Dehydration And Gatorade Essay, Research Paper

What is dehydration and how does Gatorade help??

Dehydration happens when your body doesn’t have the fluids it needs. Mainly, you lose

fluids through sweat, but also through frequent urination. Research has shown you can

lose a gallon of fluid an hour during heavy exercise. If you don’t replace the amount of

fluid you lose, your body will start to protect itself by limiting your activity. Which is not

what you want to happen if you’re in the second half of a crucial game. In the heat,

dehydration can happen in 30 minutes. That’s why experts recommend drinking before,

during and after rigorous exercise.

The warning signs

When you’re exercising and feel dizzy, light-headed, have muscle cramps, feel nauseous or

have a headache, you’re getting dehydrated. Stop and drink… and rest. If you keep going

without drinking, you could get heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Not good.

Your body runs on carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are what power your muscles, yet your body doesn’t keep a lot of them on

hand. Go figure. You need to take in enough carbs to replace what you lose, or you’ll get

tired easily.

Heat is not your friend

If it’s hot outside, and the humidity is high, it’s not the best time to be pushing your body

to the limit. You could get dehydrated fast, and collapse from heat exhaustion. So find

someplace air-conditioned. If you absolutely have to be running around outside, take lots

of breaks and drink before, during and after exercise. When you take a bathroom break,

check to see if your urine is clear and light-colored. If not, drink more liquids.

Drink right. And drink right away.

To keep performing at top efficiency, your body needs lots of liquids. That means you

should drink before you’re thirsty, or you’ll just be playing catch-up. Drink before, during

and after exercise. If water is all you have, fine. But your body actually needs more than

wetness. It needs stuff to run on… like carbohydrates and electrolytes to power your

muscles. And it needs them as soon as possible.

That’s why Gatorade was invented. It gives you water plus the right amount of

carbohydrates and electrolytes to speed rehydration and keep you going longer. Too many

carbs per ounce actually slow down absorption and might even give you stomach cramps.

That’s why Gatorade scientists have found 6% carbohydrates to be the magic level. So

drink up and stay up in games.

Gatorade is a scientifically-formulated, heavily-researched sports drink, which is why it

works so well. Gatorade is the only sports drink or any drink of any kind with a

complete laboratory testings. Gatorade is also continually being tested and reported on by

scientists and independent sports nutrition researchers.

Gatorade doesn’t just quench your thirst.

It also:

Gets absorbed fast.

Your body can’t use a fluid until it gets absorbed. Gatorade research has shown that no

drink gets absorbed into the body faster than Gatorade. It’s got the right amount of

carbohydrates (6%) and just enough sodium to get it where it needs to be, right away.

Other sports drinks, colas and fruit juices take longer to be absorbed… which in the middle

of a game is something you don’t have time to wait for.

Gets you rehydrated fast.

During exercise, your body works best when it’s not getting dehydrated, losing fluids and

sodium in sweat which aren’t replaced right away. The fluids and small amount of sodium

in Gatorade replace what you sweat away (and that can be as much as a gallon an hour),

so your body is rehydrated and can continue doing what it does best… get you to the finish

line. In fact, tests have shown Gatorade rehydrates better than diet cola or even water.

Gets energy to your muscles.

Your muscles need carbohydrates to operate, especially when they’re working full speed.

Gatorade has just the right amount of carbohydrates to give energy to your muscles as you

exercise. 32 ounces of Gatorade per hour of exercise will give your muscles the 60 grams

of carbohydrates they need to perform better longer. In fact, carbohydrate levels higher

than the 6% in Gatorade won’t add any to your performance. We know, we’ve tested

everything we could think of.

Gets you to drink more.

Your brain may know a lot, but it doesn’t know when your body is thirsty. You need to

drink during exercise before you feel thirsty in order to get enough fluids in your body to

maintain your performance level. Gatorade is formulated to taste best when you’re really

hot, sweaty and thirsty so you’ll drink enough of it to keep you going. (Notice how

different it tastes when you’re not exercising?)