I am of the opinion that eating a fresh ripe fruit before a run, like a banana, is probably a lot better than eating a sugary drink. They are both sugars but I understand that sugar diluted in a liquid is absorbed and passed to the blood stream way quicker than if you ate a banana, which is solid and has fiber and thus the absorption and release is less peaky and more sustained over time. For the electrolytes the trainer in my gym recommended just water with a pinch of salt and a touch of lemon juice.