A good friend of mine is one of the most knowledgeable people on the planet when it comes to hydration, and nutrition and sports performance....Here is an article he wrote on Hydration:
The Science of Proper Hydration.
By Terry Giles, cmt, cpns, Co-Founder of IHS, LLC. and Developer of H2O Overdrive ™
Cellular hydration as we refer to it specifically relates to “intracellular” hydration which occurs INSIDE the cells. Extra cellular hydration occurs OUTSIDE the cells, and this is the type of hydration that is facilitated by water and most sports beverages, hydration - outside of the cells which impacts only 20% of the fluids in your body. Intracellular hydration impacts 70% of the fluids in your body and is the true measure of hydration for performance.
So what does your body need to accomplish true, effective cellular level hydration or rehydration (intracellular)? Beyond what we all have been led to believe by some crafty marketing folks and by big food companies selling sugar water as “hydration”. Pick up these so called hydration beverages and read the label. What you will find is that most all products sold as “sports beverages” for hydration or rehydration, recovery and energy - contain HUGE amounts of sugar. They try to hide these massive amounts of sugars and calories through clever labeling, where they declare that 20 ounce bottle contains 2.5 servings per container. When was the last time you picked up 20 ounces of fluid after a long hard race and said to yourself “well - this bottle is 2 and a half servings so I can only drink half of it”….say what!!!
Read the label - you will be surprised when you see that bottle of Gatorade® is delivering 32 grams of sugar per 20 ounce bottle….or that Vitamin Water ® is supplying you with 32 grams of sugar and that Red Bull® would be serving up a whopping 60 grams of sugar if you were to drink 20 ounces of it. That is A LOT of sugar. Think about it - 35 grams of sugar actually cancels out all of the calories burned on a 20 minutes run...so where is the benefit???? All of this sugar is actually doing you more harm than good. High amounts of sugar cause insulin spikes – this is when insulin is secreted in large quantities in a very short period of time – these spikes in turn trigger the “negative side” of insulin – wherein most of these excess simple carbohydrates are converted from “energy producing” to being stored as fats in the adipose tissue under the stimulus of insulin. To state it more simply – these “extra sugar calories” trigger a down pouring of insulin – that causes these “sugar calories” to be stored as fat instead of as energy. Which in turn can result in weight gain instead of weight loss and can promote diabetes, tooth decay, stalls weight loss and actually increases weight gain. Sugar is the last thing you want in a real sports beverage, hydration or rehydration drink.
What you do need is a combination of water, protein, carbohydrates, electrolytes, some specific amino acids, vitamins and minerals, a combination which stimulates and promotes the uptake of the fluids and nutrients to be drawn “inside” the cells, resulting in true cellular level hydration / rehydration. Years of extensive research has shown the importance of consuming a combination of protein and carbohydrates for restoring the body after exercise or strenuous sports activity. Further advanced study showed that replenishing the body’s minerals and electrolytes lost through these strenuous activities is also paramount for recovery and further scientific research and analysis has shown how minerals and electrolytes combined with carbohydrates and protein are far more effective for rehydrating the body and replenishing vital glycogen stores for recovery and muscle repair than simple water or electrolyte and carbohydrate drinks that do not contain protein. Hydration is paramount in performing at your best when engaged in strenuous activity, training or competition. Water carries the toxins out of muscle fiber and helps detoxify the kidneys and liver. There are six major nutrients needed to sustain life and survive, they are water, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Water is the most substantial – constituting the largest portion of our bodyweight. Your muscles are comprised of over 70% water, as is your brain. Your blood plasma is 92% water, while even your bones consist of over 22% water. Water is necessary to maintain our body temperature and complete digestion, circulation, absorption and excretion. So as you can see – water is vital to our overall health, well being and life. For maximum performance and effectiveness, you need the correct balance of electrolytes. Electrolytes are important as part of your hydration because, the electrolytes (potassium, sodium and magnesium) work in concert to support normal body function, regulate body temperature, blood pH and assist in proper muscle function. Potassium is one of the most abundant minerals in the human body, many cellular enzyme systems rely on potassium with muscular contraction being the most vital, as our heart is a muscle. Potassium is necessary for a normal heart rhythm and stable blood pressure and sodium is an important mineral in the utilization on nutrients and cellular metabolism. It is also necessary for the maintenance of proper blood pH, and proper water balance in the body. Sodium is vital in the control of muscle cramps and spasms, as well as in controlling headaches, weakness and even the collapse of blood vessels. Magnesium is needed for almost all cellular chemical reactions; this mineral is vital for regulating cell metabolism. It is vital to enzyme activity. Your muscles require a correct balance of magnesium in order to function properly.
So how do you get a balance of electrolytes? What about those other nutrients – the protein, carbohydrates, amino acids, vitamins and minerals – how do I get those and how much do I need?? First - I can tell you where not to get it. As I said earlier – read the label – those so called hydration beverages and sports drinks all contain way too much sugar (you don’t need) and too few of the real nutrients you need. Read the label – they either don’t have a balance of electrolytes or they simply have no real nutritional value. You are better off consuming plain water. It will be more effective, because it doesn’t contain all of those un-necessary calories and all of that sugar. Water is better than Gatorade, Powerade, Vitamin Water or any other of those so-called “hydration” sugar water drinks. Water will hydrate your body “outside” of the cells. However, if you want the key to true intracellular hydration then my recommendation is you consider H2O Overdrive ™ . Based on extensive scientific research and numerous published studies, the team at Innovative Health Solutions developed the unique proprietary formula for H2O Overdrive™ to provide effective rehydration, boost energy and sports performance and aid muscle recovery. Hydration research studies have demonstrated the positive proof that a precise ratio of protein and carbohydrates promotes cellular rehydration and supports muscle recovery, including a recent study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism which measured the effectiveness of three different beverages in rehydrating athletes. This particular study was conducted on 13 endurance athletes who drank either (a) water or (b) a carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink or (c) a protein-carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink or water after losing 2.5% of their body weight through exercise-induced sweat loss. Investigators found that the protein-carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink rehydrated athletes 15% better than the carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink and some 40% better than water. Previous studies have also shown that a carbohydrate-protein sports drink, when compared to a conventional carbohydrate-only sports drink or electrolyte only sports drink improves endurance, reduces post-exercise muscle damage and even improves performance in a subsequent exercise bout or sports event.
H2O Overdrive delivers superior hydration at the cellular level with its unique formulation that delivers 8 grams of protein (100% pure whey protein isolate) which is essential for cellular rehydration (intracellular hydration) which drives energy, recovery, protein synthesis, and muscle function in a precision ratio with 24 grams of low glycemic response carbohydrates to support energy, recovery and cellular function. This combined with a balanced ratio of electrolytes necessary for proper hydration, proper fluid levels and body function, along with essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals and other vital nutrients - all with only 3 grams of sugar and 148 calories. The product tastes great, comes in three flavors and each 20 ounce serving delivers a full 5 grams of fiber.
