Keeping Your Electrolyte Stores in Check?

For short runs, drinking just water after the run is fine, but for endurance runs, it's important to replace lost electrolytes after the run. On runs more than an hour, you need to be sure not only to kick in some fluids with electrolytes during the run, but you need to be sure and replace them after the run too. Not replacing the lost electrolytes can lead to an electrolyte deficit leading into the next run and that's not a good thing. So what are electrolytes? Electrolytes are macronutrients the body uses to keep the body systems working properly. Runners often hear about two electrolytes (sodium and potassium) but there are actually five electrolytes.

The "BIG FIVE": 

1. Sodium is important because it carries the water molecule throughout the body. without sodium, you'll become dehydrated very quickly, even if you're drinking water. Ever been on a run and had a sloshy stomach? If you just drank a bottle of water, it's probably just what you just drank sloshing around, but if you drank earlier in the run and you still have that sloshing around happening in the stomach, chances are your sodium stores are low. You can have a stomach full of water, but if there isn't proper levels of sodium in the body, there's no way for it to get out of the stomach to the rest of your body.
2. Calcium is needed for muscle contraction, nerve function, and strong bones
3. Magnesium like Calcium is needed for muscle contraction, nerve function, and strong bones 
4. Potassium is needed to relax a contracted muscle. Low levels of Potassium can lead to muscle cramps. Potassium also supports heart function and helps keep blood pressure regulated.
5. Chloride is needed to maintain fluid balance, blood volume, and blood pressure

Sports drinks are great for during the long run, but research has shown not only are dairy drinks (chocolate milk) great for post run rebuilding, they are also better at re-hydrating the body after a long run than sports drinks. Chocolate milk is a great post run recovery and rehydration drink. It contains the right mixture of carbs and protein and drinking it within 15-30 mins after your run is idea in helping your body recover and rebuild. Chocolate milk also contains sodium and calcium, two of your needed electrolytes. 

It's a great idea to include electrolyte-rich foods in your daily diet as well as to eat post-run. Sports nutritionist Nancy Clark provides some great food suggestions below to help replenish your depleted electrolyte stores:

Sodium: chocolate milk, peanut butter, bagel, even soup! Also try some deli turkey!

Potassium: bananas, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, peas, beans, avocado, and dried of fresh fruits like oranges, melons, raisins, prunes

Calcium: milk (regular or soy), cereal, yogurt, latte

Magnesium: leafy green veggies, whole grains, nuts, peanut butter, dried beans, lentils

Chloride: olives, rye, tomatoes, lettuce, celery

Smoothies are an easy way to get in your needed electrolytes. No need to drive to the smoothie shop either. Below are some great smoothie ideas from nutritionist, Laura Buxenbaum that are easy to make at home.

Running Refuel Shake

1 cup fat-free chocolate milk

1 scoop 100% whey protein powder

1 banana

Crushed ice

Triple Berry Smoothie

1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt

1 cup skim or 1% milk

1/3 cup frozen blueberries

1/3 cup frozen strawberries                                                               

1/3 cup frozen raspberries

Ice

Orange Peach Mango Smoothie

1 cup orange juice

1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup frozen unsweetened peaches

1/2 cup frozen mangoes

Ice

PB&B Protein Smoothie

1 banana

1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter

1 cup 1% milk

1 scoop plain, vanilla, or chocolate whey protein powder

Crushed ice

Blues Buster Smoothie*

1 (6-ounce) container low-fat blueberry yogurt

1/2 cup apple juice

1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1/2 cup frozen sliced peaches

Crushed ice

*Recipe from SoutheastDairy.org

One of my favorite smoothie creations is the "RunnerDude Pumpkin Smoothie."

RunnerDude's Pumpkin Smoothie*

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt

1 banana, sliced into chunks (freezing the banana is beforehand is great too!)

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup skim milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup ice

Note: for a thinner consistency, add another 1/2 cup skim milk. For extra sweetness, add 1 tablespoon honey.

Sports Drinks: Which is Right for You?

Sports Drinks...They're a necessity for runners, especially endurance runners and

especially this time of the year. Sports drinks have gotten somewhat of a bad rap lately because of the carb/sodium content. Ironically that's what makes a sports drink a sports drink. I think the negative view is largely due to the whole Paleo diet hoopla. Sports drinks are not designed to be drunk as a regular beverage. Kids sitting on the bench at a soccer game don't need to be chugging Gatorade. Even the kids in the game playing for less than an hour, probably don't need Gatorade. Same goes for runners. If you're running less than an hour, water will do just fine. It's when you'll be running 60-mins or longer that you need a sports drink.

