LET’S TALK PROPER
HYDARTION
By now you know that body’s main way of dealing with the
heat is through increased sweating. Make
sure you have good hydration habits all through-out the day, in addition to
re-hydrating well immediately after your training.
While water is your primary concern, you also need to be
sure that you are replacing the electrolytes you lose through increased
sweating. Your body can take much of
these electrolytes from a healthy diet, but during the hot summer months you
may need to also increase your intake of electrolytes through sports drinks or
supplements. This will be vitally
important during long runs, where some electrolyte supplementation may also be
beneficial. Remember: when you sweat at
high rates, you’re not only losing blood volume, but also important
electrolytes. This is why proper hydration is vital.
WATER VERSUS ENERGY
DRINKS
Yes, water is the very best replacement fluid since it
passes quickly from your stomach to your bloodstream. Most replacement and energy drinks usually
contain sugar. Sugar slows the assimilation process. Many replacement and
energy drinks are also loaded with caffeine. Caffeine adds to the problem since
it promotes water loss. So avoid colas, coffee, tea, and any product containing
caffeine. Read the labels of energy drinks carefully before starting to gulp
down lots of energy drinks.
Instead, drink lots of water before you head to training and
carry plenty with you. Drink during your workout and continue to consume more
afterwards. More is better than less.
Robert
Voy, former chief medical officer at the U. S. Olympic Training Centre,
recommends 177 ml of water for every twenty minutes of activity. That one water
bottle of 500 ml simply won’t be enough for a 3 hour training session!
WHEN DRINKING TOO
MUCH WATER BECOMES A PROBLEM
While everyone is aware of the importance of drinking plenty
of water to replace what is being lost in sweat, few realize that water alone
is not enough. In fact, drinking high volumes of water can actually create
deficiencies. Whenever you’re sweating profusely and gulping down lots of
water, you’re flushing nutrients out of your body very rapidly, in particular,
the water-soluble vitamins and minerals. Without an adequate supply of vitamin
C, the B-complex group, and all the minerals, your body will not be able to
function properly. Most important are the minerals.
SUPPLEMENTS
Life itself is dependent on minerals. When minerals are not
supplied in adequate quantities, muscles cannot contract well and there is a
general feeling of weakness. Early-warning signs that you’re deficient in
minerals include cramps, muscle tremors,
light-headedness, and fatigue.
Of course, the other two water-soluble vitamins are also
needed for a successful workout. The
B-vitamins help convert the foods you eat into energy and vitamin C helps
recovery and rebuilding.
To ensure that you have an ample supply of these
water-soluble vitamins and minerals available throughout your workout, simply
do this. An hour before training, take a gram of vitamin C, a B-complex
vitamin, and a couple of multiple minerals, along with a banana. The banana
will provide a nice energy boost plus 400 mgs, of potassium, the mineral
largely responsible for muscle contractions. During the workout, take more minerals as you
feel the need. If your energy starts to wane, take another B and C. After the
workout, take yet more minerals. Keep in mind, all these nutrients are
water-soluble. Any excess is flushed out of your body.
OUR RECOMMENDATION OF
THE WEEK:
226ERS ISONTONIC
DRINK > Electrolytes, Vitamins & Alanine
226ers Isotonic drink is designed to be taken during high
intensity workouts and competitions or during extended workouts in which the
athlete does not need to reduce weight, or as an aid to offset salt intake.
The main
ingredient is amylopectin which ensures rapid uptake of energy and an
effective and prolonged dissipation of it. Because the product contains no
sugar, no insulin peaks occur during the process of absorption.
Isotonic Drink contains a lot of salts and vitamins to ensure proper
hydration lost through increased sweating. It is ideal for intense training
sessions and competitions lasting less than 90 minutes because it also contains
Beta Alanine, which acts as
an inhibitor of lactic acid and helps to delay fatigue. Isotonic Drink is
recommended to be taken for the hydration and replenishment of mineral salts prior
to competitions and for recovery of minerals afterwards.
Approximately 500ml Isotonic Drink should be taken every hour of exercise. Drink 150-200ml every 15-20
minutes during exercise.
Caution: don’t exceed the recommended dosage as the different ratios of
carbohydrate to water will reduce its rapid absorption and, in extreme cases,
can cause gastric distress.
226ERS Isotonic Drink contains NO sugar or gluten.
This is XTERRA
