Trading Coffee for Electrolytes

So this morning started off as one of those, “I can’t keep my eyes open, must have caffeine” kind of mornings that I usually have quite often. Let’s face it. I am not a morning person, nor do I ever plan on being one. Normally, I just head to the closest Starbucks and lay down $5 on a high-calorie, overly caffeinated drink. But this morning, being in a crunch, I picked up a pack of Vitaytle Electrolyte Replacement Solution that we had at the office and had that instead. Now usually, I love Vitalyte for when I’m working out or just after I’ve completed a long run, but I never really thought to try it in the morning. Let me just say, wow, I’m glad I did.

It’s like I never even needed the caffeine my body desperately craved in the first place. Vitalyte Electrolyte Replacement Solution comes in a number of flavors, I tried grape, and it’s so easy to use. You just mix with water and you’re good to go. After about 30 minutes of drinking it, I felt so much better and so much more awake. Plus, I found myself able to concentrate a lot easier, which, at a busy office like this one, is a great ability to have. And the feeling lasted a lot longer than caffeine usually lasts on me. I have been feeling awake, energized and healthy all day long.

One thing I have always loved about Vitalyte is that all the ingredients are natural - so much better than a lot of other energy drinks on the market. The electrolytes in it are essential to hydration. Honestly, why didn’t I think of this before? Vitalyte, the new alternative to coffee. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?

Cycling and Hydration

Our bodies are made almost entirely from water. It is essential in carrying the solution of dissolved nutrients that our muscles require through the blood stream, and it carries out the vital role of cooling our body when we heat it up with vigorous exercise.

Anyone who has spent a few hours outside on a hot day can attest to the negative effects of not drinking enough water. In fact losing as little as one percent of the water in your body can result in a decrease in athletic performance. After losing only ten percent you are probably going to fall into a coma with a likelihood of death unless immediate steps are taken.

With this in mind it seems like common sense to drink as much water as possible before and during your training rides. While it is important to hydrate, most beginning athletes don't realize that it can be just as dangerous to drink too much water. If you outstrip your body's ability to process the water you are drinking your body will simply store it in your stomach or tissues. You're performance will be affected by uncomfortable bloating, which can lead to cramps. If you really overdo it you might develop hyponatremia, where there is so much water that the concentration of nutrients in the blood becomes too low to sustain vital processes. Hyponatremia can lead to serious debilitation, and even death.

Your performance on the bike is closely linked to level of hydration in your body. Electrolytes, minerals that can carry an electric charge, are essential in conveying messages from our central nervous system to our muscles. When you sweat electrolytes are dissolved in the water that you secrete, constantly depleting your supply. If you get dehydrated, regardless of how much electrolytes are available there won't be enough liquid to transport them where they need to be. Further, if you drink too much water the electrolytes will become too diluted to do any good. If your body's electrolytes are depleted your muscles will simply cease working, and lock up in an extremely painful cramp.

Reach for Vitalyte After Your Workout

You have just completed your work out knowing that you have just burned up a bunch of calories but it has left you in serious need of fluids. What do you reach for; Vitalyte sports drinks. What you choose at this point can make or break your fitness efforts.

What you choose to drink after a work out depends on your type of work out and your goals.

Are Vitalyte sports drinks the Best Option? Your first instinct might be to reach for a sports drink. Commercials and advertisements bombard us for sports drinks. They claim to rehydrate you better than anything else and replace minerals that your body may have lost during your workout. Is it true though?

Well actually it is true; Vitalyte sports drinks are a great way to rehydrate if you don't mind the calories. Sports drinks do have all the electrolytes and minerals needed to replenish what you lose in an extensive workout. An additional advantage of Vitalyte sports drinks is that they are flavored which encourages most people to drink the amount of liquid need to replenish after working out.

However, with 50 calories and approximately 13-15 grams of sugar per 8 ounce serving, you can totally sabotage your diet if you are working out to lose weight. most people do not need the extra calories from sugar.

