Not every aspiring athlete knows what to drink during training. However, it's great if, in principle, he understands that drinking is necessary. It remains only to figure out what you can and cannot drink, and for a better understanding of the topic - why is it necessary at all?
In this article, we will find out what is best to drink during exercise, as well as identify drinks that can be harmful or useless.
Why drink while exercising
Each athlete comes to the gym with a specific purpose: to build muscle, lose weight, improve figure, increase endurance, etc. Any intense exercise will lead to fluid loss. Ignoring this process can lead the body to disastrous consequences.
Anecdote: “It is known that man is 80% water. Thus, it can be considered a vertical puddle. "
Laughter is laughter, and there is a lot of truth in this joke. Indeed, every cell of our body: brain, muscles, bones, blood - consists of water. She takes part in the work of all vital systems - cleanses the intestines, removes toxins and toxins, promotes cooling (during perspiration), maintains a normal ratio of minerals.
Fluid loss during exercise inevitably leads to electrolyte imbalance. What are the consequences?
- The viscosity of the blood increases, therefore the load on the heart and blood vessels increases;
- Muscle tissue lacks oxygen and nutritional components;
- Stamina worsens, concentration of attention is weakened;
- Absolutely all metabolic processes slow down, including the breakdown of fats. Therefore, weight loss training becomes meaningless;
- Amino acids and substances necessary for regeneration and growth are supplied to muscles more slowly, so they do not grow. The power complex is also in the furnace;
- An insufficient amount of fluid in the lubricating secretion of the joints contributes to the development of various diseases and pain;
- Dehydration impairs strength performance, endurance, and can lead to overheating, fainting, and even seizures;
- The day after the dry workout, the muscles will hurt twice as much as usual. Therefore, even if you are unable to force yourself to drink the extra 100 ml of liquid during the session, do not forget about water after graduation.
As you can see, it is necessary to drink when exercising in a rocking chair - this is the only way you will achieve results. However, it is also important to observe the measure, because an excess of liquid, like its wrong choice, can cross out all the works of an athlete.
How much to drink during exercise?
Drinking too much is as bad as drinking too little:
- In a similar way, the water-salt balance is disturbed;
- Blood pressure may rise;
- If there is a history of kidney disease, there is a risk of edema;
- The digestive tract system is upset;
- The wrong liquids, drunk at the wrong time or too much, can lead to a feeling of heaviness in the stomach, frequent urge to urinate, nausea, and other individual consequences. Below we will list what is strictly forbidden to drink while running or strength training.
The body itself will help to understand its own drinking rate during exercise. Listen to his requests. Drink if you are very thirsty. If you feel good, put it off for a quarter of an hour.
Normally, it is advisable to drink about 200 ml of fluid every 20 minutes of training. Thus, you should drink 0.6-1 liters per hour, no more. However, if the room is stuffy, hot, and the workout is very intense or prolonged, the volume of water may increase.
What to drink in training?
So, we come to the most interesting thing: what to drink during a workout in the gym. By the way, the list of permitted drinks is quite large. We will consider them by category, and at the end of each section we will give the best options, thus compiling the TOP-10:
- Pure filtered water;
- Still mineral water;
- Purchased isotonic;
- Beet and apple juice;
- Carrot juice;
- Grapefruit, pineapple and apple juice;
- Ginger decoction;
- Infusion of thyme and rosehip;
- A decoction of ginseng, ginger and rosehip;
- Ready-made VSSA complexes.
Let's talk about each of the points in more detail.
Water
Of course, clean filtered water comes first. It will ideally maintain water and electrolyte balance, and will not allow the body to suffer from dehydration. And if you also drink non-carbonated mineral water, with sodium, magnesium and potassium in the composition, also support it, which will certainly affect your endurance.
Drinking tap or boiled water during exercise is not recommended. The first is not clean enough, and the second is "dead".
Please note that with water, everything is not as simple as it seems at first glance. And disputes on the topic: is it possible to drink water during training and, if so, in what quantity, still do not subside.
Isotonic
This is a sports drink, the composition of which is close to the natural composition of blood plasma. It includes minerals, sugars, vitamins, creatine, L-carnitine, and sometimes flavorings.