Most sports drinks contain small amounts of sodium. Sounds counter intuitive to have salt in a hydration drink, but sodium is an electrolyte that actually helps the body absorb water and carry it throughout the body. If you sweat long enough you can deplete your sodium stores. Even if you're drinking lots of water, you can become dehydrated if your sodium levels are low. Ever get that sloshy feeling in your stomach after drinking water on a run? That could mean that your sodium levels are low and even though you have been drinking water, your body has no means to get it out of the stomach to hydrate the rest of you. 

Like sodium, potassium levels (another electrolyte) can decrease through sweat loss after an hour of running. Calcium is an electrolyte that helps muscles contract and potassium works to relax the muscle. Muscle cramps can sometimes occur later in a long run when potassium levels become depleted. Sports drinks contain potassium and are a great way to keep your potassium levels topped off.

So, sports drinks do serve an important purpose. Navigating your way through all the sports drink varieties to find the one that meets your needs is the next obstacle to clear. Ever go to the sports drink isle of the grocery store or nutrition store? It can be overwhelming. Today there are many more brands than Gatorade and even Gatorade has numerous varieties, each promising to do this or that. Basically there are three types of sports drinks, each designed for a different purpose--Isotonic, Hypotonic, and Hypertonic.

Isotonic Sports DrinK--This is the most common sports drink. It's designed to

be drunk both before and during exercise. The formula consists of similar concentrations of salt and other electrolytes and sugar (6-8% carbs) as in the human body. Isontonic sports drinks usually contain about 120-170 calories per 500ml of fluid. Probably the most common type of sports drink, isotonic sports drinks are good for normal replacement of fluids lost through normal sweating incurred during middle and long distance runs. Branding plays an important part with sports drinks companies. In Australia, Powerade now has "Powerade Isotonic" drink playing off "isotonic" like it's something new, but it's the same as the regular Powerade here in the states. (Examples: Gatorade [original]; Gatorade G Series; Gatorade Endurance Formula, Powerade [original], PowerBar Endurance sport [powder], ZICO 100% coconut water, etc.).

Hypotonic Sports Drink--This type of sports drink contains a lower

concentration of salt and other electrolytes and sugar (carbs) than the human body. This type of drink replaces fluids but doesn't provide much of an energy boost. The hypotonic sports drink is a good option for a runner whose stomach won't tolerate the Isotonic or Hypertonic sports drink. But...if a runner uses hypotonic sports drinks on a long run, he/she will need to supplement with sports gels or some other carb food source to get in the needed carbs. Salty pretzels are a great option because the carbs are easily digestible and the salt will help ensure proper hydration/water balance. (Examples: Gatorade G2 Low-Calories, Powerade Zero, Amnio Vital)

Hypertonic Sports Drink--This type of sports drink contains a higher concentration of salt and sugar than the human body. They contain about 10-15% carbs and

usually about 240-320 calories per 500ml of fluid. These drinks are designed to replenish carb levels after exercise or to top off the glycogen stores before an endurance run. Hypertonic drinks are good for marathons or ultra runs. Due to the high levels of carbs, hypertonic sports drinks are not well suited for use during exercise. They absorb slowly and may cause cramping or bloating. (Examples: Gatorade Endurance Formula, Powerade Energy)

Junk Water--There's a 4th category of "enhanced water" that I like to call "Junk Water." Now don't get me wrong, water is water. So, drinking what I call "junk water" isn't necessarily bad for you, but I'm more concerned that

the fancy packing may make you think you're getting something you're not. Vitamin Water for example. Vitamin Water, is a great tasting flavored water that's been enhanced with various vitamins. While these vitamins may have some health benefits they're not going to provide any help with hydration after 60 minutes. Smart Water is another in this category. The label even reads "enhanced with electrolytes." But, if you read the nutrition label, there is no sodium or potassium. The electrolytes added are to enhance flavor. So, like Vitamin Water, it's expensive water that will keep you hydrated (just like tap water) for runs less than 60 minutes. (Examples: Vitamin Water, Smart Water; Aquifina Essentials, SoBe LifeWater, Dasani Plus, etc.)

