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Sports Drinks
... we now know that the regular ingestion of fluids is essential for sporting performance. Hypohydration (total body water below normal) impairs the body's ability to regulate heat resulting in increased body temperature and an elevated heart rate. Perceived exertion is increased causing the athlete to feel more fatigued than usual at a given work rate. Mental function is reduced which can have negative implications for motor control, decision making and concentration. Gastric emptying is slowed, resulting in stomach discomfort. All these effects lead to an impairment in exercise performance. 
Department of Sports Nutrition, AIS, Fact Sheet: Fluid, who needs it?, 2000.
It is a recognised fact of sports science that water and sodium, as a critical electrolyte, are essential for sports performance and post-exercise rehydration. However, the common suspicion surrounding manufactured carbohydrate/electrolyte sports drinks is well-founded because they fail to meet the complex nutrition provided by healthy, natural food sources.
Cea Ocean Mineral Superfood was primarily developed as an excellent source of mineral nutrition in the form and ratios provided by nature and readily compatible with our bodies' requirements.
The consumption of sodium that is naturally balanced within the complex mineral structure of ocean water allows the body to maintain or restore its dynamic equilibrium without straining internal reserves.
Our bodies contain three internal oceans that closely resemble the ionic balance of ocean water. Each one of these complex solutions surrounds and circulates through our bodies. Ocean water contains all of the precious minerals our bodies need. In the salty environment of amniotic fluid the human embryo grows over three billion times in weight. From the moment of conception onwards, humans are never without the need for mineral salts.
Electrolytes of sodium, magnesium, calcium and potassium play a vital role in human physiology. They help the cells to function normally and provide the key to muscle function, mental focus and body cooling. Mental stability, thought processes and reactions to stressful situations are also greatly dependent on electrolytic balance.
Proper electrolyte balance in the body is achieved by maintaining a relatively high potassium content inside the cell and a high sodium concentration in the fluid outside the cell (extracellular fluid). Though potassium and sodium are the two major electrolytes found in the human body, many other elements are required for normal physiological function.
Prolonged physical activity, even activities such as mowing the lawn, gardening or simply living in a hot, humid climate can deplete the body of fluid. Electrolytes are easily lost in sweat and urine during physical activity, so replenishing these minerals is important.
A drop of as little as one per cent in body water is associated with fatigue and an inability to think clearly. More severe water loss in high temperatures or if body temperature rises puts a person at risk of heat cramps or sometimes heat stroke.
When there is not enough fluid in the human body, an electrolyte imbalance occurs. This essentially means that there are too many or too little of one or more electrolytes in the body. The typical western diet contains plenty of sodium but foods rich in potassium (leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, bananas and whole grains) and magnesium (leafy green vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes) are often not eaten in sufficient quantities or with depleted qualities.
The sodium electrolyte is vital for maintaining osmotic pressure in the body's cells. If levels are too low a condition known as hyponatraemia (a loss of fluid in the cells) can occur. The real benefit of sodium, however, appears to be its ability to stimulate thirst, which results in drinking more fluid than if thirst were satisfied sooner. Unfortunately, the body is designed to lose its sense of thirst before it has replaced all of the water lost during exercise, so remaining thirsty for a longer time is a good stimulus to drink the fluid we need. However, whereas some sodium is beneficial, too much can be a problem. Excess sodium can hold too much water in the cells and cause bloating, muscle heaviness and high blood pressure for some people.
Potassium and magnesium help muscles both contract and relax. These minerals are essential for proper nerve firing and brain function, and they also help wash away metabolic wastes that make us feel sluggish and tired. When the body is low in potassium or magnesium, muscles can cramp more easily and fatigue can occur quicker. According to British doctor, Peter Mansfield, a former GP and a specialist in complementary medicine, 'You are wasting your time drinking eight glasses of water a day if you do not have enough salt in your diet'.
Most health conscious people now have too little salt in their diets and this poses a risk of dehydration. The body is more than capable of flushing out excess salt through the kidneys. My advice to anyone worried about being dehydrated is to make sure they are taking in the equivalent of a teaspoon of salt each day, so that the extra fluids they are drinking really make a difference.
Good Weekend Magazine 27 January 2001
Doctors have been advising people against sodium in their diet primarily because of its links (via population studies) to a greater risk of high blood pressure, especially in old age . However, Mansfield maintains that, 'no trial has ever shown that high salt intake increased blood pressure for every individual.'
Post-exercise Rehydration
Optimal post-exercise rehydration requires both higher fluid volume replacement (more than 150 per cent of weight lost) and higher sodium content (60 vs 20 mmol/L of sodium) compared with rehydration during exercise.
Ingestion of plain water delays rehydration because it decreases plasma osmolality (water absorption ability), reduces thirst and increases free-water clearance (urination/perspiration). Most commercially available sports drinks contain sub-optimal sodium (20 to 30 mmol/L), which is below the level required for optimum rehydration.
Replacement of sodium lost in sweat is important in maximising the retention of ingested fluids. A sodium content of 50 to 90mmol/L may be necessary for optimal rehydration. However commercial sports drinks are formulated with a more moderate sodium content (10-25mmol/L). It may be necessary to consume 150% of fluid losses to allow for complete fluid restoration.
Burke, L.M., Rehydration strategies before and after exercise. Australian Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics 53: S22-26, 1996.
Sodium is particularly important for fluid restoration after exercise rather than during it. A recent study* of both male and female subjects who consumed only 350ml of fluid at the beginning of a two-hour post-exercise recovery period had greater fluid retention and plasma volume restoration with chicken noodle soup (334 mmol/L of sodium) and broth (110 mmol/L of sodium) than with water or a sports drink (16 mmol/L of sodium). Thus it appears that higher levels of sodium may be necessary to promote body fluid restoration after exercise.
Much of the evidence regarding sports drinks relates primarily to athletes, whose requirements are somewhat different to the majority of people. The majority of research shows that significant drops in electrolyte levels only occur after four or five hours of continuous exercise and, for the exercise most people do, they need extra fluid and sodium more than they need extra glucose.
The optimum means of replacing fluid and salts lost during exercise is a combination of water and mineral salts. Water reduces dehydration and helps maintain blood volume, which improves performance because it lowers the heart rate and body temperature, and mineral salts help to restore electrolyte balance by boosting the process of water absorption.
Complex electrolytes found in sea water, and in Cea Ocean Mineral Superfood, work to maintain proper function of the body's systems.
If any one electrolyte is left out or diminished, a link in an important chain will be missing and the organism will suffer. These electrolytes work to regulate optimum body function by ensuring that our internal oceans are never shortchanged.
* Phillip B. Sparling, EdD; Mindy Millard-Stafford, PhD The Physician and Sports Medicine - VOL 27 - NO. 7 - July 1999.
