ELECTROLYTE REPLENISHMENT AFTER EXERCISE
It is well known that we should stay well hydrated during exercise. When we exercise our body temperature elevates. Our body responds by sweating, this is its way of cooling down. prespire] is contingent on how hot it is, the intensity of the workout, and even the clothing we are wearing. No matter the amount of [sweat we lose water and electrolytes when we sweat. This fluid loss is called dehydration. Severe dehydration could be life threatening.
Our bodies maintain a very delicate equilibrium of various chemicals to survive. Water is one of the most important part in this balance. In fact, our bodies consist of a high percentage of water. Our brain is 70% water as are our muscles. Even our bones partly consist of water. Water aids in releasing toxins from our muscles and internal organs. So we definitely need to drink water. However, when we sweat we do not just lose water. We also lose electrolytes. There are no electrolytes in water.
Electrolytes are ions of certain minerals. Ions are positively or negatively charged atoms or molecules. The ions or electrolytes in our bodies help regulate particular metabolic functions. Case in point, the negative and positive charges of electrolytes are necessary for the electrical charge that flexes our muscles, including our heart. Electrolytes also control the amount of water molecules to the cells. And just like with water, maintaining our electrolyte levels, is critical to our health.
The mineral ions that make up electrolytes include sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, hydrogen phosphate and hydrogen carbonate.
SODIUM
- Aids with electrical impulses in the body allowing brain function and muscle contraction.
- Has an effect on the production of urine.
- Aids in maintaining proper acid-base balance in the body.
- Aids in maintaining blood pressure.
POTASSIUM
- Significant in the manufacture of electrical charges that tense muscles and in brain function.
- Assists in regulating fluids in the cells.
- Assists in the transmission of nerve impulses.
- Regulates the heartbeat.
- Aids in digesting food.
- Research connects potassium to bone health.
CALCIUM
- Forms and supports bone health.
- Contributes to the production of nerve impulses and muscle contraction.
MAGNESIUM
- Connected with the relaxation of the muscles that surround the bronchial tubes.
- Aids in the contraction of muscles.
- Assists in the activation of the neurons in the brain.
- Aids in enzyme functions.
- Instrumental in the synthesis of protein.
CHLORIDE
- Aids in regulating the balance of body fluids.
- Helps in maintaining blood pressure levels.
HYDROGEN PHOSPHATE
- Assists in controlling the acidity level of the blood.
- Is influential in calcium being deposited in the bones.
HYDROGEN CARBONATE
- Plays a part in the managing of the normal levels of acidity in the fluids of the body, particularly the blood
- Assists in maintaining the acid-base balance in the body.
Electrolyte sports energy drinks have been proven to produce particular benefits that water on its own cannot. One study showed that runners who had consumed a carbohydrate electrolyte sports drink had a greater aerobic capacity than those of the placebo group. In another study, this one evaluating the speed of the athletes, the group that had been given the electrolyte replacement drink posted faster times than the placebo group. Electrolyte replenishment drinks help retain fluid and use it more efficiently during exercise. Those which include carbohydrates help avert muscle fatigue.
One thing to beware of is that some sports drinks have a very high sugar content. There are sports drinks with more than 70 grams of sugar per serving and some with as few as 12. Regardless of this the American College of Sports Medicine have found that electrolyte replenishment drinks are beneficial in delivering energy to muscles, controlling blood sugar levels, and preventing dehydration, making electrolyte replacement absolutely required! So make sure to consume plenty of water everyday and after you exercise, consider of enjoying an electrolyte replenishment drink.
