When it comes to working out, your body is losing electrolytes and water. So it’s important to refuel and restore your body with a healthy post workout drink. Make hydration fun again, with these creative and delicious drink choices spanning from water based, fruit infused, or electrolyte packed!
Why You Should Skip Sports Drinks, Like Gatorade
Yes, going for a cold Gatorade after a sweaty workout seems like a great choice. They advertise that it will replenish your electrolytes, but is Gatorade better than water? Not so fast. With over 20 grams of sugar and over 80 calories in each bottle, there has to be a time and place for drinking a Gatorade. These times include drinking before or after an extended period of activity, or if you’re sweating a bunch! So, if you’re doing an intense workout, it could make sense to grab a Gatorade. However, a glass of water is a pure source of hydration, free of excess sugar, carbohydrates, and food dye. You can never go wrong with a cold glass of water.
Water Based Post Workout Drink with Electrolyte Powder
Water is the basis for all our hydration needs, and we need to replenish our bodies with electrolytes. Instead of cracking open a sugary Gatorade, people are turning towards electrolyte powders. For the most part, these powders advertise a central role in boosting recovery due to sickness or exercise. Dehydration puts your body into a recovery mode when the cells are trying to repair themselves, increasing the need for electrolytes. The powder and tablets were created to bridge the gap between water hydration and nutrient necessities.
Here are some other additional benefits to electrolyte powders:
- Less sugar than typical sports drinks like Gatorade or Powerade
- Promoting calm and focused minds with proper electrolyte numbers
- Quick recovery due to sickness or dehydrations
- Increased hydration, which is vital to the wellbeing of our bodies.
- Supporting high energy through nutrients delivered to the cells
- Reduced amount of aches, pains and cramps
What to look for in an electrolyte power:
- Sodium
- Calcium
- Potassium
- Phosphate
- Chloride
- Magnesium
- Low to no sugar
- Low calories
- No artificial sweeteners
- Antioxidants
Liquid IV
Liquid IV is a great example of an electrolyte packet. It contains strong doses of electrolytes, has antioxidant properties and is GMO-free. There are over 500mg of sodium, 250mg of potassium, phosphates and chlorides with each serving. It is also packed with 110% of your daily value of Vitamin C.
There are 50 calories per serving and 12 grams of sugar. It comes in many different flavors, such as tangerine, lemon ginger, passion fruit, watermelon, and pear. Additionally, they have options to create your own bundle, letting you try each flavor. Prices range from $19.99 for 10, or $24.99 for 14.
Nuun Sport
Nuun Sports come in tablet form, rather than powder. These tablets dissolve in water. They are found in most grocery stores, such as Target, Walmart, and Costco. Additionally, it can be found on Amazon. The Nuun Sports tablets are diet friendly, with only 10 calories. It contains spirulina for flavor and health benefits. This has all natural flavors and can aid hydration, but comes up short on potassium. Therefore, if you’re inclined to have muscle cramps, choose a powder that has more potassium than Nuun’s amount (150mg).
There are tons of flavor options with Nuun Sport, including some with caffeine as well. Their flavors include strawberry lemonade, lemon lime, fruit punch, tri-berry, grape, watermelon, kiwi strawberry, tropical, cherry limeade with caffeine, and wild berry with caffeine. They sell individual packs for $7.00.
Hydration by Essential Elements
This electrolyte powder comes equipped with apple cider vinegar and other great sources of antioxidants. The nutritional foundation helps with metabolic support and energy production. This is a great choice for a post workout drink, or if you’re feeling under the weather.
Hydration by Essential Elements costs $27.99 for 15, or $44.99 for 24. The flavors are enhanced through all natural fruits and spirulina, keeping the taste enjoyable without packing in unnecessary sugars.
Coconut Water
While this seems to be a trendy choice, coconut water has amazing benefits for your body, which is what makes this an excellent choice for a post workout drink. Coconut water is an excellent source of fiber, vitamin C, antioxidant properties, and other minerals.
What is coconut water? This is the naturally occuring juice found within the center of coconut. But, not just any coconut. Coconut water comes from a young and green coconut! This is because matured coconuts have already absorbed the juice, ripening into the coconut. A young coconut is six to seven months of age, while a fully matured coconut is 10 to 12 months old.
