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Since the new fitness boom we have been experiencing from early 00’s with the development of new sports categories such as Crossfit and more availability for outdoor physical activities, we notice a constant increase in the number of people getting gym memberships and attempting to become more physically active. That constant increase not only impacts gym owners’ pockets but also a whole new industry that was created behind our healthier lifestyles and the development of a new health awareness era. Restaurants, Equipment brands, and Apparel brands and the Food/Beverage industries have been molding themselves into fitting and adjusting for a whole new customer base and those who adjust faster are guaranteeing a bigger piece of the market share pie.
As cited in this article the sports drinks industry started its history in early 60’s and since then brands have been constantly evolving in terms of formulation and availability of products. What started with a “simple” formula of sugar-water, has now evolved into essential products in the life of professional sportsmen and even people who take their daily physical activities and healthy lifestyle more seriously. In this article, I am going to quickly present to you the some alternatives and different ways of replenishing electrolytes that have been developed to best fit our needs and different lifestyles.
Sports Drinks are the most common and highly available way of replenishing electrolytes and nutrients in our body. It’s the easiest and quickest way of replenishing electrolytes lost during physical activities. The liquid in a sports drink is meant to replace the fluid lost from sweat.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends for people who practice exercises to avoid losing more than 2 percent of their body weight from fluid during exercise. By consuming the actual liquid format of electrolytes replenishment products it becomes easier and practical to replace the fluid we usually lose through sweating.
This option is convenient for the on the go individuals, who don't want to deal with tablets, gels and powders. It is highly available in any supermarket, restaurant, bar and store you go into. You can also find products on the market with no artificial anything in terms of taste, which makes it 100x better.
This one I find very interesting. As a professional athlete, I like to plan my trips and pack my bags ahead of time and make sure I am not forgetting my essentials for my swim meets. Depending to where I am traveling, Powder Mix packages are much more convenient to bring along with me in my suitcase in terms of space and weight.
Some sports events like a swim meet or a track and field competition might take up to 8 days of competing. If competitors had to bring one bottle of their favorite electrolyte replenishment drink to every single day of their meets, that would make the suitcases way heavier and inconvenient. I also prefer the powder mix because of the freedom it gives you to not have to be carrying a bottle everywhere you go.
Example: Sometimes I bring around powder mix package when I go for a run in the park. After my run, I stop somewhere and ask for a cup of water and just throw in one of my powder mixes in it, making that post-run drink way more efficient in terms of recovering. After that, I can easily just get rid of that bottle and continue my walk back home without having to worry about carrying that bottle around. Convenience.
This alternative also cuts down the price and on the plastic you’ll be wasting. You might even use different levels of water for the amount of powder you’re using to avoid stomach problems if you have a sensitive stomach.
This alternative works really well for those who are looking for something more easily digestible and on the go. Gel products are highly used by individuals running marathons, triathlons, bike rides, etc. Gel products are usually focused on carbohydrate replenishment during intense activities, but some products on the market can be found with electrolytes too. A very positive aspect about the gel in my opinion is its practicality to be brought on your pocket during a run or bike ride, for example.
Definitely not as fun or tasty to consume as other replacements on the list. Depending on your activity, the pill form could be the easiest and quickest option. Some products on the market seem to provide dense levels of four main electrolytes - Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium, and Calcium. Not my favorite method mainly because it doesn't necessarily contribute to the amount of liquid you will be consuming, what might play a massive role on recovery.
Whatever way you choose to replenish lost electrolytes in your body before/after a workout or physical activity, make sure it is adequate to your schedule, aligned with what your body really needs and that you won't be suffering from cramps or dehydration during or after.
Hydra-Guard Premium Sports Drink is my favorite way of replenishing and giving my body exactly what it needs. It is strategically formulated with the 5 major electrolytes to replace the fluids that we lose through sweat at optimum levels. My favorite thing about the product is that it's also low-Calorie, low-Sugar, and VERY tasteful even though there is no artificial coloring, flavoring and ingredients. Hydra-Guard is also releasing NEW FLAVORS this month, and a new electrolyte powder mix in January of 2020, which makes it even more awesome and I cant wait to try them out. If you're more interested in knowing about the new flavors like me, you should sign up for the NEWSLETTER and just use the code PM10 on checkout for 10% OFF!
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