Medical Hydration

 

As summer continues to heat up, the perennial sports drink debate is as well. Today, an ever-enlarging market for sports drinks is developing, however many people have gotten lost in the debate.

 

In one recent study, kayakers were monitored over a period of one hour while hydrating with sports beverages or water. While those consuming sports drinks were better off than those on water, neither group was adequately hydrated.1 Perhaps most interestingly, this study revealed the importance of hydration in the summer. Whether you stick to tried and true water or sports drinks while working out, the most important thing is that you drink enough. The sodium present in sports beverages does help keep you hydrated, however it is no panacea.

 

1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18461208