Rehydration is essential, whether you are an elite student athlete or simply beginning your fitness regime, in order to keep temperature and heart rate under control, lubricate joints, repair muscles, prevent muscle cramps, ease fatigue and promote normal digestion.
As part of exercise, your body loses fluid through sweat. The amount lost depends on both intensity and duration of physical activity; to prevent dehydration from taking hold, replenish any lost fluids immediately following activity to restore them back into your system.
Adults participating in physical activity are advised to consume 16-20 fluid ounces per hour in the form of water or sports beverages – equivalent to 2-4 cups. Drinking beverages containing salt (such as sports drinks or energy drinks ) or sugar may help improve absorption and replace electrolytes lost through sweat.
Non-carbonated water remains the optimal hydration choice during exercise; however, carbonated beverages like seltzer or laCroix may provide a useful option before or during workouts as a hydrating aid. Just be wary about drinking one right before or during a session as their carbonation could cause gas and cause discomfort during performance.
Before or during a workout, consuming a beverage containing carbohydrates and electrolytes is the preferred means of rehydration. Doing so will maintain blood glucose levels during physical exertion while encouraging muscle glycogen recovery, peak power recovery and improving performance and endurance over time.
Studies with nine healthy and active female participants involving deep mineral water with moderate mineralization (DMW) has been found to increase aerobic capacity and leg muscle power during post-workout recovery in comparison with spring or sports water, due to its natural minerals such as calcium and magnesium content. Researchers speculated this result may have come about as a result of DMW’s composition of natural minerals like these two substances.
DMW also boasts a low sodium concentration, making it potentially effective against muscle cramps and improving athletic performance. Furthermore, research suggests that drinking DMW after intense physical exercise may facilitate faster recovery by providing lost sodium replacement.
When purchasing a flavored seltzer, it’s best to opt for those without added sugars in order to minimize daily intake – something the Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests keeping under 10%.
Student athletes may benefit from drinking flavored seltzer to aid with hydration and increase fluid consumption throughout their day. It’s also an easy and practical solution for parents wanting to ensure their children remain hydrated both before and after athletic practices or games.