While you consider electrolyte drinks used to help train and sports activities, you in all probability consider the brightly coloured concoctions which have been a staple in health applications and gymnasiums world wide. Drinks like Gatorade and Powerade are well-known as exercise companions, however are they actually that efficient for rehydration? As a Registered Dietitian, right here’s why I like to recommend a pure various like coconut water as an electrolyte-packed train drink. 

Coconut water presents a wholesome sports activities drink various that may hydrate and replenish electrolytes in a pure (and scrumptious!) kind. Learn beneath to be taught extra about coconut water and its electrolyte content material, my favourite choices from Vita Coco, and the way coconut water stacks up in opposition to sports activities drinks with regards to health help.

Why Is Coconut Water Good for You?

Coconut water is the clear liquid discovered within recent coconuts. It accommodates an array of electrolytes and is low in energy and carbs. Coconut water can be freed from fats, which makes it a great drink alternative for these on a heart-healthy consuming plan. To not point out that coconut water accommodates round 94% water, which makes it an excellent alternative for hydration.

What Are Electrolytes?

Electrolytes are compounds that assist help many processes within the physique, like sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium¹. Electrolytes give off a pure optimistic or adverse electrical cost once they dissolve in fluids like blood and urine, which assist your physique do issues like regulate chemical reactions. With out a wholesome quantity of electrolytes, your physique may have bother balancing physique fluids, controlling coronary heart rhythm, and sustaining wholesome nerve and muscle operate, amongst different issues².

While you train, you lose electrolytes via sweat and urine. In circumstances of sickness or intense train that causes vomiting or diarrhea, much more electrolytes are misplaced that should be changed. 

Does Coconut Water Have Electrolytes?

Sure, coconut water is filled with electrolytes! When you want to hydrate, it’s not simply water you want — you want electrolytes, too. Coconut water can present these, together with a scrumptious tropical style. Coconut water accommodates quite a lot of electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and magnesium, that are all wanted in your physique to replenish electrolytes misplaced throughout train.

Coconut Water vs. Gatorade and Different Sports activities Drinks

To know how coconut water might be higher than sports activities drinks to assist help train, let’s check out the vitamin details of every in comparison with plain water and Pedialyte³.

Here’s a rundown of the variations between these 4 frequent drinks used to assist individuals hydrate throughout train:

• Vita Coco’s Unique Coconut Water has a a lot increased potassium content material than sports activities drinks, and almost doubles Pedialyte’s potassium content material. This makes it supreme for muscle operate help. Potassium may also assist with muscle soreness and cramping after a exercise, so coconut water is nice for hydration and restoration.
• Coconut water has a decrease sodium content material than Pedialyte or Gatorade, so it’s typically higher for every day hydration. It’s additionally good for individuals who want to look at their sodium consumption, like individuals with hypertension or kidney points.
• Vita Coco’s coconut water has much less sugar than sports activities drinks, and accommodates pure sugars somewhat than any synthetic sweeteners. This pure sugar content material triggers a greater glycemic response than extra processed sports activities drinks.
• There’s a extra full mineral stability in coconut water vs. sports activities drinks, which function extra synthetic components. The mineral stability in coconut water is nearer to human plasma composition.

Taking this data into consideration, Vita Coco is an general higher choice for every day hydration as a result of its decrease sugar and sodium content material. Together with water, coconut water is an unimaginable choice for supporting gentle train (beneath one hour in size).

Right here’s While you Want a Sports activities Drink for Hydration

Whereas coconut water is my favourite hydration advice for every day train, sports activities drinks could also be appropriate for longer, extra intense train. Even in such circumstances, you ought to be cautious to not eat too many sports activities drinks, since research present that extreme consumption is definitely related to weight achieve⁴. An alternate choice is to eat coconut water with added sodium in circumstances the place you understand you’ll be committing to an extended stretch of train.

Bonus: It’s Nice for Hangover Restoration Help

In the case of different hydration use circumstances, Vita Coco coconut water can be nice for hangover restoration. Sports activities drinks may even do in a pinch for electrolyte replenishment, however their increased sugar content material makes them much less supreme than coconut water for hangovers.

What’s So Particular About Vita Coco Coconut Water?

Vita Coco coconut water stands out from different comparable choices as a result of it’s all freshly extracted from coconuts grown on natural farms within the Philippines. Vita Coco’s Unique Coconut Water accommodates no added compounds, flavors, or colours. This coconut water is USDA-certified natural, and is packaged in sustainable cartons comprised of wooden fiber.

If you happen to’re somebody who prefers to deal with your self with an additional burst of taste after you’re employed out, you would possibly desire Vita Coco’s Pressed Coconut Water, which features a little bit of added coconut puree. 

A Last Word on Electrolytes and Coconut Water

To sum it up, when you’re on the lookout for a method to hydrate earlier than, throughout, and after your common exercises, contemplate coconut water. Coconut Water is a extra pure, low-sugar various to sports activities drinks (to not point out scrumptious!) . 

We particularly love the organic model of Vita Coco, which accommodates nothing however pure coconut water sourced from coconut farms within the Philippines. If you happen to desire an additional coconutty taste, then Vita Coco Pressed coconut water (which encompasses a sprint of added coconut puree) can be an excellent choice for a hydrating post-workout deal with.

Sources:

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31082167/
2. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/well being/signs/24019-electrolyte-imbalance
3. https://well being.clevelandclinic.org/the-health-benefits-of-coconut-water
4. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10346316

Staci has been a registered dietitian since 2010 and has handled lots of of sufferers for nutrition-related points ranging from … Extra about Staci Gulbin, Registered Dietitian

Tags: coconut water electrolytes hydration sports activities drinks vita coco