By Amy Allegri
“Life’s a sport: Drink it up!”
We have all heard this radio commercial but before your reach for another drink, read this:
Every time you sweat you are losing valuable minerals, vital for bodily functions. These minerals are easily replaced in your body when you eat food. However, if you are an athlete and find yourself losing more than five pounds of sweat a day, it may be advisable to have electrolyte replacements after your workout.
Electrolytes are important minerals, mainly sodium and potassium compounds. Along with water and carbohydrates, they help you keep hydrated during physical activity. If you enjoy sports drinks, such as Gatorade, but find them expensive or too sweet, you may want to try making your own:
Mix:
⅓ teaspoon of salt
1 cup of sugar sweetened
fruit juice or fruit punch
1 quart of water
If you are not an athlete but still work out, it is vital that you keep yourself hydrated before, during and after your activity. The best way is to drink cool water, because water immediately enters your body tissues without needing to be digested like food. Water also cools your body from the inside-out.
Do keep in mind that although an ice-cold beer may seem like the ideal thirst quencher after a hockey game, it’s really doing more harm than good. Alcohol and caffeine are diuretics, they dehydrate the body and also encourage heat stroke and hypothermia.
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