When working out, it is always important to stay hydrated because keeping the body hydrated will help athletic performance, provide energy and aid digestion. A great way to stay hydrated is by incorporating sports drinks to prevent being dehydrated during exercise.
Proper hydration effects athletic performance, and there are three specific factors that can really damper a person’s physical performance if proper hydration is neglected while working out:
• Increase in body temperature: Dehydration leads to an increase in body temperature because the body does not have the amount of liquids to properly cool down. Serious dehydration can even lead to serious health risks and even death.
• Decrease in energy levels, because dehydration leads to fatigue.
• Digestive problems during physical activity such as pain, nausea and diarrhea.
These problems and the fact that athletes often suffered from dehydration led to the creation of sports drinks and over time becoming part of any athlete’s repertoire.
It is important to note that sports drinks should only be taken during specific situations, depending on the type of effort and exercise. Generally, sports drinks should be taken 45 minutes into a strenuous workout session, because the main purpose of sports drinks is to aid in the return of fluids to the body. This return of fluids will help with energy levels, preventing digestive problems and helping increase overall athletic performance.
Sports Drinks Contents
The contents in sports drinks should allow for the body to absorb fluids though the digestive system as quickly as possible.
A general sports drink should have some of the following components:
Carbohydrates – around 5%-8% (50-80 grams per liter of water). Carbs are necessary because they will help fight off fatigue resulting from the depletion of carbs from your muscle. These carbs are an easily accessible energy source which will definitely aid in athletic performance. Generally, the best sugar sources for quick energy are from grape sugar (dextrose), glucose or sucrose. Sport drinks tend to try to avoid fructose as it is not as good as dextrose in giving instant energy, and ingesting fructose during heavy physical activity may lead to diarrhea.
Salts - Generally table salt (1 gram per liter of water). Following a proper diet will give enough salt for any athletic activity, yet adding 1 gram of table salt into a sports drink will help with the absorption of sugar into the body. In addition, if an athlete has been working out for a long time, 2 hours or more, this added salt will help prevent a sodium shortage.
Vitamins and Minerals – Usually added to sports drinks in order to increase sales. You should generally avoid sports beverages that containing 100mg of vitamin C are not recommended as they will lead to an increase in acid levels in the digestive system and may lead to aches and pains. This is why sports drinks come in many different flavors such as grape and cherry
.
So can I prepare my own sports drink, the answer is yes. Try mixing some natural grape juice and water with a dash of salt and if you have glutamine or amino acids available, add a tea spoon of each into a 1 liter body, stir it up and you will have an excellent homemade sports drink that will help you through a hard workout and even recover too.
Caffeinated Sports Drinks.
Sports drinks that contain caffeine are not recommended for several reasons. Caffeine may cause a rise in body temperature (which will lead to quicker dehydration) and can even increase infertility and lead to abdominal pains. Children and adolescents who consume caffeinated sports drinks may suffer from an effect on their nervous system, increase in muscle tension and impaired concentration.
When and how much to Drink
The first 45 minutes into a workout, you should only drink water. After you have hit the 45 minute mark, you may start drinking a sports drink as you will feel the benefits on fluid intake the most after 45 minutes of exercise. Try to drink between 100ml to 200ml every 15 minutes for best results, and try drinking water as well to help more fluids enter your system. It is important to make sure that you are hydrated before your workout as if you enter a workout without being properly hydrated you will need to drink even more fluids to stay hydrated.
If you have worked out for more than 1 hour, it is in your best interest to drink a sports drink as the sugar will definitely benefit your performance. To see how much liquid you need to replace after a workout, simply weight yourself before and after, the difference in weight is approximately the amount of liquid you will need to drink to stay properly hydrated.
After you are done you workout, try to have something sweet as your body will be craving such foods from the physiological demands of the workout on your body.