Courtesy of Gary's World of Wellness
Last week, we discussed why it’s important to stay hydrated while you exercise. But do you know what you should drink in order to stay hydrated? Water is an obvious choice, and it’s one of the best options out there. However, not everyone likes the taste of water, and since there are so many options available – flavored water, sports drinks, energy drinks, etc. – it’s hard to pick what’s the best one. Some of it depends on taste preferences, but it also greatly depends on how long and how intensely you work out.
Water: Flavored and Unflavored
Plain water is most people’s drink of choice, but not everyone is a fan. If you’re one of those who really does not like the taste of plain, unflavored water, then flavored water is perfectly acceptable when trying to replace fluids during and after workouts. However, water, flavored or unflavored, is only good for your body for moderate workouts, which typically last under an hour and a half. Beyond that, your body will have lost enough nutrients through sweat to warrant something extra.
Sports Drinks
Sports drinks offer three things for your body: hydration, carbohydrate fuel, and electrolytes (i.e. sodium, potassium and chloride). With rigorous exercise that lasts beyond 90 minutes, your body needs all these things to be replaced to avoid injury and excessive fatigue.
Although, be careful of how much of a sports drink you consume, because while they don’t contain the same amount of sugar as found in sodas, they still have enough to be harmful in excess.
Vitamin Water
Vitamin water in moderate amounts is okay, but it’s far healthier for you to obtain vitamins from food and beverages. If you eat well, then you won’t need vitamin water. But if you really like vitamin water, then here are a couple of things to take into consideration:
- Check for alternative sweeteners. These are not healthier than sugar and should be consumed in moderation, especially when it comes to children.
- Watch your vitamin intake. If you already take vitamin supplements, do not drink vitamin water. In addition, do not drink too much vitamin water. Excess vitamins will pass through the kidneys like other waste, but passing large quantities of vitamins can create problems.
Energy Drinks
The chief component and attraction to energy drinks is the jolt of caffeine (or guarana, a stimulant similar to caffeine) within. In moderation (notice a pattern?) these drinks are fine and are not harmful. Before deciding on the best energy drink for you, look into how much sugar each contains. For example, Red Bull has 27 grams of carbs and 193 milligrams of sodium. There are several sugar-free energy drinks that will give you the boost without the extra calories. Also check out the herbal ingredients that many energy drinks have, as many of the herbals have not had their claimed effects proven, including ginkgo biloba and ginseng.
If you have any other questions regarding the best drink for you, be sure to ask any of our trainers at the gym!
