Whether you’re an avid sports player or simply enjoy playing from time to time, hydration is important to keep you on top of your game. Sports drinks may play a role in staying hydrated, but they’re no substitute for water. Water is essential to your health, fitness and body function, whereas sports drinks are not. If you’re favoring sports drinks over water, here’s something to think about.
Facts About Sports Drinks
Although sports drinks are composed mostly of water, many brands also contain sugar in the form of glucose, fructose and sucrose. This adds extra carbohydrates and calories to your body. If you don’t exercise enough to burn off those calories, you could wind up gaining weight instead of staying fit. The sugar in sports drinks can also erode tooth enamel, leading to dental problems.
One of the main purposes of sports drinks is to replace carbs and electrolytes lost by the body during intense sports play or exercise lasting over an hour. Electrolytes like calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium aid muscle function and increase vitality to enhance exercise or sports performance.
Unless an adult engages in such intense physical activities, there’s no real need to consume sports drinks for hydration, especially since water will serve just as well – even better! Most children don’t participate in strenuous sports or exercise, either, making sports drinks unnecessary for filling their hydration needs.
Important Facts About Water
Water, on the other hand, is crucial to the body for adults and children alike. Water not only hydrates the body, but it also boosts your energy levels, enhances brain function, helps prevent headaches caused by dehydration, aids in body function, helps prevent constipation and more.
You can drink water at any time when you’re going to be physically active – before your activity, during or after. If you live in a hot climate, it’s important to increase your water intake to avoid dehydration.
A good way to know if you’re drinking enough water is to inspect the color of your urine. If it’s clear or a light-yellow color, you’re getting the amount of water you need to stay hydrated. If it’s dark in color, you need more water in your system. Your thirst is a sign that your body is starting to get dehydrated. Dry mouth and skin, cracked lips, headaches, loss of vitality, dark urine and tiredness are common symptoms of dehydration.
There’s No Substitute for Water!
Sports drinks have their place and aren’t bad when used properly and in moderation. But for most people, the best source of hydration is water. Water gives you many of the same benefits as other beverages like sports drinks, and you can have it for free! Water has no calories, so you can drink as much as you want without worrying about gaining weight. There’s nothing more refreshing than an ice-cold glass of water!
For the clear, crisp, refreshing taste of Tyler Mountain bottled water for work or play, contact us at 1-800-864-8957 today.
