Update
CHANGE YOUR FLAVORS
Hydration is about more than just drinking water throughout the day and calling it good. During daily activity, you lose water that your body can't replace on its own. For athletes, hydration is important to keep you at the top of your game. During intense workouts, you lose essential electrolytes through sweat. But even if performance isn't your number one goal, proper fluid intake is equally important. Proper hydration helps support your body's normal functions, making water and electrolytes a helpful part of your routine during exercise.(1) And research suggests many U.S. adults aren't getting enough fluid to stay hydrated.(2)
That's where adding an electrolyte powder to your daily routine comes in. But how do you know if the ingredients in your favorite hydration are actually effective? It turns out, many hydration products on the market are packed with extra ingredients you don't need or unnecessarily high levels of certain nutrients. Here are the ingredients to look for in your electrolyte powder that actually support effective hydration.
In order for your body to function properly, you need sodium. This electrolyte optimizes hydration by helping your body retain water and balancing the fluids in your cells. It also supports the ability for your muscles to function. That's why, especially post-exercise, it's important to replace essential electrolytes lost through sweat. Ever notice a salty ring on your shirt after a gym session? That's your body losing sodium. An effective electrolyte powder will contain sodium. That's because sodium is the number one electrolyte lost in sweat, so it needs to be replenished post-exercise. But you do need to be mindful of your daily sodium intake, as consuming too much can cause problems on its own. Consider how much sodium you're getting through your diet, as well as how it may affect any health conditions you have and recommendations from your physician for the daily amount you should be consuming.(3)
When you lose too much sodium in the body, this can actually reduce your body's thirst response, making it harder to get enough water throughout the day. (4) Drinking a beverage made with an electrolyte powder that contains sodium can help kickstart that thirst response, keeping fluid levels in the body balanced. Especially after intense exercise when you sweat a lot, it's key to replenish with sodium, not just plain water, to boost hydration and replace lost electrolytes.
Potassium is an essential electrolyte that plays a key role in maintaining your cell function and is considered a balancing mineral. For hydration, this electrolyte helps balance the fluid in your cells, keeping you properly hydrated. But it turns out, many adults don't get enough potassium through their diet to meet recommended intake levels. (5)
This can be a problem for hydration, since your body is made up of about 60% water, and about 40% of that is found in your cells. The balance of water found inside your cells and outside of your cells relies on several electrolytes, including potassium and sodium. (5)
And healthy muscle function, like muscle contraction during exercise, relies on potassium. It helps the body make nerve signals, which cause both skeletal and heart muscles to contract, essential for movement. (7)
Not all added sugar is bad, and in small quantities it can actually help support the effects of your electrolyte powder. That's because glucose (a simple sugar) helps your body absorb nutrients, like sodium, from the gut into the bloodstream more effectively. (8) Ascent Clean Hydration contains 4g of added sugar to help maximize electrolyte absorption for fast hydration.
While electrolytes (like sodium and potassium) are the key players in your electrolyte powder that support hydration, vitamins are there to play a supporting role. Your body relies on vitamin B12 to help support energy production in the body, helping process carbs, fats and proteins used for fuel. (9) Vitamin C serves as an antioxidant and supports cell health.
Though caffeine isn't an ingredient added to an electrolyte powder to support hydration, it can provide an energizing boost. Whether you're looking to mix up your routine and your day off with more water and less coffee, or want a little boost before a workout, electrolyte powders with caffeine can help. Ascent's Clean Hydration+ Energy contains caffeine to support your goals. If you prefer an uncaffeinated option, reach for Ascent Clean Hydration.
