Less sugar and salt electrolytes than your blood has, so they are absorbed fast and rehydrate you quickly with a few electrolytes and carbs for a small boost.

These may also be known as electrolyte drinks, and some will cut out the sugar altogether to make a zero calorie version just for hydration and salt replacement during or after races, especially in hot weather or for runners who sweat a lot. Aka energy drinks. These have more sugar and salts than your blood does and they take longer to be absorbed because these carbs have to be processed by the gut.

Isotonic drinks are ideal for any runs over an hour in hot, humid conditions as they are rapidly absorbed due to having the same concentrations of salt and sugar as your blood would normally have.

Some runners like to take one bottle of isotonic and one bottle of energy or electrolyte drink, or even plain water. That varies the taste and you can adjust your intake to how energized or dehydrated you feel. Make a ml water bottle with your favorite flavor of squash. Then add 2 pinches of salt and 2 tsp of sugar.

Shake well and enjoy sipping it on your run. All the latest inspiration, tips and guides to help you plan your next Advnture! The co-founder and former editor of Trail Running magazine, Claire now runs the YouTube channel Wild Ginger Running , creating films packed with trail- and ultra-running content.

An award-winning journalist, writing for outdoor and adventure sports magazines and websites, her first book The Ultimate Guide to Trail Running 5k to 50k is out in January Claire also speaks and presents at events and races. Open menu Close menu Advnture Advnture THE HOME OF OUTDOOR BUYING ADVICE.

Sign up to our newsletter. These micro-nutrients govern a vast range of human body functions. Vitamins B complex and C are commonly included in sports drinks. Vitamin B complex, consisting of eight B vitamins, is responsible for metabolizing nutrients, red blood cell growth, energy levels, eyesight, brain function, digestion, nerve function, hormone and cholesterol production, and cardiovascular health, to name a few.

Vitamin C protects cells and supports blood vessels, bones, cartilage health, etc. Caffeine has well-documented benefits, such as delaying muscle fatigue, improving nerve signal transmission, and enhancing mood and focus.

However, it has side effects like gastrointestinal stress, frequent urination, insomnia, and substance dependence. If you regularly consume caffeine, the effects of caffeinated sports drinks may be negligible.

To get a real performance boost on race day, we recommend cutting out caffeine for at least days before a race. The digestive tract begins with the mouth, meaning your taste buds play a part in how well your body will handle a sports drink and whether it may cause gastrointestinal issues.

On race day, you will be going hard; a lot can happen when you are tested physically and mentally. So control what you can control and be kind to your taste buds and eliminate preventable discomforts such as fuel with subpar flavors. But hopefully, the following tips are helpful.

A daily bottle of sugary water is definitely not what anyone would call a healthy diet. A carbohydrate-rich breakfast hours before should be sufficient.

Sports drinks are better reserved for big workouts, long efforts, and race days. However, if you have a high sweat rate and concentration, you can consider sports drinks low in carbohydrates and designed for replenishing electrolytes, especially in the scorching summer heat.

If you plan to use sports drinks in a race, pick a few workouts that simulate your event to practice fueling. If you are a marathoner, it might be a 30km progression run or a rust-busting half-marathon. RUNIVORE is dedicated to helping runners reach their optimal potential through research and dissemination of information about diet, training, race strategies, and other helpful running related info.

What are sports drinks? How are sports drinks processed in the human body? How to choose sports drinks? When choosing sports drinks, consider these three criteria: Activity type Nutrition facts Flavor Activity — What are you fueling for?

And here are four rules of thumb: A fit runner can store up to minutes worth of glycogen when running at marathon to near lactic threshold paces.

If your activity is under 90 minutes, you may not need to refuel during exercise. At easier efforts, glycogen depletion is also slower. Consume 1 g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight per hour. For example, a 60 kg athlete should take 60 g of carbohydrates per hour.

Recent studies suggest that the body can process up to g of carbohydrates per hour. Gradually increasing your carbohydrate intake during training is recommended to handle a larger amount of the macro-nutrient. Just like your lungs, heart, and legs, your digestive system requires training as well.