Can't Tolerate Any Sports Drink--Are you a runner with a touchy tummy that can't seem to tolerate any sports drink? You're not alone. Many runners have stomach

distress when using sports drinks. These runners often just drink water. That's fine, but if they're going to be running more than an hour, they greatly risk dehydration and a host of other complications if they don't somehow replace those lost electrolytes. They're performance will wane too as they deplete their glycogen stores. Ever hit "the wall" in a marathon? That's often due to running out of fuel--glycogen. So, what are these runners to do? Well, luckily there are products such as Nuun and GU Brew that are electrolyte replacement tabs. You pop a tab in your water and it dissolves much like an Alka Seltzer tab. The tabs come unflavored or flavored. They only contain the

electrolytes, so someone with a sensitive stomach should not be bothered by their use in regular water. They will, however, benefit from the hydration and cramp-reducing benefits of the electrolytes. These runners will need to experiment with other ways of getting in some source of more easily digestible carbs to replenish those glycogen stores on long runs. Some runners find eating solid foods like pretzels, fig bars, or graham crackers works well. Others find that the energy chews or gels work okay.


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The Power of Potassium!

Bananas are a staple in most runners' training diets. They're a great quick source of nutrient dense carbs and they're a great source of potassium. Potassium is one of the 5 key electrolytes (potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, and chloride). As we sweat, we deplete the levels of electrolytes in our bodies and it's vitally important to replace them while we run as well as after we run.

While most Americans tend to ingest about 1000mg more sodium than recommended each day, we fall short in our potassium intake. Sodium plays a key role in hydration and potassium helps keep muscles from cramping. Potassium also helps regulate heart functions, helps to reduce blood pressure, and plays a role in converting glucose into glycogen (your fuel for running). The muscle cramps I mentioned early are usually a result of the lack of potassium for the glucose conversion to take place. The muscles simple run out of gas. Potassium also plays a role in eliminating carbon dioxide from the lungs (another key function for runners). If you're running more than 45 minutes (especially if it's hot and humid) you need to make sure and drink a sports drink containing electrolytes or add electrolyte tablets to plain water in order to keep from depleting your electrolytes to dangerously low levels.

It's also important not to just replace what you've sweated out on a run, but it's good to include potassium in your everyday diet. Adults need about 4,000mg of potassium each day. You'll need more if you're exercising and sweating heavily. No, that doesn't mean you have to eat bananas at every meal. There are lots of other foods to choose from that are rich sources of potassium.
Here's just a few..
Raisins                                   1 cup              1089mg
Baked Potato                         1 medium       1081mg
Lima Beans                           1 cup                 955mg
Winter Squash                      1 cup                 896mg
Dried Prunes                         1 cup                 828mg
Raw Bananas                       1 cup                594mg
Plain Yogurt                          8 oz                   579mg
Tomato Juice                         1 cup                 535mg
Cooked Beets                        1 cup                 519mg
Baked Sweet Potato w/skin   1 potato            508mg
Cooked Brussels sprouts       1 cup                  504mg
Orange Juice                         1 cup                  496mg
Cantaloupe                            1 cup                  494mg
Skim Milk                             1 cup                  407mg
Dried Apricots                    10 halves              407mg
Strawberries                          1 cup                  240mg
Pears                                      1 whole pear      208mg
Dry Roasted Peanuts             1 oz                    187mg

Hypokalemia is a metabolic disorder that occurs when you have lower than the needed amount of potassium in the blood. There are lots of things that can cause low levels of potassium. One is simply not eating enough potassium-rich foods, but some medications (especially diuretics) can effect the levels as well as having diarrhea, eating disorders like bulimia, diseases such as Cushing Syndrome, eating large amounts of licorice, and sweating. It's the last one (sweating) that runners have to be cognisant of. A small dip in your potassium level isn't going to cause you to experience the symptoms of hypokalemia (abnormal heart rhythm, decomposition of muscle fibers, fatigue, muscle weakness, constipation, paralysis) but a large enough dip certainly can. If you're not getting the needed potassium in your everyday diet and then you're sweating profusely on your runs, you may be putting yourself at risk.

Recently a Johns Hopkins study showed low levels of serum potassium might be a potential diabetes risk factor and that low levels of potassium might be a factor in why African-Americans (who tend to have lower levels of potassium) are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than whites. Black or white, upping your potassium intake may very well help decrease your chances of developing diabetes.

So do yourself a favor, grab a handful of raisins and take advantage of the Power of Potassium!

What to Look For In A Sports Drink

Water is great for shorter runs, but if you perspire heavily or if you're going to be running over 60 minutes, a sports drink will be a better choice. Sports Drinks serve two purposes—rehydration and muscle fuel. On longer runs you'll use up your glycogen (energy) stores as well as sweat out vital electrolytes such as sodium and potassium.

