The world of sports drinks may be perplexing, with terms like isotonic, hypotonic, and hypertonic. The many liquids you may put in your bottle seem more like superpowers than a basic drink meant to hydrate, restore electrolytes, and provide energy on the go.
Understand the Tonicity
Sports energy drinks are classified into three categories based on their concentration in relation to the human body, or tonicity to use a technical term.
When you're working out, the tonicity of your drink matters because it influences the quantity of carbs, electrolytes, and fluids that enter your bloodstream and how quickly you can absorb them to help you perform better.
Isotonic Drinks and their Benefits
Isotonic beverages are those that mimic the body's natural salt and sugar balance; they generally contain carbohydrate as well, with around 6% to 8% carbohydrate by volume.
Isotonic beverages quickly replenish fluids lost via perspiration while also providing a carbohydrate boost.
The majority of athletes who participate in medium and long distance running or team sports favor such beverages.
- Electrolytes
Electrolytes are minerals that assist keep the acid-base balance of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, bicarbonate, phosphate, and sulphate in your body's cells. Isotonic drinks contain these electrolytes in ample amount to replenish their reserves, thereby enabling athlete’s body to continue physical activity.
- Carbohydrates
The carbohydrates, which are converted to glucose and stored in your liver/muscles, burning it for fuel requires less oxygen than protein or fat.
The liver stores 90g of glycogen, while the muscles store 400g in a normal male athlete. Carbohydrate reserves can be lost at a rate of three to 4g/min during intense activity, which can virtually empty your body's resources if you exercise for two hours or longer.
Your body would normally replace those resources over the course of 24 to 48 hours, but an isotonic drink can restore the glycogen balance in your body considerably faster.
- Hydration
It may seem sensible to drink water while exercising since you're sweating, but keep in mind water can create bloating because it lacks carbohydrates and electrolytes.
Isotonic beverages empty from the stomach at the same pace as water, lowering urine production and increasing fluid retention to avoid dehydration.
- Prevent Muscle cramps and other injuries
Potassium aids in blood pressure regulation, muscular control, and neuron function. The body burns potassium in the muscles during exercise and physical activity, and it is also lost through sweat.
Each 100g of Mettle Isotonic energy drinks includes 210mg of potassium, which helps restore potassium reserves and avoid muscular cramping during activity Athletes who engage in severe and repetitive activity should take more potassium, according to Colorado State University.
- Miscellaneous Benefits
Other than above stated benefits Isotonic drinks also offer various miscellaneous benefits varying from brand to brand. Mettle Isotonic energy drinks stands unique among a large number of similar drinks due to added BCAA blend which is a very popular supplement used by majority of professional bodybuilder for the benefits it offers. BCAA speeds up muscle recovery, reduces muscle soreness experienced after a long workout and reduces risk of muscle damaged caused by over-exertion.