Every g of carbohydrates require ml of water to process. The sodium lost during running ranges from less than mg per liter to over mg for those who sweat heavily. Sweat rates also vary widely, but the average adult sweat about 1 to 1.

Obviously, variables such as humidity and temperature can alter your sweat rate. Nutrition facts- What are sports drinks made of, and what are the key nutrients? Carbohydrates This macro-nutrient is the primary fuel for endurance athletes. There are two schools of thought regarding carbohydrate sources: Sugar is sugar.

Or Natural over synthetic. Electrolytes There are six main electrolytes — sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, phosphate, and magnesium.

Branded-chain amino acids BCAA For events that go far and long ultramarathons, ironman triathlon, or peak bagging , you might need more than just sugar and salt. Vitamins These micro-nutrients govern a vast range of human body functions.

Caffeine Caffeine has well-documented benefits, such as delaying muscle fatigue, improving nerve signal transmission, and enhancing mood and focus. Start with your favorite foods. If you enjoy the tartness of citrus fruits, lemon- and orange-flavored sports drinks may work well for you.

Determine your consistency preference. Some sports drinks are effervescent, while others may be thicker. Try different options during workouts to see which agrees with you. If you follow a clean diet, try sports drinks with natural ingredients.

Should you take sports drinks every day? Sports drink mixes are generally more palatable than energy gels due to the milder sweetness and watery concentration. Mixing a less concentrated solution and taking smaller sips frequently can avoid large spikes and troughs in blood sugar levels, preventing gastrointestinal stress.

Drink mixes are often sold in tubs. We mix our drinks in reusable flasks and bottles, making it an environment-friendly fuel option. The cons: Sports drinks can weigh you down during races. A typical energy gel weighs 30 g and provides 20 g of carbohydrates and calories.

To obtain the same amount of carbohydrates and calories as a gel, you would need to carry g of sports drink.

Additionally, there's more than just water in these drinks; carbohydrates and electrolytes are also present.

When you are sweating at a rapid rate, your body is losing more than just water. Valuable vitamins and minerals are also lost through this process. If they are not adequately replaced throughout the duration of the workout, you are putting your respiratory, muscular, and nervous systems at risk for unnecessary damage.

Second to your risk of injury or illness, nutrient depletion and dehydration will inhibit peak performance. You train hard. Don't let your choice of beverage stand between you and your fitness goals.

The mix of electrolytes and carbohydrates will make the most significant difference to you as an athlete. To understand why isotonic drinks are so important, we first need to understand what makes carbs and electrolytes essential.

Electrolytes are the combination of necessary minerals that become depleted during vigorous exercise and serve as a significant source of energy. The main components of this mineral combination are sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium.

Electrolytes help regulate the function of muscles and nerves while also balancing levels of acidity in your blood. It's safe to say that electrolytes offer great assistance to ensure a successful workout! Finding a drink that helps to hydrate and balance electrolytes is the key to success for athletes of all kinds.

Carbohydrates are your body's primary source of energy. Of course, while you are working out, your body's glycogen stores are depleting at a much faster rate than usual. Isotonic drinks put the much-needed carbohydrates back into your body to keep your energy levels high enough to keep up with your activity level.

When looking for an isotonic drink, don't fear those containing carbohydrates. These carbs are going to make sure that you are feeling as energized as possible so you can focus on finishing your workout.

Once you've chosen your isotonic drink, it's important to determine when you should drink it in relation to your workout. Generally, it is recommended that you drink a few ounces of your isotonic beverage every 15 minutes while completing a high-intensity workout.

This ensures that you are refueling correctly and are also avoiding gastrointestinal discomfort or bloating that can accompany taking in too much fluid. It is important to note that isotonic drinks are not meal replacements. Make sure that you are fueling your body with the proper nutrients before incorporating isotonic beverages into your routine.

Many isotonic sports drinks advertise restoration of electrolytes and hydration for optimal sports performance, however, many of the big brand beverages contain unnecessary amounts of artificial sweeteners and additives, specifically aspartame.