Carbohydrates along with fat are the two main fuel sources for your muscles. Your body can store about 2000 calories in the form of glycogen which will last about 2hrs for the average runner. So, during a long run of 2+ hours, these carb stores will be depleted. If they're not replaced during the run, then the runner will more than likely "bonk" or "hit the wall." Sports drinks and/or sports gels are a great way to restock the glycogen (energy) stores while on the run. But don't wait until you feel fatigued to begin resupplying or it will be too late.

Sodium is needed to help the body properly absorb the fluids you're taking in. Ever have that sloshing-in-your-stomach feeling during a race? The sloshing is probably not due to drinking too much too fast. More than likely the water is remaining in your belly because you've decreased your sodium levels so much that your body can no longer absorb the fluids, so they're just "stuck" with nowhere to go. Ever have calf or quad cramps? This too is often a sign of dehydration and depleted potassium levels.

There are so many different brands of sports drinks on the market all claiming they're the best for you. So what exactly should be in a sports drink? There are some basics you should look for. As for the "extras" in many sports drinks? For the most part, that's exactly what they are—extra. You'll have to decide whether you need the extras or not.

Staples Of A Sports Drink:
Sodium:
Most experts agree that the sodium levels of sports drinks should be in the range of 110 - 220 mg per 8 fl. oz. A newer brand, just recently available—The Right Stuff— contains no carbs, but it contains much higher levels of sodium and other electrolytes. To read a review of The Right Stuff [click here].
Carbohydrates:
The carbohydrate concentration in a sports drink should be 6-8% or
6 - 8 grams per 100 ml
14.2 - 18.9 grams per 8 oz.
21.3 - 28.4 grams per 12 oz.
Sports drinks containing more than these quantities of carbs should be used for refueling after a workout, but not during.

Sports Drink Extras:
Caffeine:
Energy drinks and sports drinks are often confused. In general, sports drinks don't contain caffeine. The smaller canned (and some bottled) energy drinks (i.e., Red Bull) often contain very large amounts of caffeine as well as sugar or other sweeteners. Research has shown that some caffeine ingested before a race can boost performance (click here for more info), but drinking large amounts of caffiene throughout a race can have adverse effects and cause stomach issues for many runners.
Protein:
Some brands of sports drinks have added protein to their formula. Some claim the protein/carb mixture enhances performance. There is mixed results/opinions on whether performance is actually enhanced. The added protein, however, has been shown to speed muscle recovery. Accelerade, Amino Vital, Endurox R-4, and PowerBar Recovery Performance all contain added protein.
Vitamins:
Some brands contain a wide array of added vitamins. While this may be good for your general health, there's no research to show that they will help with your performance or benefit rehydration.

There are actually three different types of sports drinks available—Isotonic, Hypotonic, and Hypertonic. Some are designed for use during a run, while others are designed for after activity hydration. Listed below is more info about each type of sports drinks.

Isotonic Sports Drinks—Contain electrolytes and 6-8% carbs. Isotonic sports drinks usually contain about 120-170 calories per 500 ml of fluid. Probably the most common type of sports drink, isotonic sports drinks are good for normal replacement of fluids lost through normal sweating incurred during middle and long distance runs. (Examples: Accelerade, Gatorade [original], Gatorade Endurance Formula, Powerade [original], PowerBar Endurance Sport [powder])

Hypotonic Sports Drinks—Contain electrolytes and a small amount of carbs. This type of drink replaces fluids quickly but doesn't provide much of an energy boost. If a runner uses hypotonic sports drinks on a long run, he/she will need to supplement with sports gels to get the needed carbs. (Examples: Gatorade G2, Powerade Zero, Amino Vital)

Hypertonic Sports Drinks—Contain about 10-15% carbs and usually about 240-320 calories per 500 ml of fluid. These drinks are designed to replenish carb levels after exercise or to top off the glycogen stores before an endurance run. Hypertonic drinks are good for marathons or ultraruns. Due to the high levels of carbs, if hypertonic drinks are used during exercise, it's very important that a runner also take in some isotonic or hypotonic drinks too to help replace fluids. (Examples: Endurox R-4, Gatorade Performance Series, PowerBar Performance Recovery, Isopure Endurance)

Funny thing. Scientists have spent a lot of time developing the "perfect" sports drink. Come to find out, nature had made one long ago—coconut water. To find out more about coconut water [click here].