Sports Drinks are highly considered nowadays not only by professional athletes but also by everyday normal people looking to achieve maximum performance in their daily activities/workouts. But do consumers really know what they are putting in their bodies? Are consumers aware of what is in the sports drinks they consume and do they actually need what is in it? Electrolytes play a vital role in your bodily processes including regulating your body’s pH levels, contracting muscles and keeping you hydrated. Since we lose electrolytes when we sweat, urinate and even breath it is important to replace any fluids lost throughout the day. With big sports drink brands using the same formulation with artificial ingredients for 50+ years, it is important to be aware of some components in the formulas just so we are sure we are consuming the right amount of nutrients and electrolytes. Without the right mix of ingredients in the proper amounts, a sports drink could hinder instead of enhance performance. Upset stomach or poor absorption rate of the drink could occur from the wrong balance of ingredients.
As a former professional athlete and current exercise enthusiast, I put together a small list of things I believe we should be careful to look at when taking a closer look at the sports drink we choose. Here are some of tips on things to look for when buying this types of product:
Sugar is probably my first item on this list because of the direct effects it has in our bodies. We have to be very careful with our daily sugar intake paying attention to how much we really need in comparison to what type of exercise/activity we are playing. In my opinion, it’s always healthier to look for something with low sugar with no artificial anything.
A 32-ounce sports drink usually contains between 56 and 76 grams of sugar – equal to about 14 to 19 teaspoons – and four to six times the recommended daily amount for kids and teenagers. It might not seem like an important number, but according to a study posted in May 2018 in the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), nearly 60 percent of high school students drink at least one sports drink each week. In general, doctors do not recommend big brand sports drinks to the average person or teenager because of the risks of weight gain and diabetes. Whenever making the purchase, it is essential to be aware of what type of activity and what goals you have in terms of weight gain/loss. If your focus is weight loss while performing a physical activity or adopting a healthier lifestyle, consider taking a second look at the serving sizes on the nutritional panel to help make an informed decision of what you are actually putting in your body.
Luckily, products such as Hydra-Guard Sports Drink are available on the market and can be found containing only 5 grams of sugar per 16-ounce bottles, with no artificial colors, flavors or ingredients, which provides a healthier alternative to the sugar loaded sports drinks known to be on the market today.
As a former professional swimmer, I probably went through 2-3 bottles of electrolyte drinks during my 2-hour workouts, twice a day. Electrolytes are lost through sweat when an athlete or anyone else who engages in physical activity. The big problem is that the body does not have the ability to restore them as rapidly as they were lost.
Sports drinks contain electrolytes such as chloride, sodium, and potassium to help replenish what was lost through sweat. The key here is to look for premium hydration that works to help achieve your goals. Introducing electrolytes back into the body helps reduce dehydration from occurring during or after an intense workout or any other activity that involves physical work. Dehydration can become a very serious problem if not attended to immediately. A sports drink that has a proper and diverse balance of electrolytes will be much more effective. I would say that looking for a great source of potassium with the right levels of sodium is key to achieving proper hydration and avoiding cramps or poor performance.
This one is tricky. For those trying to maintain or lose weight, another important factor to consider is energy balance, or the balance between the number of calories you consume and burn. As a pro-athlete I was never very worried about the calories I put in my body because I was sure I was burning them at some point during my 4hr/day workouts.
But since I retired, I started paying attention and being careful to the amount of calories i'm consuming a day. I am now looking for products with low calories these days in order to maintain a balanced and active healthy lifestyle for myself. For those looking to lose weight, it is often recommended to burn more calories in a day than what is consumed. Since most products in the sports drink industry are flooded with sugar, consuming them could potentially provide consumers with unnecessary calories that have an adverse effect and prolong their health goals.
This one is directly related to the sugar and what type of carbohydrates are going to be on the drink of choice. I found that Hydra-Guard Sports Drink is a healthy alternative on the market where a 16-ounce bottle has only 35 calories opposed to big brand names that on average has between 80-130 calories per bottle. Hydra-Guard also uses natural ingredients and flavors, that has 2x-6x more electrolytes than conventional brands.
Overall, these are some of my feedback to keep a more balanced intake of electrolytes with sports drinks. With Hydra-Guard, I found it a great source of key and essential electrolytes and easier keep my body hydrated while still keeping the sugar count low. For the days I go for a run or a 40 min swim workout, Hydra-Guard works perfect for keeping me hydrated and well balanced for optimum performance. Hydra-Guard has become a major competitor to these other brands and is currently available on the link below!
Many people have been making the switch to Hydra-Guard Sports Drink because of the awesome benefits and competitive edge the product has over its competitors. If you're interested in trying out Hydra-Guard Sports Drink and experiencing the benefits, you can use the discount code PM10 on the online shop 10% OFF on your next purchase!