Growing up, I fell victim. High-sugary drinks, such as Gatorade and Powerade, were taught as the athlete’s only way to replenish, recover, and rehydrate.
The only issue is that these high sugar, high-calorie drinks tend to do more harm than good. Artificial dyes, ingredients, and added sugar leave an athlete in a backseat and truly not getting the best when it comes to rehydration.
Electrolytes can be the perfect replenishment your body needs, but Gatorade and Powerade fail to pack a punch with proper amounts of electrolytes. Instead, they deliver a mad rush of sugar that can lead to a crash later.
Electrolytes are minerals that function as electrical transporters when dissolved in water. These transporters create electrical currents, allowing fluid to pass through our cell membranes. This means that they provide our bodies with the nutrients needed to function properly every day. You could say that they are the “gas” for our engines (body). Not only do they help us function day today, but they also help repair damaged tissue that we break down from training. Additionally, they help our blood clots when needed and help build new muscle tissue.
The key electrolytes in our body are:
Foods higher in electrolytes include spinach, turkey, potatoes, beans, avocados, oranges, soybeans (edamame), strawberries, and bananas.
Electrolytes are primarily lost through sweating and can become depleted during exercise. The main ones are sodium and potassium. It is important to note that they cannot be replaced through water itself. It is important to fuel on during and after exercise to replenish them. One thing to be careful about is the overconsumption of some more common ones like calcium. Too much can cause kidney stones, so make sure you talk to your doctor before starting to supplement with them.
When electrolytes are depleted your body can experience weakness, tingling, dehydration, fatigue, and even heart rhythm disturbances.
Key signs of dehydration and depletion can consist of headaches, fatigue, nausea/dizziness, and increased heart rate. If you lose more than 1% of your body’s water, muscle imbalances can occur. Still, it only takes body water losses of 1-2% before noticing thirst, making it important to stay ahead of dehydration.
You might be able to relate to this, especially during the summer. You go through your sport or activity on just water but come to find 2-3 hours later you feel tired, lethargic, and possibly even sick to your stomach if you didn’t eat anything also.
Many of us may not feel thirsty or want electrolytes during activity, which is okay. However, it is vital to replenish right after, even if you do not feel like it. Skimping on a post-workout meal isn’t the end of your Recovery, but missing out on getting the lost electrolytes can lead to a lot of side effects disabling you from training at your best. During the colder months, many of us do not feel the need to replenish. Staying on your hydration can be an essential piece of your performance. A good guide is to try to hydrate with 7-10 ounces every thirty minutes while exercising.
You want a drink that contains five essential electrolytes: Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Chloride, and Magnesium.
Electrolytes are important for youth athletes. Electrolytes help replenish minerals lost in sweat and are the key to proper hydration so your body can perform at its best. Unfortunately, most drinks out there have artificial sweeteners, dyes, and sugar. Most convenience stores and gas stations don’t have the best options out there, making it hard for athletes who are always on the go, but there are better options out there.
Companies take pride in offering “ready to drink” bottles and powders containing the proper amounts you need without the added sugar and artificial dyes.
Some companies even offer dissolvable tablets. You want to look for the label and try to pick ones with the recommended averages for each mineral.
There are two considerations for athletes for deciding on water or a sports drink that contains electrolytes. First, consider how long they are practicing. If they are training for more than an hour, they will still want some electrolytes to replace those lost through sweat, even if it’s mostly easy.
Second, consider what the temperature is outside. If your athlete is in hot weather where they’ll be working up a sweat, they will need electrolytes. If the practice isn’t hard or long, they may not need added calories with those electrolytes.
If you are unsure if you or your athlete should be taking electrolytes, look out for these simple signs of dehydration:
Not only are they essential for your everyday bodily functions, but they help an athlete perform, recover, and build new tissue. Over the years, our supplement industry has evolved to give us a vast majority of options to aid. However, you still need to make sure you take the time to read the labels to ensure you are hydrating correctly and without drinking the amount of sugar you see in a soda.
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]]>There are several reasons why drinking more water, despite what the temperature is outside, is essential. In the colder weather, it’s harder to notice when your body is sweating. Perspiration combined with the extra layers of clothing and drier air can cause our bodies to become dehydrated without us even noticing. Drinking water and staying hydrated can also help you stay warmer in the winter months. Your body uses water to help maintain a temperature balance. When you aren’t adequately hydrated, your body can become cold.
