Carbonation does effect you but I believe sometimes its effects are more in a persons mind than in reality. The truth is if you're trying to shave .1 seconds off of your 40 yard dash time then stop drinking carbonation. If you're trying to shave 2 minutes off of that 3 mile hike then don't drink it. Because thats about all the effect it really has. We all drink it in moderation in camp and don't notice any real difference. I used to play college football so I did stop drinking it altogether for years, it doesn't make a real big difference. Its more of a fine tuning thing than the difference between being able and not being able.

Good point on the carbonation. I also learned of its affects in college athletics, wrestling to be exact. It does have a significant affect on your aerobic performance. The reason you didn't notice is that football is a game played in explosive but short spurts(I played FB also), 3-10 seconds, then a break of 45-90secs. Try running a 10mile plus race sometime and you'll notice. If you dont hunt hard and consistent; as you pointed out; you wont notice the effects. on the other hand if you plan on hitting it hard and covering some miles, you will notice, especially if your not used to the altitude which is a killer anyway.

EKM I'm glad you mentioned Beer.
Can't beat it.

On the run and during the serious stuff.
Just plain old water does me.

I big plus that we have down here, is that you can drink it fresh from the hills, nothing nasty to worry about. Most of our mountains have ready supply, so no need to carry.
Sounds good huh.

I backpack hunt, and I take along Tang (good vitamin C source, not found in most backpack forage), plus either a Gatorade mix or those Crystal Light tea mixes in the little bitty containers.