Sports drinks

Adequate hydration of the body is extremely important. Water shortage can cause a number of unpleasant ailments, such as fatigue, dry mouth, pain and dizziness, constipation, and in extreme cases - low blood pressure, increased heart rate and breathing. Maintaining sufficient fluid intake is especially important for athletes whose intense workouts last longer than an hour. Such people should pay attention to an adequate supply of water and electrolytes. Sports drinks can help you stay hydrated.

Sports drinks - should everyone drink them?

In order to answer this question, it is necessary to define in advance what the function of sports drinks should be. Their primary role is to provide water and electrolytes that are lost during intense and prolonged training. Long-term training is defined as a physical effort lasting more than 60 minutes. The exception is people who are on reduction, who should check whether the drink they choose does not contain carbohydrates that can increase the caloric balance and reduce the efficiency of fat burning.

Which sport drink should you choose?

A wide range of available products allows you to adjust the sport drink to the various requirements of customers. The main task of sports drinks is to hydrate and replenish electrolytes lost during training, so the main ingredients of most of them are: sugar (or sweetener), sodium and - in the case of ready-made products - water. Ready-made sports drinks available on store shelves have gained a bad reputation that discourages many people from consuming isotonic drinks. And yet, available in professional stores, tailored to individual needs, sports drinks can be a valuable source of water and carbohydrates after or before training. Due to the content of L-carnitine and L-glutamine, isotonic supports the body during prolonged physical exertion and contributes to the maintenance of water and electrolyte balance during training.

When deciding to purchase sports drinks, pay attention to their composition. Additional vitamins, minerals or amino acids will positively affect the water and electrolyte balance. Particular attention should also be paid to looking for preservatives and controlling the amount of carbohydrates present in the product.