Your body needs water to function correctly. Water helps you stay hydrated, plumpens your skin, regulates your body temperature, and is a critical element to the function of your organs, cells and tissues. It can also increase your metabolism and help you feel full longer between meals so you won’t be inclined to snack as often.
Staying hydrated through the winter can boost your immune system and give your body the support it needs to fight off infection. It helps prevent you from getting sick during the harsh flu seasons and COVID-19 pandemic.
We all have heard from several sources why drinking water and maintaining hydration is essential. Still, many of us don’t take action. The amount of water you drink definitely depends on your body weight and your overall physical activity level. An athlete who trains often would definitely require more water and probably be more thirsty than someone who lives a more sedentary lifestyle. The overall guideline is to drink at least half of your body weight in ounces of water each day (adjusting where needed for your level of physical activity). For example: if you weigh 150 lbs, you should be aiming to drink 75 ounces per day. Most glasses of water average around 8 ounces, meaning 75 ounces of water translates to 9 glasses a day!
Now that we have established how important it is to consume water, here are a few suggestions of how we can incorporate this into our daily living:
Warm Beverages Count
Try making tea more often, or even boiling water and adding lemon to it for flavor. Having a warm drink on a cold day will keep you cozy and refreshed while still working towards your hydration goals. Herbal teas are better for your hydration intake, as caffeinated teas can encourage dehydration (which is the opposite of what you want).
Eat your Water Intake
Snacking on fruits and vegetables that have a high water content can also help you reach your goals. Of course, you should not replace drinking water with eating vegetables, but it can definitely help you along the way.
Avoid Alcohol and Caffeine
Both alcohol and caffeine can make you even more dehydrated. Limit your soda intake. Coffee and alcohol can assist with staying hydrated. Caffeinated teas should also be consumed sparingly.
Water can taste bland, but if you infuse it with lemon or even ginger and basil overnight, your water will have a distinct flavor to it. Leaving a slice of lemon in your glass while you refill it throughout the day will add that pop to your drink! Placing loose leaf tea into cold water overnight can also be quite delicious.
What are your favorite ways to make sure that you are staying hydrated throughout the year?
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Believe it or not, what you eat plays a vital role in hydration. For instance, protein. Although it is healthy, the more protein you eat, the more water is required, so dehydration occurs. So, creating a pro-hydrating and not dehydrating environment in your body is essential, especially days before a game and practice.
Other examples of dehydration are eating salty and sugary foods, fried and processed foods, and drinking too much caffeine from coffee and energy drinks.
Eating the correct foods can be the first step in preventing dehydration.
Think of hydration like your car’s oil; it circulates so the motor can work properly and effectively. But with little oil, the motor goes through a sort of dehydration that negatively affects the engine’s performance. And so does your body when it experiences dehydration. It diminishes the nervous, musculoskeletal, and cardiovascular system’s potential and capability.
Symptoms of Dehydration
About 75% of Americans walk around unconsciously and are chronically dehydrated. And it is probably because of the foods they eat and the drinks they drink. In addition, most people only drink about 2.5 glasses of water daily, so they experience a double whammy. Consequently, you will be in a negative situation daily if you do not drink at least eight glasses of water a day. Your body will experience 1-1.5% water loss each day when you don’t meet the requirement.
Symptoms of daily dehydration between 1-2%.
Symptoms of dehydration between 2-3%.
The 2-3% zone will definitely hurt your performance, which will be felt and seen on the court. That is why it is imperative to understand how and when to hydrate and what to avoid that will prevent a tailspin in your hydration and performance.
Days Before a Game
Make sure you are drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day. From daily practices and sweating, you will need extra water. Also, make sure what you eat promotes hydration. For example, eat foods like fruits and vegetables. This is because they are mainly composed of water.
Pre-Game
You want to drink about 1-2 glasses (8-16 ounces) of water or a sports drink one-two hours before your game. And about 20 minutes before taking the court, drink another eight ounces of water or a sports drink. Waiting too close to game time can cause side stitches and cramping. Hydrating begins days and minutes before the tip-off.
If you have symptoms of dehydration, do not wait until you’re thirsty. Because it is at this point, dehydration is already in play and happening.
During the Game
During 90 minutes of an intense basketball game or any sport competition, you will lose between 2 and 3 liters of sweat. So, go back and look at the 2-3% dehydration symptoms. You don’t want them happening in the 3rdor 4th quarter.
