Sports Drinks: 4 Things Every Runner Needs to Know

Want more stamina and endurance? Are your muscles sore after intense training? Do you wish to recover faster? If so, consider using sports drinks. These flavor-packed beverages provide electrolytes and carbs to fuel tired muscles. Due to their high content of electrolytes, they keep you hydrated on hot and humid runs. Sports drinks assist in fluid balance and absorption, preventing muscle fatigue.

 

Are Sports Drinks Really Necessary?

 

Proper hydration is essential to physical performance, especially during marathons and challenging workouts. If you're training hard or taking part in an endurance event, it's important to stay hydrated all the time. According to health experts, sports drinks are a better alternative to plain water when you exercise for more than 60 minutes. Water is usually sufficient for short, less intense sessions.

 

Recent studies indicate that consuming sports drinks may increase running time to exhaustion by up to 27 percent. These beverage can boost your energy, reducing your 'perception of effort" and helping you work out longer. It's an effective way to replace essential minerals and electrolytes lose through sweat. Additionally, sports drinks are absorbed by your body at a faster rate than plain water.

 

These beverages can enhance your overall performance, reduce muscle cramps, and prevent fatigue. They also replenish your body's energy levels by providing fast digesting carbs. Sports drinks are particularly beneficial for endurance athletes and runners preparing for races and long training runs. If you don't replace electrolytes during long runs, dehydration may occur.

 

Fluid requirements for runners depend on body weight, activity, individual differences in sweat rate, and environmental conditions. You're the only one who can determine how much fluid you need during training. For every one percent of body weight lost, you should drink up to 24 oz of water or other beverage. If you're not properly hydrated, your performance will decrease.

 

Health Benefits of Sports Drinks

 

Sports drinks are not a must, but they can definitely help. These beverages are highly recommended to those who exercise for more than one hour. The key benefits of sports drinks include:

 

• Prevent dehydration and hyponatremia
• Improve your athletic performance
• Help your body retain more fluids
• Fuel your brain and muscles with fast acting carbs
• Available in a wide range of flavors
• Help you exercise harder for a longer time
• Replace lost electrolytes (potassium, sodium, and magnesium)
• Boost your energy levels
• Greater stamina and endurance
• Reduce muscle cramps
• Prevent fatigue and tiredness
• Provide sustained energy
• Are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream
• Nourish your body with vitamins and minerals
• Speed up recovery
• Are low in calories

 

Runners can have a sports drink before, during, or after exercise. These beverages allow them to perform for longer and more effectively during competitions and training. They replenish muscle glycogen stores and help you recover faster. Some are sugar free, making them ideal for those looking to maintain a healthy body weight.

 

What’s In a Sports Drink?

 

Not all sports drinks are created equal. Some will keep hydrated and fuel your muscles, while others are useless. The best sports drinks contain fast digesting carbs, sodium, potassium, antioxidants, vitamins, and natural flavors. The carbohydrate concentration should not exceed eight percent. It's recommended to avoid high-sugar sports drinks as well as those containing artificial flavors and dyes.

 

There are several types of sports drinks available, and each has unique benefits. Runners can opt for isotonic, hypotonic, or hypertonic sports beverages. The first two types are suitable for those who are training in hot weather. In cooler conditions, hypertonic drinks are a better choice.

 

What Are the Drawbacks of Using Sports Drinks?

 

Sports drinks are safe for most people. However, some are too high in sugar and may cause tooth decay, weight gain, and insulin spikes. Others contain high fructose corn syrup, which may lead to decreased brain function, obesity, type II diabetes, and liver fibrosis.

 

Many brands are made with citric acid and chemical ingredients that cause dental erosion. Those sold in plastic bottles may have BPA and other toxic compounds that have been linked to cancer, mood swings, infertility, and low testosterone levels. Some contain high amounts of caffeine, which may cause jitters, insomnia, dizziness, anxiety, and high blood pressure.

 

It's no doubt that sports drinks are beneficial. Just make sure you choose a quality product that provides your body with key nutrients. Drink sports beverages in moderation to prevent possible complications. Check the nutrition label for artificial ingredients and hidden sources of sugar.

 

 

Sources:

• Webmd.http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/drink-up-sports-fitness
• http://www.runnersworld.com/drinks-hydration/best-sports-drinks-for-long-runs"What Is In Sport Drinks? | LIVESTRONG.COM." LIVESTRONG.COM - Lose Weight & Get Fit with Diet, Nutrition & Fitness Tools | LIVESTRONG.COM. Web. 24 Jan. 2012.http://www.livestrong.com/article/395288-what-is-in-sport-drinks/ .
• http://www.runnersworld.com/drinks-hydration/best-sports-drinks-for-long-runs

Originally posted at Runners Pace

Treadmill Workouts: How to Lose Belly Fat

The holidays is an awesome time of year to hangout with friends and family and giving thanks, it can also be a battle trying to fend off those unwanted pounds. While it may be easy to eat your mom's  delicious casserole , pumpkin pie, or chocolate cake, do you really want to carry the extra into the next year?

