Electrolyte Drinks

Whenever you fall sick and suffer from excessive vomiting and diarrhea, your doctor immediately recommend you to drink electrolyte. These drinks are an instant source of energy, which aids in instant hydration of the dehydrated body. Electrolytes are a must for athletes, as they are bound to experience instant dehydration and fatigue after rigorous exercises. An electrolyte, in Chemistry, is defined as a solution which contains free ions (atoms where the number of electrons and protons are not same) that makes it electrically conductive. The simplest example of an electrolyte is salt dissolved in water. What happens when you put a piece of salt cube in water? It immediately dissolves through a process called solvation. Electrolyte drinks derive their property of energy release from the simple solvation process. The most naturally found healthy electrolytic drinks are fruit juices and vegetable juices.

Importance of Electrolytes
A simple electrolyte drink comprises salt, sugar, minerals (like sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium) and water. Most of the sports drinks that are consumed today are electrolyte drinks. These drinks are a must for all the people indulging in intense physical activities like sports. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends, that a sports person must compulsorily consume 17 ounces of electrolyte drink two hours prior to exercising to prevent dehydration. These drinks hydrate the body enough to sustain throughout the work out. Intake of fluids at regular intervals while exercising is also advised to retain the body fluid, which is lost rapidly through sweating. The carbohydrates found in sports drinks provide energy which aid in delaying muscle fatigue, experienced post the work outs. Minerals like sodium, potassium and chlorides are often lost through sweat. Electrolytes compensate for this loss by restoring the requisite minerals in the body.

Best Electrolytic Drinks

• Isotonic Electrolyte Drinks: Isotonic electrolytic drinks are water based drinks, which contain glucose and fructose in a concentration of 6-8%. These drinks are the best choice for most athletes, who are involved in long distance running. This drink immediately supplement the body with enough fluid instantly.
• Hypotonic Electrolyte Drinks: Hypotonic electrolyte drinks contain less than 8% carbohydrate and mineral content, in comparison to the normal body fluids. These drinks are best for everyday consumption after a daily exercise routine, as they are low in calories. The fluid content of these drinks is instantly absorbed by the intestines, thereby maintaining a normal fluid balance in the body. Jockeys and gymnasts consume hypotonic drinks to hydrate and energize their bodies.
• Hypertonic Electrolyte Drinks: These drinks have more carbs than the other two kinds. This electrolyte drink is consumed during heavy training exercises and ultra distance events. Since, they have a high concentration of carbohydrates, they always have to be consumed along with the isotonic drinks to compensate for the absorption of fluid by the body.

Some recommended electrolyte drinks are High five, Boots Isotonic, Lucazade Sport, Sis Go, Accelerade and Gatorade.

Homemade Electrolyte Drinks
Every electrolyte drink necessarily contains sodium, potassium, sugar and water. An 8 oz of a sports drink also contains about 110 mg of sodium and 30 mg of potassium, which is required by the body. But if you are too diet conscious and you do not want to consume too much of sugar, as your physical activities are not very engaging, then suit yourself with this homemade electrolyte drink. All you need is plain water (8 oz), lemon juice (2 Tablespoons), a pinch of salt and sugar free flavoring essence (E.g.: Torino and Da vinci). Mix these ingredients together and get yourself a healthy homemade electrolyte drink without sugar.

Electrolyte drinks are essential in maintaining the mineral balance in the body. These drinks are an indispensable item for sports people. Due to their rigorous physical activities, their fluid level and mineral concentration reduces fast. Low sodium levels in the body can lead to hyponatremia. Extreme medical conditions can occur if the electrolyte imbalance symptoms are ignored. To restore the lost minerals and fluids, electrolyte drinks is a must. And as always, a healthy diet containing lot of green vegetables and fruits must also be consumed on a daily basis.