During the game, when timeouts are called or there is a stoppage of play, grab some fluids. Furthermore, the end of the quarter and halftime are essential times to rehydrate.
To prevent decreased performance and to play at your max, don’t; let the motor stall or strain. Instead, try to drink at least 10 ounces of water every 10 to 20 minutes. Also, focus on drinking fluids often throughout your practice.
Post-Game
This is the time to rehydrate and recover for practices and your next game. So first, drink some water to get your fill. However, water is not the only way to hydrate. For example, you can drink chocolate milk.
Chocolate milk is 90% water and one of the best recovery drinks. It has many nutrients that will get replenished in your body. It has all the electrolytes that a sports drink will provide and has 8g of protein for your muscles to start rebuilding. You can also drink a smoothie if you don’t love chocolate milk.
Drink about two glasses, 16 ounces, after your game and even practices. The sooner you consume any drink or protein after your training is best.
When you drink, don’t guzzle. Guzzling fluids does not reverse dehydration instantly. Instead, it will cause bloating that will slow you down more. Low to mild dehydration resolves in a day or two, but your performance and energy are what suffer.
Your body is made up of about 65% water, so hydration must be maintained, just like strength training and practice, to sustain good performance. But if you really want to dive deeper into your hydration and performance, understand your sweat rate. It will help you know how much fluid your body needs.
]]>C4 is one of the most famous and ubiquitous brands of energy drinks on the market. Its name gets spoken of in reverent tones throughout the gym and fitness spheres. In fact, it may be one of the first energy drinks a rookie gym-goer will hear upon entering the gym.
Starburst is one of the most famous and ubiquitous of candy on the market, with many receiving a blast of nostalgia just seeing the juicy “S” packaging. Battles rage regarding the best flavor, yet most agree lemon or yellow, as it is better known, is perhaps the least desired flavor of Starburst.
And now, the two giants of their respective markets have come together in a massive collaboration of mixing the C4 proprietary blend of energy-inducing ingredients with Starburst’s signature flavors!
The question must be asked, though, is the C4 Energy X Starburst Candy healthy?
Or, more specifically, can the collaborated drink be associated with a healthy lifestyle?
This latest iteration of C4 energy drink falls in line with the rest of C4’s beverage lineup, with this iteration having essentially nothing in it until Niacin and Vitamin B12 pop up at 30 mg and 6 mcg or 190% and 250% DV, respectively.
This means that a casual consumer need not worry about calories, fat, sugar, sodium, carbohydrates, or even protein.
Taking a closer look at the ingredient list, though, one will find ingredients, preservatives, and additives common to nearly all energy drinks. However, some ingredient names may cause alarms to go off in a consumer’s head as they may not recognize chemical names such as beta-alanine, L-Citrulline, or even N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine.
Beta-alanine has been investigated in numerous studies over the past several years and can be attributed to the tingling sensation some may feel after consuming it. Nothing to be alarmed about as this means the body is breaking down the compound, which investigators theorize activates skin sensory neurons, causing a tingling or itching sensation. Vasodilation of the blood vessels can also occur, leading to an increase in overall blood flow, which may cause a flushing of the skin.
And, L-Citrulline and N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine are simply amino acids the body uses as the building blocks of other protein-based molecules. L-Citrulline is used for aiding in reversing muscle weakness, whereas N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine is used for aiding the neurotransmitters of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine which all aid in positive training results. Both are included in many energy drinks to help improve overall training and athletic performance.
Lastly, 200 mg of caffeine awaits the consumer to provide explosive energy!
These benefits may be attributed to the proper consumption of the beverage:
· Increased energy
· Vasodilation of blood vessels
· Improved athletic performance
· Improve alertness and focus
· Zero calories
· Zero grams fat
· Zero grams sugar
· Zero grams carbohydrates
· Zero mg sodium
These drawbacks may be attributed to overconsumption of the beverage. Note, a consumer may experience any or all of these or none at all:
· Tingling or itching sensation
· Potential dehydration1
· Potential “crash”2
· Headaches
· Fatigue3
· High blood pressure
· Heart flutters
· Insomnia
· Digestive issues
· Addiction or dependence
C4 Energy X Starburst Candy is a garden variety of energy drinks with an added oomph due to the collaboration of C4 and Starburst. Its standard health benefits are consistent with other energy drinks such as Absolute Zero Monster, Reign, or Bang! in providing improved energy, focus, and performance while limiting the calories, carbohydrates, and sugars to as minimal as possible.
