When you are exercising and attempting to improve your health and/or lose weight, it is important to keep your body hydrated. For many, that may mean turning to sports drinks for help in keeping their bodies balanced. There are good reasons for using sports drinks, but some may question the cost of such drinks as opposed to their actual benefits. Sports drinks are indeed expensive. There is a reason for the cost however, since sports drinks, unlike plain water contains many vital nutrients to help replenish a fatigued system.
As a society, we drink far less water than we should. The body requires water. It is made up of 45 to 75% water and it impacts all of our vital functions. Drinking other forms of liquid does not make up for our body’s need for water. However, sports drinks not only contain the vital water our bodies’ need they also have electrolytes to help replenish depleted stores and help us regain our equilibrium, especially after strenuous workouts. When you sweat your body loses both water and electrolytes and drinking just plain water will not replace all your body has lost.
It is important to be careful about which sports drinks you choose depending on the reason you need them. Some sports drinks are high in carbohydrates which are very important to high impact exercise routines and runners to replace the lost glucose in the system. However, they can have the reverse effect for those hoping to lose weight from exercise activities or milder exercise routines.
It is also important for dieters to know that while sports drinks replace vital electrolytes including salt in the system, those same electrolytes may cause some water retention and all sports drinks should be taken with moderation. They have a specific purpose and very few everyday exercise routines need too much replacement fluids. Water is a much more important element in a good and healthy fluid replacement program.
Sports drinks should not be confused with energy drinks. Energy drinks are an entirely different concept. Designed to increase energy not replace vital fluids, energy drinks are largely comprised of either sugar, or caffeine, or both. While sports drinks are a very healthy way to give your body the fluids it needs when participating in exercise routines, or as a diet supplement, energy drinks are quite the opposite and can be very detrimental to a healthy system.
When you are attempting to develop a healthy eating and exercising routine getting the help of a qualified physiotherapist is an excellent idea. We can help guide you in selecting the proper elements of a good and healthy exercise routine as well as giving you valuable insight as to which products on the market are helpful, and which are potentially harmful. The selections in supermarkets, department stores, and even health food stores can be mind-boggling. They all offer promises of excellence and it can be difficult to determine which promises are real and which are empty claims.
If you are attempting to get yourself on track through healthy eating and exercise contact us to discuss your current program and let us develop a solid plan for a healthier you.