Sports Drinks

November 5th, 2007 | Sports

By now, everyone is aware of the need to exercise regularly. It is also very important to be sure you keep your body well-hydrated during your workouts. Sport drinks are a unique type of beverage, designed to give your system the fluids it requires, plus other essential ingredients. In most instances, a sports beverage will also provide the body with a mild mix of electrolytes and carbohydrates.

These products, such as the Gatorade sports drink or the Accelerade sports drink are especially important for anyone who exercises for a period of 45 minutes or more. Not only do these beverages help you retain a good level of hydration, they also provide energy so that you can continue your workout and build your endurance levels.

Another major benefit that sport drinks provide to those who are engaged in athletic activities is that they help to keep the person from experiencing too great an increase in body temperature. This factor also keeps the level of stress on the cardiovascular system in check and is particularly important for people who are working out in hot environments.

The products on the sports drink market provide anywhere from 14 to 20 grams of carbohydrates for each 8 ounce serving. This level of carbohydrates in the endurance drink, which is about six to eight percent of the solution, delivers just the right balance of fluid and energy in order to best enhance a person’s performance during a workout.

The carbohydrate components can be delivered in a number of forms with sucrose, fructose, glucose, and glucose polymers being the most common. The various components can also be combined in a sports drink mix. An energy sports drink that contains mainly fructose will have a tendency to slow down the absorption and could cause stomach cramping because the fructose is absorbed by a process called “passive diffusion” in the stomach.

For any exercise session of more than 45 minutes, it is advised to sip a sport drink continually during the session. A good rule of thumb is to drink about four to six ounces of an electrolyte sports drink for each 15 minutes of exercise, in order to maintain the right level of hydration in your system. The hotter and more humid the environment is that you are exercising in, the more of the nutrition sports drink you will need to consume.

One of the most important aspects of choosing the right sport drink to use with your workout is making sure that it is palatable for you. If you enjoy the taste, then you will be more likely to drink it throughout your workout and maintain good hydration. It is a good idea to test a few brands to find the right one before you buy a case or two of sports drink bottles and end up being stuck with a sports beverage you can’t stand.

One of the main reasons why it is recommended to consume sport drinks in lieu of plain water during exercise sessions is to assure that your body keeps a good level of blood glucose as well as electrolytes. This will ensure a sustained level of energy from your muscle glycogen and blood glucose. When you have such sustained energy you can work out longer and more intensely.

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