Next time you are at the store, take a minute to check out the ingredient list on the back of a big-name sports drink. You may be surprised by what you find. Sports drinks with unnecessary additives can not only cause gastrointestinal discomfort but can also lead to injury or illness if they impair your workout performance.

Instead, fuel your body properly by searching for isotonic beverages that enhance your performance, not inhibit it. Due to the number of additives and increased sugar contents, many sports drinks on the market tend to behave more like hypertonic drinks.

Hypertonic drinks are classified as those with higher carbohydrate content than isotonic beverages. Many endurance athletes find high-carb and high-sugar sports drinks easier to digest when they are diluted with water.

The issue with diluting these drinks is that this increases the amount of water in the drink, ultimately altering how fast the electrolytes and carbohydrates enter the bloodstream. For those timing their drinks with their workout, this can cause an issue.

Large amounts of sugars, sweeteners, and chemical additives can cause bloating and discomfort while working out.

Tailwind Nutrition Endurance Fuel Drink mixes with water to meet all your calorie, hydration, and electrolyte needs while still tasting good and leaving you feeling great! To make it even better, you only need to add your Endurance Fuel to your water bottle , shake, and go!

Staying hydrated and healthy during your workout has never been easier. When choosing the isotonic drink that is best for you, make sure to consider customer reviews. Expert opinions are an excellent resource but can sometimes be full of jargon.

Reading reviews from other consumers can give better insight into how different drinks will work best for you. The Tailwind Nutrition Endurance Fuel Drink has over 1, 5-star reviews at the time of writing this article. From CrossFit athletes to marathon runners, the Endurance Fuel Drink propels Tailwind customers to the finish line.

So, what is the best isotonic drink on the market? Let's review the factors that will determine which isotonic sports drink is the best of the bunch.

Ingredients that are high-quality and pronounceable! are important. Don't let low-quality ingredients be the difference-maker in your workouts. Secondly, you will want to consider convenience.

Choose a drink that fits best into your lifestyle and workout style. Confusingly, no. Energy drinks - including Red Bull - and soft drinks - such as Coke and Pepsi - come into this category, which makes them unsuitable for use during exercise.

In , the American College of Sports Medicine, an international authority on sport science, revised its guidelines on fluid intake during physical activity, no longer suggesting specific volumes per hour.

So what's the best way forward? Martinson advises calculating your own personal 'sweat rate' see below so that you can determine how much you need to drink. According to Joseph Verbalis, Professor of the Department of Medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center, you should also listen to your body.

Record your nude pre-training weight in kg Record your nude post-training weight, towelling off sweat first. Opt for a or minute session, during which you don't consume fluid. This makes the maths easier!

Subtract your post-training weight from pre-training weight to work out the weight lost, and multiply by 1, to convert to grams. The amount you lost in grams is equal to the amount of fluid you lost during that session. If you did a minute session, multiply by two to get your ml per hour figure.

This is the amount you should aim to consume in subsequent sessions. For example, if you lost g in 30 minutes, you'd be looking to consume ml per hour. Bear in mind that the temperature, weather conditions and the intensity of the session will influence your fluid loss - factor this in when determining how much to drink in future sessions.

It's important to start exercise well hydrated. Research suggests that the body cannot absorb ingested carbohydrate efficiently if the body is dehydrated, so even if you are guzzling sports drinks, they may be of limited benefit. The ACSM recommends drinking ml of fluid per kg of your body weight in the three-four hours before exercise.

So, if you weigh 60kg that means drinking ml. Water will do just fine - but, says Martinson, consuming a sports drink helps to top up carbohydrate stores. Martinson believes not. Scientists at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, however, disagree, stating: "Watering down a sports drink dilutes the taste, carbohydrate content and electrolyte level - any of which will diminish its performance benefits.

Despite a belief among many runners and triathletes that you shouldn't mix drinks and gels, according to Morgan it shouldn't make any difference. But like any nutrition or hydration strategy, you need to test it out in training.

If you've swanned around the gym for 20 minutes, forget it.