by Saurabh Surana
Various studies have shown that performance can be hindered when you are not hydrated well. This becomes more of a serious concern for endurance athletes. For endurance sports it is very important to fuel body with sufficient electrolytes and carbs, so as to not affect performance and avoid injuries. Carbohydrates (sugars) favor consumption and Na(+) favors retention of water. Drinking during longer activities is desirable compared with fluid ingestion before or after only. Proper hydration during training or competition will not even enhance performance but also avoid ensuing thermal stress, maintain plasma volume, delay fatigue, and prevent injuries associated with dehydration and sweat loss.
Lately, I've been trying a few hydration drinks since I started training for triathlons. I have been making my own mix earlier from honey, orange, and lemon from the YouTube videos which we all see at some point of time in our life :) finding free guidance. But you can't rely on 2 bottles of hydration for more than 2 hours of activities. And hydration needs can increase depending upon weather conditions. Also while making my own drinks, I didn't have any decent measure of how much electrolytes I was getting and if it was enough to recover what was lost in sweat.
After going through studies, I found out that an electrolyte profile that actually matches what is lost in sweat is roughly 800 mg sodium, 80 mg potassium, 100 mg calcium, and 80 mg of magnesium per liter. So then started looking across hydration products which meets the above requirement and are also easy to carry. I found out Scratch Labs Hydration Sports mix and tried the orange flavor. So far it has hydrated and fueled me well enough on the bike rides after almost a month of experimenting. Earlier I used to feel muscle fatigue, tired on longer rides (~ 60+miles) when keeping intensity high. But recently when I did a 100-mile ride with Skratch Labs Sports Hydration, I felt good throughout and even at the last few miles my legs showed no signs of cramping. I love oranges so definitely the taste was no surprise for me. I didn’t feel it gassy too like [other hydration products]. I felt that a little bit more sweet as well and was having hard time digesting. So yea overall, I am fully satisfied with Skratch labs Sports Hydration mix.
It does come in multiple flavors like Lemon Lime, Fruit Punch, Strawberry Lemonade, Orange to fit wide variety of taste buds. These drink mixes are verified non-GMO, gluten free, dairy free, vegan and kosher (Great for people with dietary restrictions). They do have a Matcha Green Tea & Lemon flavor that contains about 16 mg of naturally occurring caffeine from the Matcha tea per 16 fl oz for those looking for little caffeine in there drinks for extra boost.
The drink contain minimal sugar (4g per 100 ml) optimized for faster absorption and flavor is very subtle too. Only real fruit extract are used for flavor for a light and refreshing taste which is great (no artificial additives). So Drink when thirsty. Don't when not. Repeat as necessary.
The Hydration mix is offered in both individual small packets (for carrying ease) and large resealable bag for cost savings. Overall I would highly recommend it. And below is my conclusion:
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