Whether you're a lightweight who's affected by a couple of glasses of wine or someone who made the mistake of having way too many, the morning after drinking more alcohol than your tolerance level can take can be quite unpleasant. Hangovers can slow the start of your day, leave your head and body aching and prevent your mind from thinking clearly. It's important to know why your body reacts this way, and what the best methods are for recovering from a night on the town.
As you drink alcoholic beverages, you're consuming fluids that don't provide any hydration or nutritional value. Excessive drinking causes you to urinate more frequently without actually replenishing your body with hydrating fluids such as water or sports beverages. This results in severe hydration, which is the first major factor that creates a hangover.
As alcohol strips your body of fluids, your body reacts by stealing water from wherever it can. As you lose fluids through urination and replace those fluids with more alcoholic beverages, your dehydration status just becomes worse and worse.
When out drinking, you may plan on drinking water in combination with alcoholic beverages in order to negate the dehydrating effects of alcoholic beverages. This may sound like a great plan, but in reality you'll still feel the dehydrating consequences of alcoholic beverages. Yes, your water intake is still increasing, and you may actually slow dehydration, but consuming water as you drink alcohol will not stop dehydration. You're still flushing out fluids, including a generous amount of your extra water intake, with the increased urination caused by consuming alcohol.
Alcohol also inhibits the hormone vasopressin. Vasopressin helps your kidneys function properly by reabsorbing lost water and preventing frequent urination. With vasopressin levels reduced, any extra water you may consume is potentially being flushed out rather than absorbed by your body.
Alcohol strips your body of more than just water. Excessive alcohol can prevent your body from properly utilizing electrolytes, glucose and vitamins. Your body will struggle without these three important substances. If your body is no longer taking advantage of electrolytes, glucose and vitamins, you're left with headaches, fatigue and nausea, three prevalent hangover symptoms.
It goes without saying that the best way to prevent a hangover is to never drink an alcoholic beverage. Some people can actually succumb to the effects of a mild hangover even after one drink. However, complete and eternal sobriety isn't everyone's philosophy, and if you consume beer, wine and alcoholic drinks from time to time, you may not feel your best the following day. So how can a hangover be prevented or at least lessened?
Since dehydration is a major hangover contributor, it's vital to be well hydrated before drinking. Stick to a daily hydration routine whether you plan on consuming alcohol or not. Try drinking a glass of water every hour during the day. This will keep your body well hydrated until you begin drinking. Incorporate a TapouT Citrus Kick or Cherry Lemonade Blast into your hydration regimen. TapouT has been scientifically formulated to provide superior hydration over water and other mainstream sports drinks. It has a mix of vitamins and electrolytes that will ward off the ill effects of alcohol and help you recover the next morning.
Recovering from a hangover can be brutal, and there is no sure-fire, instantaneous miracle cure. It takes time and it starts with fluids. Your body needs to replenish all of the water that was stripped away the night before. Drinking eight ounces of liquid every 15 minute can help with recovery. Including a TapouT drink in this routine will give your body an influx of hydration as well as sodium to help your body retain the fluids you're attempting to put back in.
As we've stated, water and fluids are key to recovering from a hangover, but there are ways to give your body a boost in its efforts.
Sodium is a key electrolyte that helps your body rehydrate and redistribute water to depleted sources. Plain tap water does not contain any sodium. Simply drinking water in an attempt to heal from a night of drinking isn't going to be sufficient. Both TapouT Citrus Kick and low-calorie Cherry Lemonade Blast contain 240mg of sodium, more than any other major sports beverage. This influx of sodium into your system will help your body keep any fluids you consume during recovery.
Both Tapout flavors also contain essential vitamins. These vitamins, especially the B complex, will help your body regain some energy and give your brain the power to focus and function normally. TapouT contains vitamins A, C, E, B2, B3, B5, B6 and B12.
Finally, your body has struggled all night in your sleep to process and use natural electrolytes. TapouT sports drinks give your system a replenishing dose of all five electrolytes including:
- Sodium
- Potassium
- Magnesium
- Chloride
- Calcium
TapouT's Citrus Kick contains 30g of carbohydrates which your body processes into glycogen. This glycogen is transformed into sugars that your muscles require to function properly. This can help ease the physical fatigue you may feel the morning after one too many, or several too many, alcoholic beverages. If you'd prefer a low-carb sports beverage, TapouT's Cherry Lemonade Blast contains the same sodium, vitamins and electrolytes as our regular Citrus Kick but with no sugar and only 10 calories.
Finally, if you've been searching for that perfect hangover remedy, you've probably come across some potentially foul tasting concoctions. The good news is, both of TapouT's flavors are pleasing to the taste, giving your body a hydrating boost as well as providing your taste buds with a delicious morning after drink.