A couple of years ago I ran my first full marathon. It was a huge undertaking since I wouldn’t have necessarily considered myself a ‘runner’. I remember in high school gym class we had to go on these long runs and my girlfriend and I would sneak off to a friend’s house who lived along the route or go as far as hiding in a ditch to get out of having to run the whole distance.
So when I set the goal to run a marathon I had some catching up to do. However, I put my mind to it and took it one step at a time. One of the important things I learned along the way is to always stay hydrated. Plus, when I was doing long distances, drinking sports drinks were an essential part of helping me get through the run and still be smiling.
The first step of proper hydration is to make sure you start out hydrated. If you start your workout in a dehydrated state you will never catch up. The important thing to remember is that even slight dehydration can negatively impact your performance and energy levels. If dehydration continues it can lead to serious injury. Getting ourselves hydrated before working out can be done with water. However, during a strenuous workout it is a good idea to consume sports drinks.
Why are sports drinks beneficial?
Drinking a sports drink can be super beneficial for our sexy bod during a strenuous workout because it hydrates us, replenishes our electrolytes and provides us with energy from the simple carbohydrates. If we just consume water during a strenuous workout then it’s possible to dilute the electrolytes in our body (like sodium). This is why it is important to drink a sports drink that helps to replenish your stores. Our entire muscular system relies on electrolytes to function so it’s important to ensure we are operating with a full tank. Also, when we work out we burn glucose in our body and deplete what we call our glycogen stores (energy stores). Having carbohydrate in the sports drink helps to provide us with easily absorbable energy and helps to restore our glycogen levels.
What sports drinks do I recommend?
When I was training I made my own sports drink. Another good option is coconut water. The problem with many of the mainstream sports drinks on the market like Gatorade and Powerade is that they are made with ingredients like sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, flavours, artificial colour, and I’m not convinced that they are using a healthy source of salt for electrolytes. The good news is that it’s so easy to make your own! If you want to make your own check out the video below to see what I drink.
Did you enjoy learning how to make your own sports drink? If so, let me know by leaving a comment and help me spread the word using the social links below. I would love to hear from you!