Recommendation: If you are doing extensive physical activity for 60 minutes or longer use Vitalyte. Sports drinks are a good option if you are an athlete and you are not trying to lose weight.

Get the Edge on Diarrhea

Perhaps there are only a few other health conditions that are as embarrassing as having the "runs" or diarrhea. Loose bowel movements always spell disaster for people, especially those who aren't in the comfort of their homes for long periods of time. Diarrhea is especially annoying when you're on a bus or on the subway and you feel something wet and wild just raring to get out of your system in the most embarrassing way possible.

Usually, diarrhea is accompanied by cramps, abdominal pain, nausea or bloating. Depending on the cause of the diarrhea, a person may also have blood in their stool or have a fever. While diarrhea usually goes away on its own after the bacteria or the cause has been flushed out of the body, there are several things you can do to get rid of it or at least ease the discomfort it causes.

Drink lots of fluids and electrolytes. Since you will mostly be excreting lots of fluids, you are at risk of suffering from dehydration. Dehydration is the primary reason why children and infants are in particular danger when they suffer from diarrhea; they are losing too much water and electrolytes, so their body can't function properly (electrolytes are the minerals and salts that affect muscle activity, water levels and other important body functions). Drinking lots of water frequently balances the loss of fluids.

Since water doesn't have electrolytes, getting them from somewhere else is the next option. Electrolyte levels can be increased by consuming broths and soups that have sodium, and fruits and vegetables that contain potassium. For adults, drinking Vitalyte Sports Drinks will help replenish lost electrolytes as well as fluids.

Electrolytes for the Stomach Flu!

The treatment of the stomach flu includes rest, analgesics and re-hydration. Tylenol may be used to treat fever and muscle cramps. The replenishment of fluids with water, electrolyte drinks, like Vitalyte, or oral rehydration solutions (sugar and electrolytes) is essential to prevent dehydration. When replacing fluids, it is important to replace volume and electrolytes such as sodium, chloride, hydrogen and potassium. Water as hydration helps replace volume, but if too much is given without replacement of electrolytes, the relative concentration of these important ions decreases and metabolic/electrolyte imbalances occur in the body. Re-hydration should occur with electrolyte sports drinks to protect against hyponatremia. Most quality sports drinks will fill this requirement.

One should drink enough fluid to keep their mouth moist and their urine light yellow to clear. As the diarrhea and/or vomiting subsides, one may slowly introduce soft foods into the diet. Soft foods are jello, saltine crackers, pudding, rice, bread and soups without meats. It is important to watch for abdominal cramping, retching or liquid stools while trying to resume a normal diet, these symptoms could indicate the intestines are still inflamed from the infection and need more time to heal.

Adequate hydration is especially important in people who are young (infants), elderly, frail and immunocompromised - their bodies are already stressed and gastroenteritis can take a huge toll on the body. These people are usually either dependent on others for fluid and food or have difficulty maintaining healthy nutrition. Vomiting and diarrhea may further deplete their bodies of already limited water and energy stores.

For Hydration, You Need More Than Just Water

Today the level of competition in youth sports is at an all time high. Athletes today need to approach their game from all angles, not just physical play. Nutrition and hydration are key components to any competitive players game. It's not just what you do on the field that will make you good, but what you are putting into you are body.

All too many times, nutrition and hydration aren't on the top of young athletes to-do lists. When an athlete works out, if hard enough, they will definitely sweat. When a person sweats they lose more than just water. When you sweat you lose minerals, electrolytes, and other nutrients. Losing these electrolytes are more important than people realize.

An electrolyte is the component that carries the electrical messages from your brain to the rest of your body. Unlike fats, carbohydrates, and proteins electrolytes aren't stored within your body. Once you lose them they're gone. The fewer electrolytes you have in your system the weaker the signal from your brain to your muscles becomes.

When this signal is weak it has dire consequences. Muscles will start to cramp up, mental focus will be lost, and reaction times will slow. This has the potential the effect the players overall performance.

