Men who drink Gatorade instead of water during workouts have more muscle growth, less body fat, lower cortisol levels, and a 23% increase in fast twitch muscle fibers.
Adding carbs intra-workout (I drink ~1 L of orange juice with added salt every session) was a game changer for me. After years of stagnation, I started gaining strength and muscle again.
Carbs spike insulin, which opposes cortisol, making them anti-catabolic. Orange juice also provides potassium, which supports muscle contraction and glucose uptake, while salt (sodium) further lowers stress hormones and improves carb utilization. Plus, muscles need quick fuel for intense efforts, without carbs and electrolytes, you burn through glycogen and start breaking down muscle to make glucose.
Soon enough we will be recommending people the parts of animals that relate to their problems.
"Ankles hurt? Have you tried bear ankles?" May not be so crazy