Hydration Products. Worth the Hype?
You're an athlete. Day in and day out, you sweat! Your fluid losses are quite high. Did you know that along with fluid, you are losing electrolytes in your sweat too? It's true. Along with fluid, you are also losing sodium. potassium. magnesium and calcium, which are your four most important electrolytes.
These minerals are important because they help to regulate how much water is absorbed into your muscle cells, maintaining your hydration level. Without an ample amount of electrolytes, water may pass through your body unabsorbed.
If you are eating healthy, you are likely getting enough potassium, magnesium and calcium. The downside to eating healthy is that our sodium intake tends to be low. This is where "electrolyte supplements" or "hydration products" may need to come into play.
I want to make it clear that you can certainly get an ample amount of electrolytes through food. Like I said if you are eating fresh fruits, veggies, and dairy, you are likely...
Top Ten Sports Nutrition Tips to Level Up Your Game TIP #10
Can you believe we have arrived at Tip #10??
I hope these tips have motivated you, educated you and inspired you to make some changes as an athlete. My hope is to give you specific action steps to boost your performance and up your game!
If you missed any of the "TOP TEN SPORTS NUTRITION TIPS TO LEVEL UP YOUR GAME" Series....Don't worry! They are all permanently a part of this BLOG. So scroll back and catch up on all of them!
Without Further Ado…. Here is Tip #10
HYDRATE SOME MORE!
It's true - HYDRATION gets TWO spots on the Eat4Sport Top Ten List ...because it's THAT important!
I want you to think of hydration as THE most important aspect of training. A few important tips to know:
You need to find a way to hydrate well each and every day. Don't just hydrate on long training days or super hot and humid days. Your body functions best when it’s consistently in a hydrated state.
Learn how to...
Electrolytes! The What and the Why.
Electrolytes!
What?
Electrolytes are minerals that enhance the absorption of fluid into your cells. As athletes, we are mostly concerned with muscle cells.
The four most important electrolytes to an athletes ability to hydrate are Sodium, Potassium, Calcium and Magnesium. These can absolutely be found in food. Your body can utilize food sources of electrolytes the most efficiently. BUT......when it's hot, humid, when we are involved in an endurance event, if we are rebounding from an illness, or if we are training and competing at altitude, our hydration and electrolyte needs are higher. For this reason I would recommend a supplement. The following supplements are the one I recommend the most: Nuun Electrolyte tablets, Salt Stick Electrolyte Capsules, UCAN Hydration, and Base Salt.
Why?
Your muscles are made mostly of water and keeping that water within the cells of your muscles will enable you to increase speed, improve power and increase endurance....