The drawbacks of this particular C4 are also consistent with excess or consumption of high-caffeinated beverages. The FDA recommends an adult individual consume only 400 mg of caffeine daily, and this C4 has 200 mg of caffeine. Couple that with a daily cup of coffee and any other soda that an adult individual may consume, and 400 mg of caffeine, if not more, could easily be consumed.
Nevertheless, as with any other energy supplement, monitoring one’s own body, overall training, and nutritional lifestyle will allow an adult individual to gauge whether to consume the beverage.
No energy drink can truly be considered healthy because even though some, such as this one, have zero calories, sugars, carbohydrates, and fat, the other ingredients could be just as disadvantageous to a healthy lifestyle.
Therefore, even though no energy drink can be considered healthy, energy drinks can be consumed as part of a healthy lifestyle that includes balanced nutrition and exercise.
*Disclaimer*
From C4’s website:
“Warning: Do not consume this product if you are pregnant or nursing. Not intended for children. Recommended for adults.”
Personal Opinion
Being a personal trainer, athlete, and budding physical therapist, my personal opinion is that an energy drink on occasion will not derail an entire nutrition plan; however, those that are prone to addictive substances, pregnant, have hypertension, and/or other chronic cardiovascular diseases should be wary. As with most anything in this life, almost everything can be a part of a healthy lifestyle so long as it is enjoyed in respectful moderation.
C4 Energy X Starburst TM Candy
1Be sure to stay hydrated during a training session and throughout the day if consuming this product due to the anhydrous ingredients, which require water to activate the potency that they receive from the consumer’s body
The “crash,” as it is colloquially known, is when the body is revved up for activity, then immediately boomerangs back to balance out the hyperactivity.
3Oxymoron that an energy drink can cause fatigue, but similar to the crash, it can cause such an energy increase that the body must balance back to reestablish homeostasis.
]]>Check out these essential dietary adjustments and tips you should make during summer.
The summertime produces a little bit more strain on our body because of the heat. But the heat is not so bad. Your body just needs to be prepared for it. So, ensuring you’re well hydrated before your practice, training, and workout will not create a deficit in your energy and recovery post-workout.
Make sure you drink at least two to three glasses of water a few hours before your workout or even a Gatorade to have electrolytes.
If you’re putting in training time and practice in the summer heat, again, it will impact your energy more than anything else. So it’s essential post-workout within the first minutes to rehydrate to stop the loss of electrolytes. Potassium and sodium are two main electrolytes that are used by muscles and the nervous system during training. And it is these electrolytes that are depleted when you sweat. The more you sweat, the more is lost, and you become at a greater risk of fatigue, weakness, injury, and possible heat stroke.
It’s essential after and even during training, by taking a break, to hydrate if you’re sweating to prevent overheating. An electrolyte replacement drink like Gatorade is one of the quickest drinks to replace electrolytes during and after a workout.
One thing you need to understand about energy drinks is that they dehydrate you. And being dehydrated running around in the summer sun dehydrates you even more. So, it is a double whammy that can lead to heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Heat exhaustion occurs because mainly water, potassium, and sodium are depleted. By replacing them, you can prevent heat exhaustion from happening and advancing further into heat stroke.
Avoid caffeine, energy drinks, diuretics, etc., because they will dehydrate you before your training. You may feel that pump and trying hard to get that extra step to increase your performance, but energy drinks are actually detrimental.
Symptoms of heat exhaustion are loss of coordination, vomiting, blurred vision, confusion, mental fatigue, slowness, and staggering. These are primary signs it is beginning. If you feel any of these symptoms, stop, find shade, drink water or an electrolyte replacement drink is best, and call it a day.
Symptoms of heat stroke are convulsions and blackouts. Heat strokes are more prevalent than you think. High school and professional athletes are prone to them. Annually, one in every three high school athletes die of heat stroke. And in the past five years, 11 football players have experienced heat stroke death. In addition, thousands of high school students are treated yearly for symptoms of heat stroke. And statistically, once an individual suffers heat stroke, they are more likely to have another.
Water is one way, but not the only way to stay hydrated or hydrate yourself. To help you with your hydration, besides water, you can eat certain foods that are high in water content. For example, ensure you eat fruits and vegetables with high water content for lunch and dinner. This will help prevent fatigue and exhaustion and boost energy and recovery for the next training session. Then, you can use water and electrolyte drinks for your training sessions for quick replacement.
