Rehydration Drinks For Sport

Sports hydration has become a buzzword these days. It means keeping your body hydrated during and after sporting activities. For many, water was the best hydrating agent, but of late, sports drinks have made inroads in the market. These brightly-colored fluids tout themselves to be the perfect sport hydration drinks. But is it so? Do they promise what they deliver, or is it another marketing fad to feed some big corporations? Let’s find out. 

Hydration needs of a sportsperson:

No matter how robust and rock-hard we become, we cannot ignore the fact that our bodies contain 60-70% fluids. We are an aqua container that has bones, muscles, and other organs in it. We are losing body fluids every minute of the day, and our bodies need liquids continually to function correctly. This need amplifies for sportspeople. They lose body’s moisture content rapidly through prolonged sweating and heavy breathing. They need to keep themselves hydrated before and during intense physical activity. Suppose they don’t do that. The amount of blood pumped by the heart decreases with each heartbeat. It leads to exhaustion, and consequently, the performance suffers. He should drink 8-10 ounces of fluids every 20-30 minutes during the sporting activity without waiting for the thirst to kick in.

Sport rehydration drinks or water?

For some, good old aqua is all you need to stay hydrated, and there is no need to take any other fluid. But sports drinks have become very popular with sportspersons everywhere. They contain more than what you want to quench your thirst. It has water coupled with electrolytes, like sodium, potassium, magnesium, etc. Some sports drinks also contain carbs in the form of glucose, fructose, etc. Some have vitamins in them as well. In short, they offer a viable mix of water and energy.

How effective are these beverages?

They do provide you with all the vital nutrients that you need for a quick energy boost and quenching your thirst. It replenishes the fluid lost by sweating etc. Due to the presence of compounds like potassium and sodium, it does give you a quick fix. The ingredients break down and get dissolved in your bloodstream easier than water and reach all over the body. It provides a welcome relief to athletes and games people. For example, a bottle of it containing 6-8% of carbs can give energy to the body, unlike water. It can be a good source of rehydration for runners as well as other athletes and players.

Serving:

All brands of these beverages display their ingredients and their quantity on the bottle. You can choose to consume it depending on the level of your sporting activity, exhaustion, age, gender, weather conditions, or your particular physical condition. Their intake should be kept under check. Excess of everything is terrible, so exercise caution while using them.

This fluid is not a magic potion, but it does contain some essential minerals that a player may need to perform at its best. Its consumption should be done as per your requirements only. It comes in the form of ready-to-serve bottles or in electrolyte powders that you have to mix in water and then have them.