it has a similar effect.

Anybody racing this weekend with a 7-11 nearby?

I would love to hear whether or not it had an effect on your performance. And if anybody gives you  a hard time for gulping a Slurpee…tell ’em you’re doing it for science!