Vegetables High in Water Content
Fruits High in Water Content
Here are fruits and vegetables high in electrolytes.
Potassium Hydrating Foods
Magnesium Hydrating Foods
Calcium Hydrating Foods
Natural Sodium Hydrating Foods
Another great way to rehydrate and stay hydrated is to drink smoothies. You can combine many fruits in a smoothie for a post-workout electrolyte drink. For example, mix banana, strawberry, pineapple, mango, and avocado. It is an excellent electrolyte post-training drink. It is better than Gatorade because you will get all the electrolytes plus other essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
]]>PRIME Hydration currently offers six energy drink flavors, including;
The ice pop flavor has some pretty sweet packaging, resembling the popular red, white, and blue bomb-pop you probably ordered as a kid from your neighborhood ice cream man.
The ingredients in Logan Paul’s PRIME Hydration energy drink are water, sucralose, citric acid, sodium citrate, potassium chloride, and magnesium sulfate. Let’s take a look at each of these ingredients to see if they are healthy or not.
Water is obviously healthy – we need it to live!
Sucralose is a calorie-free sweetener that has been deemed safe by the FDA.
Citric acid is a common food additive that is also considered safe.
Sodium citrate is a salt that is used to regulate pH levels.
Potassium chloride is a mineral that is necessary for our bodies to function properly.
Magnesium sulfate is another mineral that our bodies need in order to function properly.
Based on the ingredients, it seems Logan Paul’s PRIME Hydration energy drink is actually pretty healthy, and we’ve seen quite a few reviews that say they taste great! So if you’re looking for a new, refreshing and healthy energy drink, Logan Paul’s Prime Hydration might be worth checking out. Thanks for reading!
PRIME beverages are distributed at different retail branches across the country, including pharmacy and grocery chains like Walmart, Target, Kroger, CVS, GNC, Ralphs and the Vitamin Shoppe. You can also purchase on their website directly at https://drinkprime.com/ to learn more about PRIME Hydration. To view other energy drink reviews or learn more about sports nutrition, visit our nutrition page at https://www.stack.com/a/category/nutrition/.
Do you have any thoughts on Logan Paul’s PRIME Hydration energy drink? Let us know in the comments below! And be sure to stay hydrated, everyone!
]]>In general, you should build the habit of weighing yourself before and after practice/training. This will give you an idea of how much water and salt is lost in the form of sweat (if you weigh less after practice/training you can safely assume that it was only water weight). Depending on the activity, sometimes only a little bit of weight is lost. But sports practice can have some athletes losing upwards of ten pounds! This can be problematic because even a 1% loss of water in bodyweight can affect your coordination, reaction time, and other facets of sports performance.
To make matters worse, it is very easy to trick the body into believing that it has been sufficiently rehydrated. A glass of water after practice might do the job of making you “feel” hydrated again and take away your thirst even though the total amount of water lost is closer to four or five glasses. This leads to the snowball effect, where you are becoming continually dehydrated as the days turn into weeks. Furthermore, refueling on water is not enough because sweat also contains salt, and losing sodium can be just as detrimental to your performance as losing water. To make matters worse, losing salt will affect your ability to digest food.
So before you can make the perfect DIY sports drink, get an idea of how much water you tend to lose after practice. Every pound of water lost requires two to three cups of water to replace it, along with ¼ teaspoon of salt. Once you know how much water weight you typically lose, you can prepare your DIY sports drink ahead of time. Here’s what to do:
As stated above, for every pound of water weight that is lost, replace it with 2-3 cups of water. If you are a larger athlete over 180lbs, I would say to make it 3 cups to stay on the safe side. If you know you are going to lose about seven pounds of water, that’s 14 to 21 cups depending on your size. If it’s 10 cups or less that you need to replace, use mostly coconut water. If it is more than 10 cups, use a mix of filtered water and coconut water.
Coconut water is great because it contains two to three different forms of carbohydrates, allowing it to replenish the energy stored in your muscles more efficiently. It also contains electrolytes which your brain uses to communicate with muscles; and it contains Vitamin C to help mitigate tissue damage and promote healing after training. The Thirsty Buddha is the brand I recommend most.
Add ¼ teaspoon of salt to the sports drink for every pound lost. You can use salts such as Pink Salts, Grey Salts, Crystal Salts, or Sea Salts. Venture over to www.naturescargo.ca to choose the best salt for you. However, do not use table salt! Table salt can negatively affect blood vessels and impact the thyroid gland, which is responsible for controlling how we use energy.
