It’s important to stay hydrated when you work out, right? Well, mostly. It’s never good to actually become dehydrated. But according to some new research that came out last year, it turns out that a lot of athletes and everyday exercisers were actually over hydrating due to the misconception that the more water you drink the better off you are.
To the contrary, The Washington Post reported in a 2015 article discussing a study published in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine that, “The dangers of over drinking can be serious and range from lightheadedness, confusion or nausea to cerebral edema in which the brain swells due to excess water.”
When you drink too much water when working out your body goes into a state called exercise-associated hyponatremia (or EAH). The Wash Post article continues, “When excess fluids build up up in the body the concentration of sodium can drop precipitously and the kidney become overloaded and are unable to excrete the water load. Cells begin to absorb the water.  This can lead to swelling all over the body — most seriously in the brain — which can lead to seizures, coma or even death.”
It turns out that you should just drink when you’re thirsty. Your body is smart enough to tell you when you need water and when you’ve had enough. All you have to do is listen to it.

So a bottle or glass of water to sip on while you work out with me should be more than enough for the 15-20 minutes we spend together every day. But what about those who feel like they need something extra? How often do you see people exercising while clutching a neon-colored bottle of some lab-made concoction? Do you know anyone who’s addicted to their sports drink?

For starters, let’s take a look at what’s actually in something like Gatorade. According to the Gatorade website, a 12 oz. bottle of orange flavored Gatorade contains 200 calories. And where do those calories come from?
Here’s the ingredient list from the website:

WATER, SUGAR, DEXTROSE, CITRIC ACID, SALT, SODIUM CITRATE,MONOPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, GUM ARABIC, NATURAL FLAVOR, SUCROSE ACETATE ISOBUTYRATE, GLYCEROL ESTER OF ROSIN, YELLOW6.

Let’s just forget all those empty calories for a minute. The only things on that label that I’m comfortable with are water and salt, but only if I was sure it’s not a table salt but a sea or pink Himalayan salt. And just look at all that processed sugar, weird chemicals, and artificial coloring! Yuck.
Unless you’re exercising for prolonged periods of time, I really don’t think it’s necessary to drink anything else besides water.
But I totally hear that some people just don’t enjoy the taste of plain water. Or maybe you’re looking to spice up your workout beverage game.

Hydration: If you’re wanting a little more flavor in your life but you’re mainly concerned with hydration alone, some great alternatives to plain water are iced herbal teas, lemon water, or cucumber water (LOVE cukey water ;-). You could also try any infusing your water with any combo of fruit, veggies, and herbs. I love mint, lavender, and raspberries or you can boost your metabolism with cayenne pepper and lime combo just to name a few. Just get a big pitcher, fill it with water from a good pure source, add in the combos you like, and voila! Fancy water for your workout.

Nutrition: Every now and then if I’m feeling like I need some nutrition to sip on while I exercise I’ll make a smoothie to give me the calories I need to have every ounce of energy available. This sometimes happens if I’m rushed and haven’t had time to eat. I post smoothies recipes all the time, but one of my favorites is my Carrot Ginger Turmeric Smoothie. That’s a lighter option, almost like a juice. If you’d like some protein and more calories than that, try my Cinnamon Roll Smoothie. I promise you’ll love it!
And since we’re talking about drinks and exercising, I have to mention this nourishing Post Workout Recovery Drink from Lorna Jane’s cookbook. Check out the recipe and a video of us making it together a few years ago! Time flies, it’s unbelievable.
If you are a sports drink addict, I hope this inspires you to ditch the plastic bottle of processed sugars and artificial food coloring. There are so many other wonderful options out there that come from whole foods and are a healthy, energizing source of real nutrition and hydration.