Should You Use An Electrolyte Beverage During Your Workout?

One question that some people will start to ask themselves as they go about their workout program is whether or not they should be using a n electrolyte beverage (or sports drink as they’re more commonly called).

Will these help you perform better and reach new heights in your success?

Or, will they just hold you back?

There are a few things to consider when answering this question so that you can make the most informed decision for yourself.

How Long Is Your Workout?

The first thing to consider is how long your workout is.  Are you going to be exercising for at least an hour or longer? If so, the chances that you lose the key electrolytes your body needs to sustain intense exercise – sodium and potassium, will be much higher.

Therefore, having that electrolyte replacing beverage in there can be a very good plan to achieve optimal success.

If you’re just doing a short workout on the other hand, say 20-30 minutes, then chances are that you don’t really need it.

What Type Of Exercise Are You Doing?

Moving along, the second thing to consider is the type of exercise you’re doing.  If you’re doing endurance events, that again calls for a greater need of electrolytes than if you’re doing stop and go activities such as weight lifting.

That isn’t to say that those people doing stop and go activities won’t ever need a sports drink – in some cases it can be beneficial, but endurance athletes will need one much more frequently.

What’s The Room/Environment Temperature?

Finally, the last thing that you’ll want to take into account when deciding whether or not you should be using an electrolyte replacement beverage as you go about your workout program is what the environment or room temperature is.

The more you’re sweating, the more you’re going to be losing the key electrolytes you need, thus you’ll have a greater chance of requiring that sports drink.

If you’re exercising in the hot summer heat or you’re in a very warm exercise room, you’ll definitely want to be considering it.

If it’s a cooler day and you’re going for a light jog outside, it may not be warranted.

So there you have the most important things to keep in mind regarding whether you should be using an electrolyte replacement beverage as you go about your workout session.

Remember that some of these do contain calories and added sugar, so you’ll have to weigh the pros and cons of using one that does. On one hand, if you are doing a longer and more intense workout session, the extra energy can definitely work to your benefit.

On the other hand though, if you’re aiming to lose weight and take in 100-200 calories worth of sugar from that beverage, how well is this going to help progress?

Clearly it’s not so you’ll want to opt for a calorie free one instead.

Keep these points in mind and you should have no problem making an informed decision.