BY STEVE BORN
With temperatures on the rise, one aspect of your fueling - electrolyte replenishment - requires special attention. As we are fond of saying, electrolytes are comparable to the motor oil in your car - they don't make the engine run, but they're absolutely necessary to keep everything running smoothly. Proper functioning of the digestive, nervous, cardiovascular, and muscular systems depend on adequate electrolyte levels.
Muscle cramping most often involves improper hydration and/or improper electrolyte replenishment, and it's more prevalent during hot-weather workouts and races. No one wants to cramp, of course, but remember, cramping is a place far down the road of electrolyte depletion. Cramping is your body's painful way of saying, Hey! I'm on empty! Resupply me now or I'm going to stop! It's like the oil light on the dash; you never want the oil level to get that low because that means the engine is about to seize.
That's precisely why you shouldn't wait for cramps to remind you to take electrolytes, especially when the temperatures kick up. Just as you shouldn't wait until you bonk before you refuel or until you're dehydrated before you replenish fluids, your fueling regimen should always include these essential minerals to replenish them consistently.
The Endurolytes Difference
Electrolytes means more than just salt. The term covers all the life-supporting minerals that your body needs for proper function. Sodium chloride, potassium, calcium, and magnesium work together for this purpose. While sodium chloride (or salt) is the most recognized for exercise, they're all important. That's why Endurolytes offers a full spectrum of these minerals.
Flavored drinks vs. water and capsules
When it comes to selecting your ideal product, you should first decide how you want to take it. It'll only work if you take it consistently, so it's important that you choose something that fits your preferences and sport type.
The first step is asking yourself the question, Do I prefer to drink flavored beverages or plain water while working out? It sounds simple, but this is imperative. While some people won't remember to drink consistently unless their fluids are flavored, others grow tired of anything but water and find it off-putting. Your electrolyte solution must follow your natural desires for fluid intake.
If you decide you're a drink drinker, you've identified yourself as an Endurolytes Fizz or Endurolytes Extreme Powder user. (HEED may also be a solution, but it also contains calories and a lower level of electrolytes than the products included here.)
If you want plain water, you're in the capsule camp - and will need to get acquainted with swallowing pills during activity if you're not already.
Of course, there are pros and cons to each option. Some prefer the simplicity of having their electrolytes mixed in a bottle - especially cyclists or athletes in high-intensity sports who have little time to manage capsules separately from their bottle. However, there is a significant downside to this solution. Should you experience cramping or other symptoms of depletion, your only solution is to drink. This will be absorbed more slowly and may cause you to overconsume fluids in response. For this reason, we encourage drink drinkers to always have capsules on hand as well to address immediate needs should they arise (or share them with a cramping friend).
Standard vs. Extreme
Once you've chosen how you'll take them, it's time to choose your formula.
The traditional Endurolytes formula is lower in sodium so as to allow for increased calcium and magnesium quantities in the product, and more importantly, so you can make small incremental dosage changes without overconsuming salt. If 2 capsules per hour don't feel like quite enough, you can make incremental changes up to 5 or 6 capsules per hour, without concern for accidentally taking a days' worth of sodium in one gulp. Of course, this does mean you're well in-tune with your needs and don't mind taking a fair amount of pills.
If you don't sweat very much, live in a moderate climate, follow a prescribed and measured low-sodium diet, and/or have historically not battled with muscle cramps, the standard formula is the way to go.
However, if your sweat rates are excessively high, if you live in heat (or even more importantly are traveling to a hotter area than you're used to), routinely find salt stains on your workout clothes after exercise, or have historically battled with cramps, Endurolytes Extreme is your solution. These products offer three times the salt and potassium content of the standard formula, allowing you to take fewer capsules each hour. Should cramps arise, you can quickly address them by having capsules ready to go.
Endurolytes for Everyone
Even if you're not a competitive athlete or not an athlete at all, the same approach can apply. If you're a living, breathing human that sweats, you can benefit from Endurolytes. They're used by everyone from endurance athletes to golfers, construction workers to retired grandparents. If you're not addressing your needs in one way or another, you owe it to yourself to give us a call and dial in a plan right now.
