The Gatorade Fuel Lab is a pop-up arm of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, to educate people on how to get the most from their bodies during intense workouts and sports.

And it came to Dubai on Thursday, featuring Gatorade Sports Science Institute’s senior scientist, Dr Rebecca Randell, who talked about the importance of nutrition in optimising sports performance.

Here’s what we learnt – that you should know if you’re exercising

1. Carbs aren’t the devil

Carbohydrates get a bad rep these days, but they aren’t all bad.

Carbs = energy, so you do need to measure what you’re putting into your body, (when you have an excess intake of carbs, it will get stored as fat), but if you’re highly active, you’ll need carbohydrates for energy to fuel your body.

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Just make sure it’s the right amount and the right type of carbs.

2. Different athletes lose different amounts of water when exercising

It seems obvious, but it’s even more dramatic than you’d expect – the Gatorade Sports Science Institute runs tests on athletes during their performance, and found that some can lose a full litre of sweat per hour while exercising, while others doing the same activity lose less than half that amount.

So find what works for you.

3. For every pound of weight you lose during activity in water, you need to drink three cups of fluids to hydrate

You’d be surprised how much fluid you can lose during sport – but it’s important that you keep your body hydrated, to maintain optimum function.

It’s worth weighing yourself before and after a workout to see just how much fluid you lose, and then you’ll know how much you need to replace.

It’s three cups per pound of fluid, so drink up!

4. Fat v Carbs: the difference in energy sources

If you’re confused about fats and carbs – which to eat and when, you’re NOT alone my friend. Thankfully, Dr Rebecca Randell clarified as part of her talk.

When you’re doing high-intensity sports, you need carbs to keep you going, whereas lower-intensity activities use fat as energy. So if you’re getting your heart-rate up for longer periods, you’ll need carbs to help sustain your energy expenditure.

The #GatoradeFuelLab popped up in Al Quoz for one day only

Live from #gatoradefuellab in Al Quoz. It’s pretty impressive! pic.twitter.com/MauJPML6L5

— Lovin Dubai (@lovindubai) November 8, 2018

And it was a hoot!

#basketball skills at the #GatoradeFuelLab pic.twitter.com/rgX1jj7i5I

— Lovin Dubai (@lovindubai) November 8, 2018