Fueling and Hydration with Electrolyte Supplements
- Kristin Jones
- Jun 17, 2020
- 3 min read
Electrolyte supplements, endurance fuel, energy drink, hydration supplements, sport drink, powder, tablets, salt pills... the options, flavors, variety and forms of fuel out there to support you on your runs, hikes, or other calorie burning adventure can be overwhelming. Check out my video to follow my ongoing journey to finding the best option to fuel my adventures and see a comparison table at the bottom of this post to see a range of products and what you're getting out of the options.
Calories, Sodium, Water... and Flavor
Calories, sodium and water are the trifecta of what is important in the electrolyte supplement I choose, but taste definitely weighs in significantly when you are drinking liters over multiple days.
Fueling with liquid calories is easier on my digestion during a longer run and hike. Eating solid foods in small bites over time cause me to need to poop more frequently which is not always comfortable out in nature. With hiking I can stick to 2 to 3 meals and 2 snacks, but long distance running requires more constant fueling.
I feel that I sweat significantly, so having the extra sodium is important to me. From experience of feeling sick after significant hikes or mileage, I learned that by adding calories, salt and water to anything beyond 3 hours makes me have a much more successful adventure and I am able to be productive after I'm done.
Water for hydration after running multiple hours is a no brainer. I now run with my Sawyer Squeeze so that I can top up my water in case I'm feeling good and want to stay out longer or if I go through my water quicker.
I have gravitated to the berry flavors personally as you can see by the flavors above, though I do like Isostar Orange, this is going to be very subjective based on your palette - try to get a brand's sample flavor pack when you're starting out.
Why different types of sugar in electrolytes?
When I started looking at electrolytes in more detail and reading the label, I noticed that there were different sugars in the same product "sucrose, glucose, dextrose, maltodextrin, fructose" not to mention sugar alternatives like "stevia." Turns out there's some actual science behind it, as the simplest forms of sugar can be absorbed straight away into your blood, while others take longer to absorb as they need to be broken down, or when they are absorbed they do not cause your blood sugar levels to rise as quickly. This means that as you hydrate with an electrolyte supplement with different types of sugars, your body is getting hits at different times as it is absorbed allowing you to continue to have energy for your adventure. If you want to geek out more on this - this is the best article I've found on this so far on Healthline.
The options can be overwhelming, but to simplify:
If you're not going to do an activity longer than 2 or 3 hours, then focus on low or no calorie electrolyte supplements that will replace your sodium and other nutrients and try out flavors until you find the one you love.
If you're doing extended runs or hikes beyond 2 hours, AND you are not supplementing with much food then ensure you are using an electrolyte supplement where you are drinking around 250 calories an hour to continue to fuel your body from the carbohydrates and replace the nutrients you've sweated out and keep hydrated. And again, find a flavor or two that you love.
To geek out more:
Electrolyte Supplement Comparison
Comments