On Hydration and Electrolytes

[lurkingknight]

Every now and then there's a thread asking methodsto stay hydrated in a game.

Everyone mentions gatorade or poweraide, etc... sports drinks often contain a lot of unnecessary processed sugars. (bad for those worried about diabetes)

Here's a short article on a few food suggestions on how to replenish the 5 electrolytes we burn with strenuous physical activity.

http://fitbie.msn.com/slideshow/5-fo...h-electrolytes

(basic gatorade only has sodium in minuscule amounts, powerade has sodium and potassium in super tiny amounts)

sodium
chloride
potassium
calcium
magnesium

Just remember those 5 when you start shopping for supplementing drinks or pills.

[Scotcho1.0]

Nice work! I have had great success withe Vega sport supplements. Completley natural vegan supplements that give you're body what it needs and sustainable energy, meaning no artificial sugars, tuarine or caffeine. Not going to lie it tastes like crap, but so far the only supplements that I have found that work as advertised, and I have tried lots!

Sent from my T8788 using Board Express

[Gunny_McSmith]

Originally Posted by lurkingknight

Everyone mentions gatorade or poweraide, etc... sports drinks often contain a lot of unnecessary processed sugars. (bad for those worried about diabetes)

I wouldnt say "unnecessary sugar", since you need it to replenish your muscular glycogen reserves that you drain while exercising.....

+ water molecules are absorbed faster when they're with glucids.....

[L473ncy]

Quick and dirty I add 1/2 pack of salt and 1 pack of sugar to 1 litre of water. I actually have little packs of table salt and sugar in my emergency survival kit.

However you'll still need to get those other 3 electrolytes in some other way but the salt and sugar water thing works in a pinch in emergencies.

[Grudge]

I make my own Electrolite replacement drink.

Water, Unprocessed sea salt, honey, lemon juice

Most of the people I know don't like the taste, but it works really well and keeps me hydrated.

The mixture is :

1 Tsp - salts
1 Tbsp - honey
1 oz - lemon juice
1 litre - water

I know a couple people suggested adding those MIO flavour enhancer juice. Havn't tried it.

I usually bring 2 litres of that and 3 litres of straight water. No pop or fruit juices, they have too much processed sugar and I crash after an hour or so. Honey doesn't do that!

[Danke]

I use water on the field. I combine that with the cliff shot Margarita blocks to replace sodium and get a bit of flavor into my system.

After hours I use the Nuun actjve hydration tabs.

I combine this with a normal healthy diet but not a fanatical one.

Out on the local fields there will be game days topping out at 40c and it's usually over 35c so dehydration or hyponatremia are both possible situations. I have spent years cycling in unpleasant conditions and sweating buckets so I have a good idea of what I need to do to maintain balance.

[lurkingknight]

sure, but not in the amounts that I've seen some people take it in.

Originally Posted by Gunny_McSmith

I wouldnt say "unnecessary sugar", since you need it to replenish your muscular glycogen reserves that you drain while exercising.....

+ water molecules are absorbed faster when they're with glucids.....

[Ricochet]

We don't drink electrolyte enhanced drinks "during" game play. I will drink them after, or during a break only. Over indulging in salt and sugar during physical activity, can block your body from in-taking the hydration, which is the most important part. If you feel your overly sweating, or feeling weak or shaky, then proper food is the answer. During games; drink lots of water, take regular breaks, and at the very least snack when possible (with appropriate foods). Be very aware of your own physical and health conditions as well.

We've had a few instances in the past where drinking mass amounts of Gatorade, powerade, squelch, etc hurt someone. For someone that is "fit", not in the least overweight, and healthy then one Gatorade (for example) is sufficient for quite awhile. After your body has dumped out a decent amount of sweat of course. If you sweat heavily, or are not a constantly active person with a history of good health, then you need to be more careful. Overloading on electrolytes won't help you. Drink water, and eat foods that produce energy; i.e. nutrience, protein, etc and then break regularly. When your on a long break or finished; then have a Gatorade.

Just to be clear, I'm not a doctor. This is advice received from health care professionals during activity discussions or after an incident has occured. I don't wish anyone to get hurt, sick, or worse; and promote each individual to look into their personal health at a professional level before deciding on extreme physical activities, diet, or anything else health related.

[tygr701]

There are electrolyte tablets if you are diabetic. You could also opt for just adding a salt packet to your drink along with some other water additives or have a banana would also replace your potassium deficiencies.

[dwsage]

Last game i went to and I had some coconut water and that really did the trick. But only during break. Coconut water might be the best thing for your body that isn't made artificially. If I am not mistaken, you can actually use coconut water as an IV drip.

But I usually cram my hydration pack full of ice cubes and then fill up with water. A bit of cold water in the middle of a firefight is a nice little boost of energy.

[CR0M]

I read an article in the star about how coconut water is basically water and sodium, thats it, and they dont know what all the fuss is about...

I drink 2 beers before each game because im super cool

[dwsage]

I have big ass cuban cigars before games. Because I'm gangsta like that. also.. now that I am using a full face mask, the rest of the day is the smell of cigar breath. so fresh.

[lurkingknight]

I've started half filling my hydration bladder and freezing it the night before... a really cold shot of water every now and then is absolutely great. Add regular water morning of before the game, you get cold water for the entire day.