It is also important to find a drink that is high in electrolytes, such as Vitalyte, while maintaining a good balance of carbohydrates and sugars. The more sugar and carbs a drink has the more energy it takes to absorb the electrolytes. The fewer carbs and sugars a drink contains the easier and quicker your body can absorb the electrolytes.

Fixing Sore Mucles With Electrolytes

Like everyone else who is hitting the workouts harder and starting to run a bit more to get in shape, your probably feeling the pain. Sore muscle are usually a good sign if you've been working out for awhile. The soreness is caused by tiny tears in the muscles, which the body repairs and makes stronger.

This post workout pain is felt as a general dull pain. However if you haven't been working out, you have probably strained your muscles to the point of a specific ache and have some tenderness. As we get older, we feel these pains a bit more. Here are some ideas to help prevent and heal sore muscles.

Stretching - Make sure you stretch each muscle group for at least 60 seconds before and after your workout. Stretching is one of the most underrated parts of sports and workouts. It's a must if you want to stay active.


Anti-Inflammatory - Take an anti-inflammatory such as Inflamo after your workout to help with the pain and inflammation.

Hydrate - Make sure to drink plenty of water prior to you workout. Your body needs the water to help deliver oxygen to you muscles and helps with clear toxic build up -so you don't cramp. You may also try a sports drink, such as Vitalyte, to replenish the body's electrolytes.

Electrolytes Help Build Your Arms

Assuming you decide that you will train your arms by themselves, remember to set three distinct exercises in three distinct repeat ranges. Also make sure that your bicep workout emphasises different repeats and set schemes, which strain the muscle fibres with intensities of different magnitudes and maximum recruitment.

Make sure that your triceps and biceps get worked. Simply pressing and curling large weights is far from enough for a successful bicep workout, as too many other muscles like the shoulders and back might compensate and perform a large amount of the routine's work instead of the biceps. Swinging weights and cheating are not all there is to a successful bicep workout.

Another thing that one must keep in mind during your workouts is not to overtrain one's arms by using them in every workout. Furthermore, one should not undervalue the stimulation the arm muscles get from focussing on the other major muscle groups. A good test to find out if your workout has been successful is to watch out for soreness in the arms the following day. Be careful about overdoing the cheating techniques during the bicep workout, as the exercises will not work as efficiently as they might and it might not seem like you've even had them trained, the following day.

There is a stress to replace the fluids present within the body due to the fact that a bicep workout causes a large amount of heat, consequently causing an equally large amount of sweat. Obviously, the more a one sweats, the more fluids and other electrolytes are removed from one's body. It is essential for one to restore these fluids along restore electrolytes in order to sustain the balance kept in the body and avoid any damage during the bicep workout.

Don't Let Dehydration Stop Your Running!

Running in the heat accelerates dehydration. That?s why you need to take precautions to avoid both dehydration and heat stroke. Acclimating to the heat for about two weeks is recommended for runners.

Water and electrolytes are lost through sweat and need to be replaced. Essential body salts, such as sodium, potassium, and phosphate need to be replaced. This can be done with a good electrolyte drink mix. Since you'll be more hydrated, your running performance will be improved. It's important to replace sodium during long runs.

Sodium helps the body to retain fluid and potassium is essential for muscle and nerve function. The body needs a balance of these to function properly. If you have too much or too little sodium it could seriously affect your performance. You could cause problems with your nervous system if you have too much or too little potassium.

An electrolyte drink, such as Vitalyte, that is balanced will improve a runner's performance. Drinking enough water and taking in enough sodium will help give runners the edge they need to succeed.

Improve Memory and Intelligence with Electrolytes

You work your heart and muscles to improve their condition and tone. You want to have a low resting heart rate and slow deep breathing, all the time. Exercise helps everyone definitely. There is nothing better you can do to depression than regular exercise. But it is also very desirable to directly train the nervous system to function efficiently and effectively. Anyone can become healthier.