Benefits to Coconut Water
This isn’t new information, but drinking enough water is crucial for your kidneys and preventing kidney stones. While drinking plain water is still great for your kidneys, coconut water can help fight against kidney stones. This happens because coconut water prevents the crystallization of calcium, oxalate and other compounds. Those compounds create crystals that then become kidney stones. In a study conducted, they found that coconut water prevented crystals from sticking to the kidneys and other parts of the urinary tract, while also reducing the number of crystals formed. This is great news for anyone susceptible to kidney stones, or anyone who just wants to protect their kidneys while staying hydrated.
Additionally, coconut water is a great source of magnesium. This increases insulin sensitivity while decreased blood sugar levels for people who have type 2 diabetes, or are predisposed to diabetes.
Coconut Water As a Post Workout Drink
The benefits of coconut water span past the health benefits, as it’s helpful towards exercise recovery! Coconut water has a great balance for restoring hydration, replenishing electrolytes, and tasting delicious. Remember, electrolytes are minerals that play really important roles in taking care of your body, such as maintaining fluid balance. This happens through minerals potassium, magnesium, sodium and calcium. These factors are key for finding a nutritious post workout drink that your body will love. Toss the sugary sports drinks and trade it in for a glass of coconut water for optimal hydration. If the taste isn’t your thing, throw it in a smoothie to add even more nutrients.
Fruit Infused Water As A Post Workout Drink
Sometimes when we’ve been working out, we want to grab something sugary. Instead of going for a soda, sports drink, or juice, make a fruit infused water pitcher to hydrate your body. Here are some of our favorite recipes for delicious fruit infused waters.
Lemon Blackberry Water
Having a fruit infused water involving lemon adds a refreshing and tasty element. Pair the lemon juice with some blackberries, and you’ll be drinking summer in a glass. This recipe yields four servings, and works great in a pitcher for both looks and tastes.
Here’s What You’ll Need
- Two lemons, thinly sliced.
- 8-10 ounces of blackberries
- One gallon of water
- Pitcher
How to Make It
- Add your thinly sliced lemons to the bottom of a pitcher.
- Pour in your blackberries. (You can use fresh blackberries, or even frozen blackberries to keep your water nice and chilled.)
- Optional: if using fresh blackberries, don’t be afraid to muddle, or score, the blackberries to make the flavor stronger.
- Add one gallon of water to your pitcher.
- Serve over ice and enjoy!
Post Workout Sweet and Tart Water
Have you ever heard of cherries being beneficial after working out? They actually reduce muscle pain, making sure you’re able to keep your body moving the day after a hard workout. This recipe is tart with cherries, but sweetened with a pineapple. Simple and delicious, this will be a water you’ll go back to every time. This recipe is also best served in a pitcher, yielding four servings, or one very thirsty person!
Here’s What You’ll Need
- Pineapple
- Crushed Cherries
- Pitcher
How to Make It:
- Slice the pineapple, you’ll need about ¼ of a pineapple. If the pineapple was on the smaller side, feel free to use more than a quarter.
- 10 ounces of cherries. As a pro tip: add a handful of frozen cherries for ice cubes!
- Fill water to the top of pitcher
- Stir and enjoy!
Rosemary and Watermelon Infused Water
Bump your electrolytes up with this tasty water choice.
Here’s What You’ll Need
- Watermelon
- Rosemary
- Pitcher
- Six cups of water
- Optional lemon slice
How to Make It:
- Slice up your watermelon. You’ll need three cups of watermelon that is both cubed and seedless!
- Add the watermelon to a pitcher
- Put one sprig of rosemary to the pitcher
- Add six cups of water
- Enjoy over ice
Fuel Your Body With the Best Water
Drinking filtered water is great for your body, whether it’s a post workout drink, or a cold glass of water in the morning. Switching your household to a whole home water filtration system can save you up to $870 a year! Want to learn more? Read our cost breakdown here, or watch our YouTube video below.
ONIT has been supplying families with clean water and free water tests. To find out how you can have clean water for $15/month, visit us online or call us today at 1-833-433-0331.
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