All athletes need to have a proper balance of carbohydrate consumption and water intake, but running long races such as marathons takes a higher level of nutrition and hydration than an average run around the block. Marathon runners risk a significant drop in performance and potential long-term health risks if they don't take care of their bodies before, during and after a grueling marathon race.
Electrolytes help your body maintain a natural fluid balance and also keep muscles contracting and relaxing with minimal strain. Depletion of electrolytes will make it very difficult to properly hydrate and can lead to cramping, poor muscle performance and injury.
Just drinking water during a run, whether it be a marathon or a 5K, isn't quite enough to replenish your electrolytes. A sports beverage such as TapouT's Citrus Kick hydrates as well as replaces your body's calcium, potassium, magnesium and chloride. Including a TapouT sports drink in your race day routine will help prevent cramping and allow your body to properly rehydrate during intense exercise. If you are participating in long-distance events such as a marathon, it might be wise to include a TapouT sports drink during your run to prevent your body from suffering the effects of serious dehydration.
It's also important to note that as your body becomes dehydrated, it burns through its supply of natural sodium. Drinking an excessive amount of water during endurance races will not replenish sodium levels. Sodium depletion can result in a serious medical condition known as hyponatremia. Failure to recognize the signs of hyponatremia can lead to a life-threatening situation. Some early warning signs of hyponatremia include:
- Nausea
- Headache
- Confusion and Irritability
- Drowsiness
- Cramps
- Seizures
Intense endurance athletes will burn through their natural sodium due to the strain these types of events put on their bodies. It is very important to keep your natural sodium levels at a high enough level to ward off hyponatremia. If you do begin to see these symptoms, it might be more important to take care of your body than finish your race. Both Tapout's Citrus Kick and low-calorie Cherry Lemonade Blast include 240mg of natural sodium to keep your body fighting off hyponatremia.
Proper carbohydrate intake and hydration go hand in hand for endurance athletes. Carbohydrates raise the levels of a substance called glycogen in your muscles. Glycogen provides energy to your body, but without fluids to take this glycogen where it needs to go, it simply remains unused and processes as unnecessary sugar. While you may carb load leading up to your race, it is possible to replenish at least some of the carbohydrates and glycogen that you've lost during your event. TapouT's regular Citrus Kick sports beverage contains 30g of carbohydrates. This will partly replenish these levels mid-race to keep your energy levels high. While just as tasty, TapouT's Cherry Lemonade Blast is a low-calorie, zero-sugar sports beverage. If you're a distance runner, you'll need your carbs, so stick with Citrus Kick as a hydration supplement.
TapouT was designed with athletes in mind, and endurance runners can count on it to rehydrate and replenish during training and events. It contains 240mg of sodium, the most of any leading sports performance drink. Besides sodium, it also contains all four other essential electrolytes your body needs to perform at a high level:
- Potassium
- Magnesium
- Chloride
- Calcium
TapouT also has nine vitamins to keep energy levels high and concentration levels sharp. Both TapouT flavors include the following mix of vitamins formulated to improve performance of body and mind:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Vitamins B2, B3, B5, B6, B12
TapouT comes in a tasty Citrus Kick flavor with 30g of carbs to keep energy levels high. If you're looking for a low carb, zero-sugar sports beverage TapouT also comes in a Cherry Lemonade Blast flavor. This low-calorie option contains the same sodium, electrolytes and vitamins as the original Citrus Kick.