So what exactly are electrolytes? Electrolytes are substances that conduct electricity and dissociate into ions when dissolved in water. They are essential for organic life. The human body uses the following electrolytes:
All of these ions are essential for normal body function. If you listen to the sports drink commercial you will likely be told that the drink is the best way to replenish "lost electrolytes."
The truth of the matter is that yes sports drinks do contain electrolytes, However, it is better to reach for the water if you are thirsty following strenuous exercise. The push to stay hydrated has had some negative consequences. Over-hydrating and drinking too many sugar loaded sports drinks can lead to hyponatremia (fancy for low levels of blood sodium) which can, in serious cases lead to death. More information about this can be found at the link below.
Hydration is best achieved by simply listening to your body. If you are thirsty, drink water. If you have a big race or another sports activity planned, still listen to your body, drink when thirsty and take rests as needed.
Sports drinks are not all bad though. Because sports drinks contain large amounts of carbohydrates (sugar) and electrolytes they can be beneficial if you plan on working out and doing strenuous exercise for longer than a 60 minute period of time.
Just like with food consumption, water hydration depends largely on listening to your body and by balancing your liquid choices.
Blake,
ReplyDeleteGood to hear someone speaking up about the false marketing and misconstrued ideas behind sports drinks. Often times, people think "Why am I still gaining weight!? I traded my soda for gatorade, which is what athletes drink, right?" Well, like you put it, many sports drinks, while containing the electrolytes that we need, also contain loads of sugar. Often times, sports drinks like gatorade will contain just as much sugar as a soda. Unless you are burning a significant amount of calories during a workout, it's best to just drink water and make sure you are supplementing with electrolyte tablets, if deficiencies arise. I personally try to drink between 1 and 1.5 gallons of water per day, since I take creatine. I find I have bad muscle cramps while lifting if I do not drink more water while supplementing creatine.
Blake--Very nice job with your 5 new entries. You are presenting interesting ideas and topics, and you are working to support and develop those ideas. Good discussion. Good visual appeal and engagement. Keep it up!
ReplyDelete