According to Webmd.com. between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day the average person gains 1-2 pounds in that time, while people who are overweight tend to put on a little more on average. That doesn't sound like much until you add the pounds from previous holidays. This is one of the treadmill workouts that I use to boost my metabolism and burn the belly fat.

Time	Speed/mph	Incline	Notes
0:00-5:00	5.5	0.0	Warmup
5:00-6:00	8.0	1.0	Ladder One
6:00-7:00	6.0	1.0	Recover
7:00-9:00	8.0	1.0
9:00-10:00	6.0	1.0	Recover
10:00-13:00	8.0	1.0
13:00-14:00	6.0	1.0	Recover
14:00-16:00	8.0	1.0
16:00-17:00	6.0	1.0	Recover
17:00-18:00	8.0	1.0
18:00-19:00	6.0	1.0	Recover
19:00-20:00	8.0	4.0	Ladder Two
20:00-21:00	6.0	0.0	Recover
21:00-23:00	8.0	3.0
23:00-24:00	6.0	0.0	Recover
24:00-27:00	8.0	2.0
27:00-28:00	6.0	0.0	Recover
28:00-30:00	8.0	3.0
30:00-31:00	6.0	0.0	Recover
31:00-32:00	8.0	4.0
32:00-37:00	5.0	1.0	Cooldown

Source -  Susi May at PopsSugar.com

 

Did you know?

The treadmill is the most popular fitness machine. The American Council on Exercise says that compared to other types of gym equipment, the treadmill reigns supreme when it comes to weight loss efficiency.

Originally posted on Runners Pace

Running at Night: 6 Safety Tips for Beginners

Yes, it’s that time of the year when running in the dark seems to happen, whether you are running early in the morning or later in the evening. And with the demands of family life, running times are limited to early mornings before work or late after sunset, so that basically means most of my running happens at night during the winter.

But for some, this means spending more time on the treadmill and an end to running outside, but you don’t have to. By making just a few personal safety adjustments, you can continue running your regular neighborhoods or trails, even in the dark.

Run where you know

It’s important when running at night to stick to well-lit and familiar areas. Try to run on routes that you know well. Exploring unfamiliar terrain in the dark is a good way to get injured. Uneven sidewalks, small potholes, sticks and stones, and cracks in the pavement can cause twisted ankles or embarrassing falls. Don’t risk serious injury that can set back your winter running.

Stay light on your feet

Even if you run in familiar areas, you’re bound to step on something unexpectedly. The other day, when I was out running at night, it had been raining previously for several days, but the roads were fairly dry. I had been running on dry asphalt and had forgotten about the soggy ground. As I rounded a curve, I ended up stepping into a huge puddle of mud. Fortunately, I was running with my older running shoes, so I wasn’t as pissed. I moved back onto the pathway and kept my pace. When running after dark, remember to keep your weight on the balls of your feet and be prepared to react to unexpected foot strikes.

Don’t sweat the pace

As you run, pay extra attention to the ground in front of you and less to your tempo. It’s easier react to surprises when your pace is a little slower. It’s more important for you to complete your workout without injury than it is to keep the same pace you keep in the daylight. Slow down on the darker stretches of road and save your speed work for the well-lit areas.

Safety is top priority

Your personal safety should always be a concern during a nighttime running sessions because you can’t always see people hidden in dark areas. Let someone know where you will be running and what time you expect to return. If possible, run with a buddy or with man’s best friend.

Stay Street smart

When I run near the street, I like to run against traffic so I can watch the traffic approaching, rather than allow them to come from behind. You don’t stand a chance if a drunk or distracted driver veers off the road in your direction from behind you.

Be visible to them

Runners are very difficult for drivers to see. You may have adjusted to the dark, but a driver may be distracted by the glare of oncoming lights. A driver may not be looking into the area in front of them that is illuminated by their headlights. This light prevents drivers from developing good night vision, so things on the side of the road, including you, appear extra dark and difficult to see. Your best bet for safety is to wear bright clothing and some reflective gear. Here is some of my recommended night gear.

Reflective Vest: Most reflective vests are lightweight and fit over any top to provide high visibility. The zipper or combination zipper and Velcro straps can be easily adjusted for most sizes.

Headlamp: I was given a headlight as a gift and found it to be a really handy item. It was powerful enough to cut through the darkness, allowing me keep my pace and still see the path. You can clip the newer lightweight models to your hat or visor and will hardly notice it’s there.

Flashing Light: These lightweight lights are a bright and effective way to make your presence known. Wear the red flashing lights on your back and the white/clear ones on the front of your body. This will help drivers and fellow runners know the direction you are travelling long before they can actually see you. They make you feel safer when you are pounding the asphalt in the dark.

Have a happy and safe winter workout. If you have winter running tips, please share them with us in the comments section.

#Running

Originally posted on Runners Pace