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2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44
During intense workouts, our body loses large quantities of not only fluid, but along with it the nutrients that our body needs to recover and normal life. What is the best way to restore reserves: water or special sports drinks (isotonic), which contain all the necessary substances?
Water
If your run lasts no more than an hour at an average pace, then your needs can be met with water and it is not at all necessary to wear bottles of sports drinks and tubes with special gels.
Your average pace is the pace at which you are able to maintain a conversation without gasping for breath.
So, if your run lasts less than an hour and you maintain your average pace, your choice is water.
Isotonic
Isotonics advise saving for more complex workouts, when the efforts made go beyond the usual loads. Many sports drinks don't have a good reputation for being high in sugar, but for intense workouts, a high amount of fast carbs and a serving of electrolytes are just what you need!
With a low load, the use of isotonic drugs does not make much sense, since the benefits from them will be about the same as from plain water.
Recovery. A sports drink contains an average of 20 to 50 kcal and 5 to 14 g of sugar per 240 ml volume. Glucose (sugar) in this case is the fuel for the muscles. Our body can get glucose from almost any product, but it is much easier and faster to isolate it from sugar. And the sooner this happens, the better, because during intense training our body simply will not have time to wait until, for example, the bread in our stomach is digested and divided into simpler components (including glucose). After long, intense workouts, a short carbohydrate window opens up, and this is when your muscles are best at replenishing wasted sugar, which helps in recovery and preparation for the next race.
Carbohydrate window- the estimated period within 35-40 minutes after intense physical activity. The existence of such a period has not been scientifically confirmed.
After an active workout, the body needs to replenish the supply of not only fluid, but also the glycogen expended by the muscles.
During training, the body increases the level of adrenaline and cortisol, which after training continue to work, destroying protein tissue (muscles). To prevent this muscle-shrinking effect, it is important to use a different hormone, insulin. It neutralizes the destructive effect of cortisol, as it is its biochemical antagonist.
Insulin is produced by eating so-called fast carbohydrates and blocks the action of cortisol and adrenaline.
In addition to carbohydrates, the body, which has received physical activity, needs proteins. Muscle growth and physical recovery in the human body depends on the amino acids that make up the protein. This means that it is best to consume high bioavailability protein foods (dairy products, legumes, nuts) during the carbohydrate window.
A source:Wikipedia
Fast rehydration. During intense exercise, our body loses large amounts of water, sodium and potassium through sweat. Water is great for quenching your thirst, and electrolyte drinks can help you restore water and electrolyte balance much faster. Sports drinks contain on average about 80 mg sodium and 488 mg potassium per 355 ml volume. This mixture of water, sugar and sodium helps our body absorb the moisture it needs much faster than just water.
Isotonic recipes
It is not necessary to buy special sports drinks in stores, some of them are quite simple to prepare at home.
Apple drink
- 2 glasses of cold water;
- 1/4 cup apple juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- sugar or honey to taste;
- a pinch of ground cinnamon or ginger.
Vegetable isotonic
- 1 liter of vegetable juice of your choice (you can make fresh beets or carrots at home);
- 1 cup of water
- 1 cup of orange juice
Basic option isotonic
- 300 ml of any fruit juice;
- 200 ml of water;
- a pinch of salt.
Citrus isotonic
- 20 g honey or sugar;
- 30 ml of lemon, orange or grapefruit juice;
- a pinch of salt;
- 400 ml of water.
Even simpler options are to dilute 2 tablespoons of honey in 1 liter of water or buy mineral water and release gas from it.
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