Beat the Heat of Sports & Exercise – Drink enough water and electrolytes
The mere intake of water to replenish what is lost through sweating, especially, excessive sweating during and sports and exercise must not be the only effort one must make. Because sodium (an essential element in your body’s physiology) is also lost during sweating, it is important also replenish this as well to avoid exercise-induced and iatrogenic hyponatraemia – a condition of low sodium concentration in the blood circulation resulting from over-intake of water causing dilution of sodium combined with the physiological losses and has recorded fatalities.
But how do I achieve that, you might ask?
We have simple and inexpensive solutions for what might seem to be a mountain to climb in many instances and usually they are the most visible ones. Take for instance the soft drink, your usual can of coke or sprite off the street selling market stall or from the local tucker shop is an option that is not far-fetched. A good mix of 30% cool clean water and 7 0% soft drink is a great and simple way to replenish both the water and sodium. Even the upkeep of sugar concentration through such helps maintain your energy substrate levels during and after exercise or sport. Drink this in small amounts for effectiveness.
Another option, but expensive for most is the electrolyte drinks in the form of Powerade, Gatorade and Staminade, just to name a few, are also sold in your local shops but usually in the super-markets. You might have to stock up on them before your sports and exercise session. Some experts believe in loading up while others maintain a post-workout regime to be more effective. There have been instances of sports teams that dish out sports drinks during the match or training sessions just to be on top of things.
But the most effective and naturally occurring drink is the coconut water or juice from the green coconut. With well documented nutritional values in the form of water, naturally occurring sugars and a host of electrolytes to feast on, this option is high on your sports science list. But is it readily available when you need it? For city dwellers, this is a luxury and seeking to source coconut water or juice is as far-fetched as climbing the coconut tree. You may find villagers selling coconut juice but it is not consistent enough to be a constant source for sports and exercise enthusiasts.
What is the difference in all the solutions given already? The key factor is increasing water and electrolyte bioavailability through the effect of the sugar content in the fluid that helps pull the water from within the intestines and into the blood circulation. This makes them ready for use by the body for sustaining blood-tissue barrier concentrations of water and electrolytes, thus maintaining vital tissue and cell function.
There are some good options to consider not matter where you are in the country. Your best bet is within your research abilities on the information available on the internet and within your locality.
Key elements in high quality sports and exercise performance are: daily upkeep of fluid intake, good sleep the night before, adequate food intake throughout the day, an empty intestinal canal 2 hours before exercise, water and electrolyte intake as a preload, and during exercise and afterwards, energy for pre-and-post-workout needs, and properly cooling off after the sporting activity with static stretches. All these will greatly enhance recovery from the exercise or sporting session.
