An intense workout is a great feeling, and it’s a great thing to do for your body. However, without proper hydration, you can end up doing a lot more damage than good. The importance of staying hydrated while exercising can’t be stressed enough, but what’s the most effective way of doing that?
Water has been the obvious choice for humans and most other animals, but water isn’t the only hydration option available to us anymore. The development of sports drinks using electrolytes suggests that these beverages may be an even more effective way of keeping yourself hydrated. This leaves people wondering, which we should be using for hydration: drinking water or Electrolyte Infused Sports drinks?
The labels on the containers swear they’re good for you, but what does everything on that bottle actually mean the drink is doing for you? The electrolytes commonly found in sports drinks contain an abundance of ions which are used to make you more electrically conductive. Your body loses electrolytes while you sweat, along with potassium salts and water. Sports drinks contain all three of these, but there are some questions as to whether or not they’re needed. While exercising your body uses a lot of reserves in the body to replace what is lost through sweat. So while you do lose electrolytes while working out, you may not need to replace them as quickly to keep your body healthy.
Water is slowly absorbed through the stomach, but even that slow speed seems to be sufficient to keep your body in good condition while exercising, albeit with diminishing returns over time. It’s much more important to be as hydrated as possible before you start working out instead of relying on a boost later on during your routine.
Do you need to be drinking Electrolyte Infused Sports drinks daily for proper hydration? No, not unless you’re an athlete or in a position where you lose a substantial amount of sweat and electrolytes on a daily basis.
There is a point where your body has lost so many electrolytes that a boost is necessary. Doctors place this time at around 3 hours of intense working out. After such an activity, it would be appropriate to boost your water drinking with just such an Electrolyte Infused Sports Drink. You can get electrolytes from more than Sports Drinks: in spite of their bold claims, electrolytes are commonly found in non-sports drinks such as juice and milk. You can also get a healthy dose of electrolytes from eating fruits and vegetables.
Are all sports drinks created equal?
Although there is obvious bias towards using water, you may prefer the taste of some sports drinks or regularly engage in an intense workout. Electrolyte Infused Sports Drinks may be a part of your process: there are some important things to keep in mind when looking for an electrolyte-infused beverage though.
A lot of sports drinks are filled with sugar, which can be a lot of empty calories while working out. Your body does make use of the sugar for a quick boost, but your daily dose of sugar should only be about 40 grams. Many sports drinks contain 50 or more grams of sugar, which is way more than your body needs. If you’re exercising to lose weight, sports drinks can outdo a lot of what you’re trying to accomplish.
One way to offset this is to mix your sports drink with water. Filling half a container with water and the other with your sports drink will effectively cut the sugar content in half. This will also reduce the number of electrolytes you get, but it’s still more effective than drinking water alone. It’s also a quick solution to using a healthier electrolyte-laden drink when you may not have time to make your own.
Of course, if those aren’t appetizing, there are a lot of recipes online for homemade electrolyte drinks. Some of them can be quite tasty, and are relatively easy to make with no need for special ingredients outside of what you can find at a grocery store.
Moral of the story? Stay hydrated!
Remember that hydration is incredibly vital while working out. Even more important than whether it’s water or a sports drink, is that you always remember to stay hydrated. Your body does a great job of keeping your levels even for the most part, but those undergoing intense workouts such as training for a marathon or sporting event may be losing valuable chemical not as quickly replenished with water.
For everyone else who need only worry about staying hydrated during an hour-long work out at the gym, try to get as hydrated with water as possible before starting, and remember that water will probably be an effective way of staying hydrated during your workout as well. If you find yourself feeling particularly sluggish after a workout or excursion, feel free to boost your water intake with a favorite flavor of Electrolyte Infused Sports Drink!
- April 21, 2023
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- Healthy Water Tips, Las Vegas Water Delivery