Sports Drinks or Water for Proper Hydration?

Keeping yourself properly hydrated during exercise is important for good health and maximizing the benefits of your exercise regime. Everyone knows that water is an essential ingredient to a healthy life but is it the best choice for hydration during exercise? Before the introduction of sports drinks water was undoubtedly the best choice for athletes to prevent dehydration during exercise. Is there a difference between the two? Does one work better than the other? In order to decide which drink provides maximum benefits you must first understand why preventing dehydration is so important.

Why is it important to stay hydrated during exercise?
In order to get the maximum benefit from exercise you must provide your body adequate fluid for comfort and safety. Research has shown that that weight lost due to sweating (while exercising) is linked to a drop in blood volume which in turn makes the heart work harder to keep your blood moving through the bloodstream. If you fail to replace lost fluid you may also experience muscle cramps, dizziness, heat illness and fatigue. While this article targets hydration during exercise, keep in mind that any activity that causes one to sweat- such as playing sports or being overly active in hot weather can lead to dehydration.

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