Have you ever thought about what some of the top bodybuilders happen to be drinking when they cap off their squeeze bottles between sets and squirt a stream of something into their mouths? Sometimes it's only water, which helps to replace lost water from your system. If you lose too much water during the course of a hard workout without replacing it, you can begin to feel weak.
A second type of drink taken by many bodybuilders
is an electrolyte-replacement concoction. The electrolyte
minerals (calcium, potassium, sodium and magnesium) can
be lost from your system along with water when you sweat
heavily in midworkout. As with water, a loss of electrolytes
can result in weakness and lack of energy. Usually, most
bodybuilders get more than their share of sodium, so most
of them supplement with drinks containing only calcium,
potassium and magnesium. Some of the more high-tech types
will have electrolyte drinks that also contain glucose
and extra water, so as to replace virtually everything
they’ve lost during a hard workout.
The problem with most electrolyte replacement drinks is
that they all taste so raunchy that most bodybuilders
would rather |
|
| drink bat blood. So, my personal solution
is to take supplemental electrolyte minerals in tablet
form about 30 minutes prior to each training session,
then drink either water or a carb-replacement drink during
my weight session. |
Carbohydrate-replacement drinks are made primarily from glucose polymers, a sugar that's corn-based. In terms of the speed with which it breaks down into something your body can use to provide energy, it's a medium-speed carb about halfway between sugar water and potatoes or rice. Since it takes about 30 minutes for glucose polymers to begin to do their stuff in your bloodstream, start drinking them at least a half hour prior to each gym session, then every 10-15 minutes as you pump iron.
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