Isotonic drinks are one type of drink that is often consumedwhile exercising. This is because isotonic drinks can replace electrolytes that are lost when a person sweats a lot. In addition, some isotonic drinks also contain sugar which can be an additional source of energy.
Isotonic drinks are drinks made from a mixture of water, sugar or carbohydrates, and electrolytes. This drink is good for consumption to replace fluids and electrolytes lost during exercise and to maintain body stamina.
So that the body is not tired, remains energized, and does not become dehydrated, isotonic drinks are usually more needed when someone is doing strenuous physical activity or sports with a fairly heavy intensity and longer duration. That is why isotonic drinks are very popular among athletes or sportsmen.
Various Benefits of Isotonic Drinks for Sports
When exercising, you need to have adequate body fluids to prevent dehydration. These fluids can be filled with drinking water or isotonic drinks. Actually, both of these drinks are equally good consumed during exercise or before exercise or after.
However, there are several advantages or benefits of sports drinks, namely:
1. Add energy and stamina
Isotonic drinks usually contain added sugars, such as glucose, sucrose, and fructose. Thanks to the added sugar content, isotonic drinks can increase your body's energy and stamina when exercising, and reduce fatigue.
Isotonic drinks are generally more recommended to drink when you do physical activity for a long time, which is about 1–4 hours, or when you do vigorous-intensity sports, such as soccer, basketball, running, HIIT, cardio training, and so on. bicycle.
2. Prevent dehydration during exercise
Not only sugar or carbohydrates, isotonic drinks also contain electrolytes or minerals that function to maintain a balance in the amount of body fluids, prevent dehydration, and maintain optimal organ function.
In addition, electrolytes also play a role in controlling blood pressure, controlling muscle contractions, and regulating the pH balance or blood acidity level.
The electrolytes in isotonic drinks can be sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. This content is not found in ordinary water. Therefore, this drink is more often recommended for people who often do heavy physical activity and for a duration of more than 1 hour.
3. Prevent muscle cramps during exercise
Besides being able to replace fluids and electrolytes in the body, isotonic drinks are also useful for maintaining muscle contraction and reducing the risk of injury or damage to muscle and nerve tissue when you exercise. This drink is also good for preventing you from cramps or muscle pain due to physical activity that is too heavy.
Guide to Consuming Isotonic Drinks
Isotonic drinks are indeed more recommended for people who often exercise with heavy intensity and long duration, such as athletes. However, people who are exercising as usual, for example when jogging, cycling, cardio or strength training in gymYou can also consume isotonic drinks.
If you want to consume it, you should choose an isotonic drink that is low in calories or sugar. This is important to prevent you from experiencing excess blood sugar or even weight gain due to intake of too many calories.
In addition, if isotonic drinks are not available, you can also consume other drinks during exercise, such as plain water or water infused water.
Isotonic drinks are generally safe to consume, as long as they are not excessive or too frequent. However, this drink is not recommended to be drunk by children and teenagers because there is no research that says that this drink is safe and beneficial for them.
Even if you want to give isotonic drinks to children or teenagers, you should limit it so that the amount is not too much.
That's a variety of information about the benefits of isotonic drinks when exercising. If you still have questions about the benefits and risks of consuming isotonic drinks while exercising, you can consult a doctor.