When you need to exercise your brain it does not mean soduku and crossword puzzles. For almost all, the stimulation is not the big issue. The problem is insufficient capacity for relaxing the nervous system. Not mean the kind of relaxation you get after physical exhaustion or a few shots of tequila. The formation of the relaxation response.

The methods I describe below are permanent benefits for a wide range of issues. Many involve biological monitoring and biofeedback. Biofeedback interactive media training with a view of their physiological responses. It's like an exercise with mirror inside body. The ability of a nerve to fire depends on the presence of electrolytes - minerals such as potassium, sodium, magnesium chloride and dissolved in water. They are called electrolytes to signify their role in the conduction of electricity in the human body. If you have very little sodium and potassium in your diet, the imbalance can slow down the ability to drive signals from neurons.

Replace Electrolytes You Sweat Out

For most of us who perform regular workouts, sweating is not an uncommon phenomenon. In fact, it is the evidence of our hard work and it signals growth. Through sweating, our bodies cause us to lose water and other essential electrolytes to prevent the body from overheating. Sweat glands soak water from the blood vessels and transfer it to the skin with some salts. These droplets of water evaporate taking away some bit of energy from the skin in the form of heat. Scientific research has proven that we could lose as much as three liters of water from our skin during one hour of a heavy workout session!

Well there's nothing to be afraid of, but you must assure that your body receives enough liquid before, during and after exercises. To keep a good check on your water levels, weigh yourself just before the workout session and immediately after it. Deduct the amount of water that you take during the session. You must have 16 ounces of water to replenish the amount of water loss for each pound. For example, if you lose 3 pounds of weight during the session, you must drink at least 48 ounces of water. Another good way to assure that your body is properly hydrated is through the color of your urine. A lemonade-like color of your urine indicates that the body is well hydrated while a darker tone indicates water requirement. .

In order to ensure optimum water levels, you must consume water 15 minutes before you start your workout session. After every 20 minutes of exercise, try to gulp at least 8 ounces of water. Water is the best hydrating agent during your exercises but a sports drink can help you as well. Sport drinks not only replenish the water content but also contain electrolytes such as sodium and potassium, which address necessary salt needs

Human Batteries Need Electrolytes and Salt

Salt is an essential nutrient for everyone and is vital to attaining optimum health, so why has the media and the mainstream regarded it as the devil of the dinner table for so long?

Our cells all contain salt. We sweat salt. Our tears contain salt. Our blood is salty. If we don't eat salt, where will it come from?

The question should not be "Do we need salt". We absolutely do. We cannot live without it. The questions should be "What kind of salts are good and bad for us?".

Generic table salt is indeed the devil of the dinner table and should be avoided as much as possible because it is highly refined and processed resulting in pure sodium.chloride and nothing else; no trace minerals, nothing. This is toxic and harmful.

99% of the world's research on salt is done on commercial table salt. This is the only salt they know of. They think all salt is the same - but they're wrong. You can't function without salt. You can't digest food without salt. Your heart can't function. Your adrenal glands can't function. Your liver can't function Your kidneys can't function.

If salt was so bad, why do they feed intravenous saline solutions in hospital patients? They do that because the body runs on salt. Without salt, we run out of electrolytes. Without electrolytes, our human batteries die out.

A salt-free diet speeds up aging. Your cells must be bathed in a sodium-based, extracellular fluid. When the cells are not in this fluid, they will explode. This has been proven biologically. The cells of a mammal deprived of sodium literally explode.

Overcoming Stress With Electrolytes

Courtesy of Dr Borkin:

"Dr. Michael Borkin, NMD is a pioneer in hormone and electrolyte research. He specializes in hormone and electrolyte testing and balancing.

His evaluation of hormones levels in patients provides an in-depth snap shot of the health level and disease processes. These tests and the unique balancing programs created by the trained doctors and lab technicians are incredibly valuable for individuals who have used anabolic steroids, HGH (human growth hormone), insulin, testosterone and progesterone without understanding the importance of exact supplementation in response to test results. Gross dosing without testing has caused many people to be biochemically and hormonally out of balance.