Use one scoop to help spare the breakdown of muscle tissue and promote muscle repair. EAAs are better than regular protein (whey, casein, or even vegan) when you are rushing to your post-practice or post-game workout because the body does not have to work as hard to digest them and can quickly digest them assimilate the amino acids into the protein it needs.
Add this for flavoring if you find that you don’t like the taste of the EAAs, although some of the flavored EAAs are good. You can also use other brands of drink mix, but this is a good one.
There you have it. Mix all of the above into one or more bottles (however many are required to hold the amount of water you need) or buy one big jug so that it all fits into one.
Any questions about creating your DIY sports drink? Reach out to me at the Contact page on my website at Beyperformance.com
Happy Training.
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One basic hydration question that’s often asked is: What should you drink when you work out—plain water or a sports drink,or perhaps a combo of both? To understand the answer, you need to understand some of the science behind dehydration and fatigue.
Your hydration strategy should begin and end with water. Period. Our bodies are roughly 60 percent water, and it plays a critical role in nearly every one of our body’s natural processes.
The importance of water for athletes cannot be overstated. Water transports oxygen and nutrients throughout the body, aids in muscle contraction, fights fatigue and regulates body temperature—in addition to delivering countless other benefits.
For many types of exercise, drinking water alone should adequately hydrate you—as long as you get the proper amount.
“For most people performing short-duration, moderately intense exercise, water will get the job done,” says Leslie Bonci, director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center for Sports Medicine.
Typically, if you’re exercising for less than an hour with low to moderate intensity, hydrating with water should be enough to keep you performing at a high level. Of course, factors like extreme heat can muddle things up. But in general, if you aren’t busting your butt and your session lasts less than an hour, sticking to water before and during your session is a smart move.
So, how much water do you need? You should drink 12 fluid ounces within 30 minutes of the start of your workout. Then, drink water every 20 minutes for the first hour you work out at light to moderate intensity. You’ll know you aren’t drinking enough water if your urine is a shade of dark brownish-yellow instead of clear or slightly yellow.
Under no conditions should you ever completely forgo water and drink only sports drinks. Your main source of fluid should always be water. But under certain conditions, it makes sense to supplement water consumption with a sports drink. Sports drinks do have a place in hydration. The problem is, many people drink them far too often. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, sports drinks’ high sugar content places them in a category of beverages that should be consumed “sparingly and infrequently.” Other beverages in this category include soda and fruit juice.
Yet many people don’t drink sports drinks sparingly and infrequently. Some folks reach for one anytime they break a sweat, and others drink them even if they aren’t exercising—simply because they enjoy the taste. In a time when 71.4% of all adult Americans are consuming too much added sugar, that is not a good habit.
Consuming too much sugar can lead to a large number of undesirable health outcomes, including obesity, diabetes, liver failure, heart disease, tooth decay and cancer. In fact, many experts believe the added sugar in our diets is the number 1 cause of the rising rate of obesity and the higher incidence of many major diseases.
However, there is a scientific reason why sports drinks contain high amounts of sugar. When you exercise intensely, you drain your glycogen reserves. Glycogen is carbohydrate stored in the muscles and liver, and its our most efficient source of energy. During sustained intense exercise, glycogen stores get drained. This can lead to low blood glucose levels, which hurt performance by causing things like fatigue and nausea. The sugar in sports drinks provides your body with efficient and fast-acting carbohydrate, which prevents your glycogen stores from falling too low and keeps your blood glucose levels at the ideal level.
The electrolytes included in sports drinks—such as sodium and potassium—help the body retain fluid and enhance fluid and nutrient absorption. Obviously, the electrolytes provided by sports drinks serve a distinct performance-enhancing purpose—but only if you work out intensely enough for your body to need them. Bonci outlines a few different scenarios where consuming a sports drink makes sense:
Remember, these are basic guidelines that can change depending on circumstances like extreme weather or level of equipment. For example, a football player wearing full pads sweats more than he would in no pads.
Ultimately, the more you sweat, the more likely you are to benefit from a sports drink.
“The fluids you need ultimately depends upon your sweat rate,” Bonci says.
So if you’re performing moderately intense exercise for under an hour but in especially hot conditions, a sports drink can increase your performance—even though you could probably just drink water if the weather were mild.
