What to Drink?
With the hot weather we are experiencing you do have any recommendation on Sports Drinks?
Here is an article written a few years ago by Abby Larson a 2006 Olympian who received her Ph.D., University of Utah, Exercise and Sport Science, (2010) and is now teaching at Central Washington University.
Water makes up approximately 60% of the human body and during exercise your body requires adequate water to:
* Keep the body free of waste products
* Maintain blood flow
* Hydrate cells with water and nutrients
* Cool the body through sweating
Dehydration
Dehydration occurs when you are losing more water than you are drinking. It will hurt performance and can cause serious health problems like heat exhaustion
and heat stroke. Being able to recognize these signs of dehydration is important for performance and health:
* Extreme thirst and dry mouth
* Loss of body weight exceeding 2%
* Fatigue
* Decreased concentration, confusion
* Headache, dizziness
* Decreased appetite/thirst
* Large weight fluctuations
* Thirst
* Muscle cramps
* Increased heart rate
How much to drink?
The best way to maintain fluid balance is to drink fluids throughout the day and monitor the color of your urine.
Exact fluid needs vary greatly from person to person and even from day to day, depending on the environment and training.
General good hydration guidelines include:
Drink water and sports drinks before, during and after exercise
Drink nutritious fluids such as low-fat milk and 100% juice at meals
Avoid or limit fluids such as soda, energy drinks, and coffee
Water and electrolyte loss (sweat) depends on the activity, fitness level, gender, and environmental factors. Examples of "sweat loss" for different activities in a temperate environment (67-78º) are given below:
Sweat Loss
Activity Sweat loss (cups per hour)
Female / Male
10 km run 6 / 8
40 km cycle 3 / 5
Soccer 3.5 / 5
Basketball 4 / 7
Extreme environments such as heat, cold, high and low humidity or high altitude can increase fluid needs (add 4-8 cups per day for hot and humid, cold and dry, and high-altitude environments).
Fluid Recommendations
Activity Before During After
Endurance sports 14-16 oz 5-12 oz every 15-20 minutes 24 oz for every pound lost during exercise
Team/Winter Sports 14-20 oz (1-4 hours) 4-5 oz every 10-15 minutes 24 oz for every pound lost during exercise
(Water, sports drink, or a combination can be used)
What to drink
Water is the best beverage choice for hydrating throughout the day. It contains no calories, has no sugar, nothing artificial, and no additives.
Sports drinks are a good beverage choice during and after exercise because they contain electrolytes which:
* Help the body to absorb, retain, and utilize water
* Prevent muscle cramping
* Replenish lost sodium and potassium in sweat
* Prevent dangerous heart arrhythmias that can occur if electrolyte levels get very low
Sports drinks also contain sugar which can help you to maintain your physical and mental edge during hard training sessions or competitions.
Sports drinks and energy drinks are not the same thing! Energy drinks contain much more sugar and often have caffeine. They are not athlete fuel! Energy drinks are expensive and can cause dehydration. Stick with a sports drink that has sucrose and/or glucose and fructose. A good sports drink should have about 60 kcal per 8 oz serving or about 15 grams of carbohydrate and 150-200 milligrams of sodium.
A good sports drink has the following
Carbohydrate:
* Composition: 5-8%
* Amount: 14-20 g per cup
* Type: glucose, glucose polymers, mixture of sugars (glucose, sucrose, fructose, maltodextrin)
Sodium: 150-200 mg per cup
Potassium: 30 mg per cup
Make your own sport drink using the following recipe:
SPORTS DRINK RECIPE
2 cups water
2 teaspoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Splash of fruit juice
