Have you ever been in a dilemma where, even after a workout routine, you can’t see significant changes in your body?
The reason may lie in your dietary habits or even the drinks you take after a workout or sports. Chugging down a glass of juice after a heavy workout might seem plausible to replenish the lost fluids. But, behold. You might want to switch to sports drinks rather than those sugar-concentrated juices that do not fit the right for after-sports replenishment.
If you take exercise seriously, consuming a sports drink is the right way to rehydrate yourself and benefit from your struggle. However, not every sports drink is made for you. Selecting the right sports drink depends on various factors, including your workout duration and intensity.
Let’s find out how you will know which sports drink will be the best for you.
What are Sports Drinks?
Sports drinks are essentially water with dissolved substances to replenish your energy and hydration requirements more effectively. These drinks are specifically formulated for people who engage in extreme physical activities on a daily basis, like exercise, sports, or working in hot environments.
Sports drinks aid in refilling the lost electrolytes, fluids and calories. The most common electrolytes found in all sports drinks include sodium, potassium, and chloride, which the human body usually excretes in sweat.
Gatorade was the first commercial sports drink marketed in the 1960s and still stands as a rich supplier of energy drinks. Since then, countless brands have created their own formulations to meet the specific needs of athletes and gym regulars.
You can also find several of the best brands like Prime Drink Wholesale UK, that provide wholesale supplies to cut down on the everyday cost of drinks. You can also order bundles of drinks online to avoid trips down the stores regularly.
Essential Ingredients in Sports Drinks
Before settling on a sports drink, knowing its ingredients and determining which ones are vital for your workout routines is essential. Experts suggest plain and uncomplicated drinks that are easy on your gut and are easily absorbed into the bloodstream for instant effects. The essential ingredients that are common to most sports drinks are;
Sugar: Sports drinks usually contain sugar or its alternatives to provide you with fulfill your energy requirements. However, they might drop the whole purpose of your workouts; therefore, many drinks today are calorie-free to serve their purpose. Just ensure that the drink you are choosing doesn’t contain artificial sweeteners that may upset the stomach.
Salt: Heavy sweaters lose a large amount of sodium in their sweat, which leads to even more sweat production through osmosis. Too much water loss through sweat causes fatigue and difficulty keeping up with your exercise routine. So, select the drinks with extra sodium concentrations to avoid collapsing.
Potassium: Another electrolyte lost heavily in sweat is potassium. If you are not sweating due to excess loss of sodium, then the culprit is certainly potassium. However, not many drinks offer extra doses of potassium. In that case, you might want to go for the sports drinks that have a coconut water base.
Flavors: Apart from the electrolytes, flavors aid you in drinking more frequently. The pleasant taste is quite appealing after long workouts. Using flavors is also a strategy to increase the palatability of the water since heavy electrolyte concentrations can affect the mouth feel of the water. Flavors help cover the unpleasant aftereffects and make your mouth water whenever you take sight of your drink.
What To Look For In Best Sports Drinks?
The following ingredients make the best sports drink;
Citrates: Find sodium or potassium citrate in the ingredients of sports drinks since these are easier on the digestive system as compared to the chlorides.
Sufficient Electrolytes: High electrolyte concentrations will be the best for you if you are a heavy sweater. Otherwise, you can settle for the low sodium, potassium or magnesium versions.
Multiple sources of Carbs: Multiple sources of carbohydrates allow faster absorption of sugar in the blood and provide you with an instant boost of energy.
Appropriate Carb concentration that doesn’t exceed your goals: If you aim to hydrate your body, low-carbohydrate drinks (approx. 20 grams or less/500ml bottle) will be the best for you. However, if you are participating in endurance activities, you might want to go for high-carbohydrate drinks (approx. 20+ grams/500ml bottle) that provide a good energy source.
Wrap Up
There you have it! Now that you know all the basics, buy the best sports drink according to your needs. Go and break a leg!