One thing to keep in mind when you include sports drinks in your hydration routine is their serving size. Bonci recommends that for every additional hour after the initial hour of exercise, you need to consume at least 30 grams of carbs, which translates to about 16 ounces of a sports drink every additional hour. Many sports drinks come in 32-ounce bottles, so always be sure to check out the serving size before you start chugging!
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]]>Blk water is derived from fulvic acid. Fulvic acid comes from carbohydrate material when plants break down. Can this be of benefit to you? Some say yes, some say no.
Many drink it or swallow capsules daily in hopes of healing or treating cancer, Eczema, allergies, and Alzheimer’s disease. Others drink it to possibly treat chronic inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.
First, let’s talk about what’s inside of your blk water drink. Blk water consists of water, fulvic minerals (which turns the water black), electrolytes, amino acids, humic acid, antioxidants, and an 8-plus alkaline level.
According to Jacqueline and Louis Wilkie, it helps increase energy and decrease stiffness in someone with breast cancer. Stiffness is an indicator of inflammation.
According to Pubmed, fulvic acid promotes extracellular anti-cancer mediators, which cause cancer cell death in vitro.
Several more studies need to be done to prove or disprove these claims.
Does blk Water Help Fight Chronic Inflammatory Diseases?
The fulvic acid in blk water has been shown to reduce pro-inflammatory markers and activate the immune system to kill bacteria. It influences the redox state by keeping the body balanced. The fulvic acid in blk water shows the potential to prevent inflammatory diseases like diabetes.
Fulvic Acid can help with other inflammatory issues in the body, such as:
A CCID study showed fulvic acid significantly reduced some effects of Eczema.
Fulvic acid is shown to inhibit Alzheimer’s disease. This CDN study also found a possibility that fulvic acid could even be more effective in fighting Alzheimer’s, but more research is needed.
It’s also possible that blk water and fulvic acid can help with allergies. That would make sense since it reduces inflammation.
A strong digestive system and overall gut health lead to better immune function. The fulvic acid in blk water helps with this. The compounds in fulvic acid nourish your digestive system and promote good bacteria needed for a balanced body.
As mentioned in the study above, fulvic acid can help reduce certain digestive disorders such as IBO (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).
Fulvic acid transports raw nutrients and minerals to cells efficiently, as shown in this study. It makes cells more permeable which boosts their absorption rate.
Fulvic acid has ion-selective electrodes which attract heavy metals. Heavy metals can, and often do, enter our bodies through our water supply. The fulvic acid in blk water can bind and break down those toxins to help the body get rid of them.
Your blood has a pH level anywhere between 0-14. If it’s below seven, it’s at acidic levels. If it’s seven or above, then it’s either basic or at alkaline levels. You want to be in an alkaline state for better health.
The best way to think of it is that you’re alkaline if you’re at 7.5 pH or above. Blk water has a pH level of 8.0.
There are some things that you can confirm through scientific studies and some that are speculation. However, there seems to be enough evidence and enough reviews out there to validate that blk water and fulvic acid do good things for your body.
Some may be hype, and some are true. Should you take a chance on blk water? Is it worth it or not? It’s definitely worth a shot.
]]>A study found that more than 50% of American teens and children don’t drink enough water, and 25% of them don’t drink any water on a daily basis. Adults aren’t faring much better. Forty-three percent of them drink fewer than four cups a day. The exact amount of water you need to drink daily depends on your age, gender, weight, climate and amount of physical activity; but no matter where you fit into those categories, there’s a good chance you’re not drinking enough water.
RELATED: How Much Water Should Athletes Drink Every Day?
Imagine living in the constant haze of ill effects brought on by dehydration, only to have them suddenly disappear. It’s not a fairy tale—all you need to do is drink more water. We know that drinking an adequate amount of water isn’t easy for everyone—there’s a reason so many Americans fall short on their daily consumption. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of 11 tips and tricks to help you increase your water consumption and reap the immense benefits of living a well-hydrated life.
If you aren’t drinking enough water, it could simply be because you’ve never set your mind to drinking more water. Setting a daily goal for water consumption helps you stay on the right track and leaves you feeling accomplished when you hit your mark. Tweak your initial goal based on your current water intake. For example, if you currently drink no water on a daily basis, aim to drink at least four cups a day.
Write down your goal and keep it where you’ll see it often—such as at your desk, in your locker or in a daily planner. For some people, simply setting a daily water goal is enough motivation to drink more water.