Dr. Michael Borkin is also one of the creators of the science of bio-identical hormones and transdermal (through the skin) creams. Unique creams are created for each patient to restore hormonal homeostasis. The creams are made up of hormones, hormone precursors, nutrients, homeopathics, herbs and electrolytes. Specific electrolyte and nutrient rich supplements help balance each patient's bio-chemistry in all their cells, including the brain.

Dr. Borkin invested many years in treating the "Who's Who" of Hollywood and Las Vegas. After studying so many people who violate the health laws and natural circadian cycle (24-hour light and dark cycle), that stay up all night and sleep during the day, he became the leading expert on the three stages of adrenal exhaustion and the terrible consequences of a stressful life.

As we all know, stress kills. Some of the most famous actors, stars and athletes are his patients. They keep his name as a jealously guarded secret so he will personally have time to work with them. They want to take advantage of his knowledge and research so he can create and monitor their special balancing programs. They are desperate to look younger, have more energy, feel their best and perform at optimal levels.

Dr. Borkin has developed a 24-hour test of the flood of hormones throughout the entire body, every 4 hours. A patient starts collecting their saliva at 8 AM. They take a sample every 4 hours until 4 AM the next morning. By studying the levels of bio-active hormones and electrolytes available in saliva, doctors learn a great deal about the health and disease processes going on inside their patients' cells."

Electrolytes Help Cure Headaches

The first thing you have to identify is what triggered your headache, and then you will be able to find the best headache medication for it. Common causes of headaches include stress, dehydration, and tension.

Stress, being unavoidable factor in the modern life, is the number one cause of headaches. The remedies for these types of headaches include finding a solution to the problem, taking headache medication found in the drug store and trying to relax by a long bath followed by a good night's sleep. Exercise and massage can also successfully relieve stress.


Dehydration is another common cause of headaches, which can transform into migraines if not treated right away with plenty of liquids as the first and foremost step. Depending on the level of dehydration you may have water or electrolytes enriched drinks such as Vitalyte. Headache medicine when dehydrated should only be administered with plenty of liquids and something to eat as you may also feel nausea if you take the medication on an empty stomach.

There are also tension headaches and migraines that can happen on a regular basis because of a medical condition you may have and for which you are taking medications already; in that case you need to consult a doctor for headache medication that does not interfere with the drugs you are taking and will not worsen your present health state.

Stop Night Cramps! Drink More Electrolytes!

Everyone experiences muscle cramps from time to time due to intense pain and an inability to use the affected leg muscles. It can occur at the front of the thigh (quadriceps), back of the thigh (hamstrings) and the lower legs or calves (gastrocnemius). A cramp can last from a few seconds to 15 minutes or longer, and can possibly recur several times before it goes away. But have you ever experienced waking up in the middle of the night with a sudden painful cramp in your leg? Is it so painful that it can even make you cry? This condition is referred to as night leg cramps. Night leg cramps are contractions of the leg muscles, usually in the back of the lower leg or calf. They usually occur just as you're about to fall asleep, or when you are about to wake up.


When this happens, the leg muscles remain painfully tight and contracted. Experts say that the exact cause of night leg cramps is unknown but they believe that it may be due to the body's abnormal processing of electrolytes. Electrolytes such as salt and minerals are essential elements and chemical substances that your body needs for basic muscle functions. Other factors include inadequate stretching and muscle fatigue. Electrolytes stop leg cramps.

Calcium deficiency is also one of the common causes of leg cramps at night especially among women. If you are post-menopausal, trying to lose weight, or don't consume enough calcium, you are susceptible to night leg cramps. To alleviate leg cramps, experts advise the increase calcium consumption. This can also prevent other problems associated with calcium deficiency like osteoporosis. When taken regularly, calcium supplements may help relieve the pain caused by leg cramps.