Isotonic drugs significantly increase endurance, so it is recommended to drink them during prolonged strength training. They are very slowly absorbed into the bloodstream, so if you plan to practice for a short time or the upcoming complex will not be very intense, it is better to prefer water this time.
If you are looking for something to drink during your workout for weight loss, you may not even consider isotonic. They are high in calories and do not contribute to weight loss.
Below is a list of the most popular isotonic drugs:
- Powerade;
- Iso Max from Powerbar;
- Gotorade;
- ISO Drink Cool;
Natural freshly squeezed juices
During workout, natural juices help to cope with dehydration, and not necessarily only fruit juices - vegetable juices are also useful.
What is the best juice to make? From apples, pears, carrots, beets, pumpkins, grapefruits, oranges, pineapples, tomatoes. You can also make any mixture of the listed foods. You will get an excellent drink for maintaining the mineral balance, rich in vitamins, micro and macro elements, and also low in calories.
To reduce the carbohydrate content, freshly squeezed juice is diluted with pure boiled water in a ratio of 1: 1 or 1: 2.
Herbal decoctions
The broth is an ideal solution for athletes who have long muscle recovery after training. Herbal drinks reduce soreness, contain useful phytocomplexes and vitamins, strengthen immunity, and tone up well.
2 tablespoons of dry herbs are poured into 1 liter of boiling water and insisted until it cools. Then it is filtered and poured into a sports thermos.
Such drinks should be drunk during training for fat burning, they perfectly activate metabolic processes.
Recommended herbs include rosehip, thyme, yarrow, eleutherococcus, ginger, St. John's wort, and ginseng.
May cause allergies, be careful.
WCCA
This complex of essential amino acids should be drunk during strength training. Isoleucine, leucine and valine in its composition increase the strength of the athlete, his endurance and, as a result, performance. They also add energy to the body, slow down the destruction of fibers in the muscles (therefore they hurt less), accelerate regeneration, and trigger muscle growth.
BCCA should be drunk during exercise for endurance training, as well as for a quick set of muscles.
The drink does not replenish the fluid balance, therefore it should be drunk in combination with water or juice.
What vitamins should you take?
When exercising, it is important to consume enough vitamins and minerals. Many athletes take supplements to make their daily diet more balanced.
What vitamins should you drink during your workout for quality results?
- B vitamins - participate in protein-carbohydrate metabolism, prevent the development of varicose veins, accelerate metabolism, participate in fat metabolism, improve skin condition, nourish the bone marrow, strengthen the nervous system;
- Folic acid - eliminates stress, accelerates muscle recovery;
- Vitamin C - strengthens the immune system, reduces the feeling of soreness and aches in joints and muscles, triggers tissue growth;
- Vitamins K, E - strengthen blood vessels;
- Vitamins A, D, H - make the skin and muscles more elastic, strengthen the musculoskeletal system.
Please note that only a doctor can prescribe any vitamin complexes or specific drugs.
What not to drink while exercising?
If your goal is to restore the water-salt balance, drinking the favorite protein of many "jocks", as well as fat burners, creatines and other stimulants, is useless. No, they will not harm the body, but they will not be beneficial either.
These drinks, except for creatine, should not be drunk during training, but at least an hour before it. Otherwise, they will not have time to act, but will overload the heart and cause a surge in pressure. Creatine is drunk, on the contrary, one hour after class.
It is strictly forbidden to use during sports trainings:
- Alcohol is not compatible with sports in any of its manifestations;
- Drinks containing caffeine are harmful cocktails for the cardiovascular system. Therefore, it is better to drink your deeply loved coffee before class;
- Energy drinks - contain a crazy amount of sugar, which does not quench thirst at all. Typically, it contains caffeine;
- Sweet soda - carbon dioxide irritates the stomach lining, causes gas formation, belching. It contains a lot of sugar, which provokes an insulin spike and, as a result, a feeling of fatigue.
Each athlete independently chooses what to drink during training. Some people prefer clean water. Others are not too lazy to prepare decoctions or squeeze juices. More advanced athletes buy isotonic and amino acid complexes. When choosing a drink, be sure to take into account the purpose of the lesson, its duration, conditions in the hall, as well as your health!