Simply stopping by the water fountain once a day probably won’t put much of a dent in your overall water consumption. But if you buy a high-quality reusable water bottle and get in the habit of carrying it around with you, filling it at water fountains or water coolers throughout the day, then water will always be in reach. Just making water easily accessible means you’re more likely to keep drinking.
A high-quality reusable water bottle can be durable, useful (many keep cold drinks cold and hot drinks hot) and even stylish. Companies like Nalgene and Camelback produce affordable, reusable bottles that can help you reach your hydration goals.
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Ideally, you’d do this with a transparent or partially transparent container. Using a marker, add hash marks to the container along with corresponding times. If you don’t wish to write on your bottle, use tape.
The hash marks will help you break your hydration goal down into smaller, more manageable segments throughout the day. For example, if you put a hashmark 3/4 of the way up the container marked “11 a.m.” it will prompt you to drink 1/4 of the water in the container by 11 a.m. Once you hit that goal, set your sights on the next hash mark.
Everyone has a morning routine. Some like to hit the shower, cook a big breakfast and sit down with the paper. Others like to sleep until the last possible moment, roll out of bed and grab a quick bite on the way out the door. Whatever your routine, find a spot to include a glass of water. You don’t have to forgo coffee (it’s not as dehydrating as you might think), but you should find a time each morning when downing a glass of water is easy for you. It doesn’t necessarily have to come with breakfast. Drinking water when you first wake up or taking some with you in the car on the way to school or work are smart moves too.
Drinking water early in the day makes you more likely to drink it throughout the day. Many people find that the more water they drink, the thirstier they become. Starting your day off with a good base of hydration will help you feel sharp and focused throughout the morning and can help you reach your overall goal.
If you’re like me, you’re addicted to your smartphone. So why not use it to help you drink more water? An app called “Waterlogged” can help you reach your daily hydration goals through reminders, visual representations, graphs, stat tracking and more. It even syncs up to your Fitbit!
If you’re looking to shed a few pounds, drinking water before a meal is a great way to significantly reduce the amount of calories you consume. A study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that people who drank water before meals consumed an average of 75 fewer calories.
The body has a tough time distinguishing between hunger and thirst, so if you go into a meal dehydrated, you may be apt to overeat. If you’re trying to lose weight, knowing that water can help you cut calories is an enticing benefit.
One reason why someone might not drink enough water is that they simply don’t enjoy it. To some, water seems boring and unappealing. For these people, adding a little flavor and fun to their H2O can go a long way. Almost any fruit can add flavor to water. Popular options include lemons, limes, oranges and melons; you’re limited only by your imagination.
Add a piece of produce and notice the difference it makes. Pineapple chunks or berries can be a fun, flavorful change-up, and adding a splash of sparkling water can liven things up even further. Vegetables like mint leaves or sliced cucumber add flavor and make your water more refreshing.
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Though water is the most convenient and affordable fluid option, other beverages possess similar hydrating effects. Drinks that have been found to hydrate comparable to water include tea, coconut water and small to moderate amounts of coffee. They count towards your daily hydration total, and they don’t typically possess the poor nutrition of drinks like soda. Drinking these beverages throughout the day can make reaching your hydration goal more enjoyable and more manageable.
RELATED: Why Every Athlete Should Drink Tea
If the taste of tap water turns you off, think about investing into a water filter pitcher. They have built-in water filters that automatically cleanse tap water to produce crisper, cleaner tasting drinking water. You can also install a filter faucet system in your sink, but that can be prohibitively expensive. Water filter pitchers are affordable, many options coming in under $40. Buy one and keep it in your fridge to make clean, cold water a regular part of your daily routine.
You might not suspect it, but most fruits and veggies are largely water. For example, broccoli is 91% water and oranges are 87% water. The water content of foods you eat can also be counted toward your daily water consumption goal—though you’ll be hard-pressed to get enough water if you rely solely on food. But still, every little bit counts! Check out this table for a breakdown of the water content in your favorite fruits and vegetables.
A lot of people get a rush from saving money. Those same people might be shocked at how much green they can save by drinking more water. Tap water is completely free. It’s been estimated that the average American family spends $850 a year on soda alone. When you add in other bad beverage choices like energy drinks and high-sugar fruit juices, that number likely ends up over $1,000.
Try this: for one week, write down every beverage you consume. At the end of the week, calculate how much each beverage cost. Add it all up, then imagine saving that much money every week for the rest of your life. You’ll be shocked at the financial impact of making water your primary beverage choice!
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