Sports drinks seem to be everywhere, so it's important to understand exactly what role they should play in our nutrition. To do that, it's best to ask ourselves three questions.
- When should I choose a sports beverage?
- Why should I drink sports beverages?
- What sports beverage is right for me?
In order to incorporate a sports drink into our routine, we should first take the time to understand a little more about them and when it's appropriate to drink them.
Sports drinks are more expensive than water, and many of them contain sugar and calories we might not need. They shouldn't replace all of the fluids that we consume, so when exactly is reaching for a sports drink appropriate?
The first thing you need to assess is your physical activity levels. If you're an athlete in training, preparing to go for a long run or have a profession that requires long periods of physical activity, you'll want to consider supplementing your hydration with sports performance beverages such as TapouT. As you work out, compete or perform physical tasks, your body will need a calorie and carbohydrate boost to supply you with energy. TapouT Citrus Kick contains 120 calories and 30 grams of carbohydrates that can fuel your body during any physical activity.
You'll also want to consider how much you sweat during the day, with or without physical activity. If you're exposed to the sun for a long period of time or are drenched in sweat due to a long run, then your body will be depleted of much more than water. As you sweat, you lose sodium, electrolytes and vitamins and simple water doesn't contain these elements.
We've already touched on this a little bit, but just to reiterate water and other fluids don't contain the calories, carbs, vitamins and minerals of a sports performance beverage. Let's take a look at some of the nutrients sports drinks can give you that water cannot.
- Calories and Carbs
- Sodium
- Electrolytes
- Vitamins
As we've already stated, carbs and calories fuel your body, and plain water simply won't provide your body the fuel it needs to perform.
Water is also lacking in sodium. When you lose sodium, your body won't be able to retain and properly use fluids. Water doesn't contain sodium, so if you rely solely on water for hydration, then your body may fail to utilize the fluids you continue to put into your body and risk further dehydration or a potentially serious condition known as hyponatremia. TapouT contains 240mg of the sodium your body needs to regulate water usage.
As you sweat, exercise or even go about low-activity daily routines, your body will use electrolytes and vitamins. Electrolytes help athletes recover from training, and they have properties that regulate your heart rate and prevent injury even in a low-activity setting. Vitamins help improve your mental function under duress, provide energy and improve your immune system. As you deplete them during the day, you could put your body at risk, so substituting a TapouT rather than a glass of water late in the workday could give your body an overall boost.
If your day doesn't require intense activity, you won't necessarily need the added calories and carbohydrates contained in most sports drinks. However, your body will still continue to burn electrolytes and vitamins throughout the day. A lack of electrolytes and vitamins can slow down productivity and lead to sluggishness, especially late in the day. TapouT Cherry Lemonade Blast has been formulated for those that need a hydration boost with electrolytes and vitamins but without the carbs and sugars.
When you take a look at major brands of sports drinks, you'll want to take a close look at the label. Does the sports drink you're choosing have the carbs you need for energy? What vitamins and minerals does it contain? Will you get enough sodium to help your body properly use the fluids you consume? And, of course, does it taste good?
TapouT sports drinks come in two tantalizing flavors. Our regular Citrus Kick contains 30 grams of carbs and 120 calories to provide energy while our Cherry Lemonade Blast is a tasty zero-sugar alternative for those with low-calorie needs.
Regardless of which flavor of TapouT you reach for, you're getting nutritional content not available in any of the other major sports drink brands. TapouT's 240mg or sodium is more than the leading brand, and TapouT is the only one to contain all four electrolytes, namely:
- Potassium
- Magnesium
- Chloride
- Calcium
It's also rare to find a sports beverage with added vitamins. Sometimes you'll find a brand with a small amount of certain vitamins, but only TapouT contains eight essential vitamins. Both flavors of TapouT contain vitamins A, C, E, B2, B3, B5, B6 and B12. These electrolytes and vitamins will give your body the ability to perform and recover from all of your physical and mental activities.