With September upon us, summer is coming to a close. This will mean cooler nights, and not-so-hot days, after-school activities, and fall sports. Though the weather will begin to change as we head into fall, it is still important we remember to keep our family and ourselves hydrated. So what is the best beverage of choice to do this? There is a lot of hype surrounding sport drinks such as Gatorade, Powerade, and Coconut Water, but are those beverages the better choices over drinking water?
The purpose and benefits of drinking sports drinks
Sports drinks are known for having “electrolytes” in them. Electrolytes are minerals, mostly potassium and sodium, which are intended to replenish what the body has lost through sweating. The purpose of these beverages is to bring the levels of minerals in your blood closer to their normal levels. Then, you can continue your workout as if you just started. Sounds great, right?
Actually, most nutritionists agree that sports drinks only become beneficial once your workout extends past 60 minutes. However, if you aren’t going to be working our vigorously for an extended period of time, chances are you are only filling your body with unneeded calories, sugars, and artificial flavorings. In fact, some sports drinks have over 10 teaspoons of sugar. This can actually cause you to become dehydrated if they aren’t immediately utilized for energy.
Why drinking water is still the healthiest choice
It’s true, the best beverage choice for staying hydrated is still – you guessed it – good old-fashioned water! For most adults, “if they avoided the sports drinks they would get thinner and run faster,” says Tim Noakes, professor of exercise and sports science at the University of Cape Town.
So, how much water should you drink? Thirst is a good indication and guide as to how much water you should drink. If you or your kids get muscle cramps while exercising, you may need to drink a little more, but it’s probably a good idea to lay off the sports drinks.
RWI Base Water of Camp Pendleton wants to help you and your family stay hydrated and having an R.O. Drinking Water System in your home, makes it easy. With an under-sink unit, you can refill water bottles every day and keep them in the fridge. This way, every morning before work or school, or every afternoon before soccer practice, there will always be a refreshing supply of cold, clean drinking water.
Of course, RWI Base Water of Camp Pendleton offers soft water for your home as well. One of our qualified technicians can set you up with our Exchange Tank Program today, giving you cleaner dishes, brighter clothes, and softer skin with no effort on your part.
Contact us today so we can schedule your appointment and have all of the faucets in your house delivering clean, soft water.
