It’s brutally hot and you’re sweating like a pig.  Was your run really a good idea?  Need something to drink – but what – water, Gatorade, Red Bull, Powerade?  Do you need just water or water plus other stuff?

Designed To Hydrate

Sports drinks, a combination of fluids, carbs, sodium and potassium are designed to replenish fluids and nutrients lost through sweating during exercise.  If you work out for more than an hour, or for very intensely for less than an hour they are the ideal during- and after-activity hydration drink. But, if your workout is of short duration or is low-intensity. a sports drink may not be your best choice.  If you’re just going for a brisk 20 minute walk or doing some other short or low intensity activity, water may be your best choice.

What’s In Them That You Probably Don’t Need For Less Intense Workouts

Two Things: sugar and sodium.

Sugar is a prominent ingredient because it’s a good way feed carbs to your working muscles. But, its an extra two to five teaspoons of added sugar you’re putting into your body for each 8 oz serving. Remember — most bottles contain at least double that amount, so double up on the sugar count, too. The American Heart Association’s recommendation is to limit added sugars to no more than half of your daily discretionary calories allowance which translates to no more than 100 calories per day, or about 6 teaspoons of sugar for most American women and150 calories per day, or about 9 teaspoons, for men.

Although sodium is helpful for higher levels of activity, most of us don’t need to add extra sodium to add to already high sodium intakes.

Don’t Confuse Energy Drinks And Sports Drinks

Energy drinks have a boost of caffeine which research says might enhance athletic performance. Because they have the caffeine equivalent of a cup of coffee, energy drinks like Rockstar, Monster, and Red Bull are also popular as everyday drinks.

Sports drinks generally have fewer calories because they generally have less sugar than energy drinks.  They do have sodium to help replenish what you’ve sweated out, and generally no caffeine.  Some sports drinks, called recovery sports drinks, have protein and may be marketed as recovery sports drinks. Use them when your activity lasts longer than 6 hours.

When Are Sports Drinks Helpful?

If you exercise at a high intensity for 60 minutes or more, fluids that supply 60 to 100 calories in 8 ounces help supply the calories necessary calories for continuous performance. During normal training it’s not necessary to replace sodium, potassium and other electrolytes you lose during exercise. But, if you exercise in extreme conditions over 3 or 5 hours — like during a marathon or a triathalon — you might think about drinking a sports drink with electrolytes.

SocialDieter Tip:

If you are exercising for over an hour or you’re really busting your butt for a shorter but more intense workout, think about a sports drink for hydration.  Here are some examples of drinks along with their calories, carbs, sugars, sodium, and potassium.  If your exercise time is short or not too strenuous, stick with good old fashioned water.

• Powerade, Grape, 8 oz,, 50 calories, 14g sugars, 14 carbs,100mg Sodium, 25 mg Potassium

• Gatorade G Berry, 8 oz , 80 calories, 21g sugars, 21 carbs, 160 mg Sodium, 45 mg Potassium

• Propel Kiwi-Strawberry, 8 oz, 10 calories, 2g sugars, 2g carbs, 75 mg Sodium, 20 mg Potassium

• Gatorade G2 Perform Low Calorie Orange, 8 oz, 20 calories, 5 g sugars, 5g carbs, 110mg Sodium, 30 mg Potassium

• Sobe Lifewater 0 calories Black & Blue Berry, 8 oz, 0 calories, 6g carbs, 0g sugars, 25 mg Sodium, n/a Potassium

• Red Bull Energy Drink, 8.4 oz, 110 calories, 28g carbs, 27g sugars, 100mg Sodium, n/a Potassium

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Water, Water Everywhere

It’s getting very warm outside where I live and I see tons of people walking, running, or riding bikes with all kinds of water bottles and holders hanging off of them.

Water is great.  It’s the main chemical component in your body and accounts for about 60% of your weight. Your body depends on water to do things like flush toxins out of your vital organs, carry nutrients to your cells, and supply a nice moist environment for your ears, nose, and throat.

How Much Should You Drink?

Eight glasses, ten glasses — how much?  According to the Institute of Medicine, men should drink around 3 liters (about 13 cups) of fluids a day and women should drink 2.2 liters (about 9 cups).

What you eat can supply a significant portion of those fluids. Food supplies, on average, about 20% of your total water intake. For instance, fruit and vegetables, like watermelon and tomatoes, are 90% or more water by weight.

Drinks like juice and milk are contain mostly water. Beer, wine, soda, coffee, and tea also contribute. Your best bet is water because it’s cheap, calorie free, and available.

Bottled Or Tap?

One of the first questions you often hear in a restaurant is:  “Bottle or tap”?  The answer is not as straight forward as it might seem.  According to CSPI’s Nutrition Action Healthletter (6/10):

• Theoretically, purified bottled water can be safer than tap because bottled water companies start with tap water that meets federal standards and then often treat it with UV light or ozone for additional disinfection and/or with reverse osmosis to remove chemicals.
• Tap water is just that – out of the tap, not from plastic landfill clogging bottles.
• The EPA regulates tap water and requires utilities to let consumers know when their water doesn’t meet standards.
• The FDA regulates bottled water and doesn’t require bottlers to notify consumers if water standards are not met.
• Tap water is free or pretty cheap.

Types Of Bottled Water:  The Plain Stuff

The FDA requires the type of bottled water to be shown on its label.

Spring Water is from an underground formation that flows naturally to the earth’s surface and is collected only at the spring or from the underground formation that feeds the spring.

Purified Water is produced by distillation, deionization, reverse osmosis or other processes. It’s also called “distilled water,” deionized water,” or “reverse osmosis water.”

Mineral Water has specific proportions of mineral and trace elements when it emerges from its source. No minerals can be added.

Sparkling Bottled Water has the same amount of carbon dioxide in it that it had at its source. Sparkling bottled water can be labeled “sparkling mineral water,” “sparkling spring water,” etc.

Artesian Water/Artesian Well Water comes from a well that taps a confined aquifer (a water-bearing underground layer of rock or sand).

Well Water comes from a hole bored or drilled in the ground that taps a water aquifer.

Socialdieter Tip:

The choice is yours. Just be sure to drink an adequate amount of good, clean water and please try not to clog the landfills with plastic.  I put some fresh mint from my garden into a pitcher of water in the fridge.  Really refreshing.  It’s a good idea to periodically check the potability of your water, especially if your water is supplied by a well.  Mine is and when the seal on my well cap eroded the well got contaminated and had to be disinfected.  Even my dog was drank bottled water for a couple of weeks.  Municipalities often issue “boil water” alerts when their water sources show high bacterial contamination.  Please don”t ignore these warnings – they are to protect you.

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