Improving Performance During Endurance Events
|
Whether you are a professional athlete or a weekend warrior, proper hydration will go a long way towards improving your performance and endurance.
What does "proper hydration" mean?
Fluid replacement is, of course, the first and most obvious requirement of proper hydration. Here, focus is placed on making sure that adequate amounts of fluid are replaced on a regular schedule. Quality sports (hydration) drinks are designed with this in mind.
The proper balance of electrolytes help to trigger the thirst mechanism and also to replace minerals lost in perspiration so that the nervous system and muscular system continue to respond to the demands placed on it.
Another very important consideration in the performance of a sports drink is its ability to provide energy throughout a workout so that you finish strong and to leave the body in a condition that it can more easily recover.
Many people believe that drinking only water during moderate to intensive aerobic activity (think running, cycling, swimming, etc.) is adequate for their needs. The fact is that if a person drinks only water during an endurance workout (more than 90 minutes of exertion) they will experience something called "hyponatremia" which is an abnormally low concentration of sodium ions in the blood. This is also known as "water intoxication" or "drinking too much water".
Some may be concerned that they're just going to replace the calories that they are trying to burn in the process of losing weight. The response to this is that a person gets a better, more complete workout by properly replacing fluids with a high-performance drink as opposed to just using water. A common experience by those using only water during moderate to intensive exercise is that by the end of the workout the body is near exhaustion and the caloric burn level decreases (as well as the benefit to increased aerobic capacity) as the ability to maintain the higher intensity levels decreases.
Most "sports" or "energy" drinks found in retail outlets do not provide the highest performance. These drinks are designed primarily to keep a person drinking more than necessary (by introducing excessive amounts of electrolyte, such as sodium) which can cause other problems when the goal is to achieve maximum workout improvements. These drinks are also loaded with artifical colors, flavorings, and stimulants to make them more attractive to the consumer. Keep in mind that the reason that the most popular drinks are in every store is because the companies that produce them are spending their money on marketing, not on producing the best product possible. Some of the most popular drinks include herbal stimulants or caffeine to make a person feel like they are getting more energy. That's not the best science, but it is pretty darn good marketing.
The better fluid replacement drinks on the market will come in a powder form so that you can prepare the mix yourself. The advantage to this is that you are not paying a corporation for a quart of water and five tablespoons of sugar with artifical colors and flavorings.
Fortunately, the best fluid replacement drinks are not just for professional athletes. Anyone who exerts themselves (perspires) for thirty minutes or more needs to consider fluid and glycogen (stored energy) replacement. The body can only store so much glycogen, and many have had the unfortunate experience of running out. In cycling its called "bonking" and in running its called "hitting the wall".
The needs for someone who is considering improving their performance through a sports nutrition program are very specific. Regardless of the level of the athlete (weekend warrior to professional) there are three things that need to be replaced: fluid, electrolytes, and energy.
Fluid Replacement
Fluid replacement is the number one factor, which is pretty intuitive, and is probably the number one reason why people think that just drinking water is fine for their needs. The problem with just drinking water is that it does not replace electrolytes or energy. There is also the problem of taking on enough. Water does such a good job of quenching thirst, that a person exercising does not get the hydration needed just by relying on the thirst mechanism. Unless a person is diligent about drinking water on a regular schedule while exercising, they will soon be at a deficit and have several problems related to dehydration.
The first signs of being low in fluids include breathlessness, fatigue, and an increase in heart rate. Performance starts to seriously degrade when getting to the point of losing about 2 percent of body weight. A person then begins to notice a burning sensation in the lungs and muscles, further shortness of breath, dry mouth, blurred vision, and nausea.
Electrolyte Replacement
Along with fluids, electrolytes must be replaced. The six minerals lost when sweating include sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium, calcium and phosphate. A sports drink needs to include all six in the right amounts. Taking on board these nutrients in the right balance will help stimulate the thirst mechanism, help reduce post-workout soreness, help prevent muscle cramps, and help reduce lactic acid buildup.
Energy Replacement
The third thing to look for in a sports drink is how well it will replace energy stores. The body can store about 90 minutes of energy in the form of glycogen in blood, muscles, and liver. If a person is not replacing their energy stores, they are done at about 90 minutes - doesn't matter who they are. The most effective form of energy to consume during exercise is carbohydrate. A good supply can be maintained by consuming about 25 grams of carbohydrate every half hour during exercise (should be about 11 percent carbs per serving). Most sports drinks come up short on that count (around 3 to 9 percent), so make sure yours is going to give you what you need.
Be aware: taking in much above 25g of carbs per half hour can cause diarrhea and slow the passage of water from the intestine into the blood. Too far below that level and you won't get enough energy replacement.
Product Resource
There is a great company that has spent the time and money to do the proper research to produce a sports drink that meets all of the above requirements. Not only have they done the research and clinical studies to show that it is a high-performance product, but they have results from real world experience.
This sports drink was developed specifically for the Daedalus Project which involved a cyclist pedaling a human powered aircraft for 74 miles across the Aegean Sea. The energy output was equal to running three marathons back to back, and the only source of fluid, electrolyte, and energy replacement was the same product you can now get for yourself. At the end of the flight the cyclist commented that he felt so good that he wished there were another island further out so that he could have put on more miles! The results of this feat were published in the American Scientist, July-Aug 1988.
There are also a number of Olympic medals won by athletes using a sports nutrition program from this company. They've also sponsored a number of other events, including the first climb to the top of Mt. Everest by a North American without the aid of supplemental oxygen.
The following links will open new windows:
Sports Nutrition Tips
Product Label - Hydration (PDF)
Purchase Info - Hydration
All products have a 100% guarantee on purity, potency, and effectiveness. It's an "empty bottle" guarantee, which means that you can use all of the contents of anything you try and still get your money back if you are not happy with the results.