What to drink?

So, summer is upon us.  We all know it's important to drink, but what is the deal with all these sports drinks?  How do I know what is best for me, or if I even need a sports drink?

Here is the deal with sports drinks: they are important because they replenish electrolytes (basically, the salt in your sweat).  As you run, exercise, or simply move around outside while it's hot and humid, you sweat, and therefore loose electrolytes.  This loss of electrolyes can be increased by drinking lots of water during the day, which increases your blood volume and therefore washes electrolytes out of your system. Even if your runs are an hour or shorter, multiple days of heavy sweating and drinking lots of water can deplete your electrolytes and cause problems.

SO, a sports drink is always a good idea, while you run or even during the day. If you sweat a lot, or if your dieat does not include a lot of salt, replenishing your electrolytes is crucial.  As a side note, there is no difference between the salt in sports drink and simple table salt.

The main difference between all sports drinks is in the ingredients. If possible, stay away from HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP.  It's too sweet and not good in large amounts. Better ingredients include BROWN RICE SYRUP (CLIF DRINK), MALTODEXTRIN (GU), straight glucose and other types of sugars.  A lot of fructose on the run is not the best, but it's just fine if not running.

The amount of electolyte ingested should be between 200 and 600 mg of sodium chloride each hour, depending on your sweat rate (while running).  Most electrolyte drinks will suffice. Drinks like sodas or fortified waters are not appropriate.

So, try different sports drinks and see what you like! If you have any specific questions, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it !