Electrolytes for Your Hangover Cure

It is possible that "What happens in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas" but after a great night of clubbing your second night in town, your hangover may just keep you from having a good time for the rest of your weekend! Is it possible to eleviate one completely? Some say yes. Keep in mind if you don't drink very often at home, don't think you can handle partying like a superstar when you get to Vegas and not pay the price.

So what is the definition of a hangover? Many people might say they recognize it when they get one! Hangovers change from person to person, and can lead to a severe headache to a full blown vomit fest and feeling of "blah". Actual hangover symptoms are headaches, redness of the eyes, increased sensitivity to light and sound, muscle aches, thirst and fatigue.

Truly, a hangover is the outcome of your body being dehydrated, and still a little withdrawal from all of the recent alcohol in your blood stream. The answer to your dehydration and a hangover cure? Electrolyte Replenishment.

Children and Senior Athletes

In young children, adolescents and in older (40+) athletes, we find natural hydration mechanisms (thirst triggers, taste) and heat dissipation functions (skin blood flow and sweat rates) are underdeveloped or diminished, making proper hydration strategies a bigger concern. In these populations cognitive monitoring is generally required.

The other side of the equation starts with "a little bit of knowledge can be dangerous"

This is never more true than in the world of nutrition, and hydration is no exception. In recent years there has been so much attention focused on "water" intake (especially with the increased marketing efforts from makers of bottled water). The average, lightly active person has no trouble replacing the approximate loss of two to three liters of fluids used daily, and it's often done without drinking one glass of pure water. In spite of this, the average person is exposed to a considerable amount of information/advertising that tells them they require considerably more.

Hydration, Dehydration & Electrolytes

Hydration and Dehydration

Dehydration occurs when fluid losses exceed 1% of body weight. Symptoms include headache, irritability and fatigue. Fluid replacement is needed before, during and after physical activity. This is critical in preventing dehydration. Water is important in physical activity and is the one nutrient most often neglected by people. Water is essential for temperature control, circulation, and urine production. Proper fluid replacement before, during and after physical activity actually influences you're performance. Water's most important function in physical activity is its role in acting as a coolant for working muscles and maintaining normal body temperature. During exercise, heat is lost primarily through evaporation.

When sweat evaporates, heat is released from the blood circulating near the skin, cooling the body. Sweat losses of 1 to 2 litters per hour are not excessive during exercise in the heat. The body also sweats in cold whether making adequate hydration an important consideration during physical activity in cold environments. Sweat loss also occurs during participation of water sports. Dehydration compromise heat dissipation causing the body's temperature to rise and loss of coordination. Fluid losses cause a decrease in oxygen consumption which results in a reduction of work capacity. Thirst is not the best indicator of the body's water needs. Fluid should be consumed at regular intervals during physical activity.

What about Electrolyte Loss?

Although electrolytes are lost in sweat, the loss of water is considerably larger. During endurance events (marathons, triathlons, ultra-marathons) in warm climate electrolyte loss can be critical. The environmental condition, fitness and severity of sweat losses must be consider. Although the total amount of electrolytes and minerals in the body is relatively small, each is vital for cell function. They have regulatory roles as well as providing structure for formation of bones and teeth. Electrolytes and minerals, like vitamins, can be usually obtained in the required amounts in a balanced diet. The Electrolytes of concern include sodium and potassium which are located primarily in body fluids. They are the main electrolytes lost in sweat. The major minerals of interest are: Calcium, the major component of bone and teeth; Iron, an essential component of hemoglobin (Hgb) which carries oxygen through the body.

How Much Does Hydration Effect My Performance?

If you are not properly hydrated, you do not have the potential to perform your best, even if exercise is only a few minutes long. The greater the duration of the task, the greater decrease one will experience in performance with inadequate hydration. Many athletes and exercisers mistakenly think that their thirst will guide them to ideal hydration. Thirst typically occurs when the one's water deficit is approximately two percent of body mass. Performance begins to be impaired with a fluid loss of as little as 1%, suggesting our natural thirst mechanisms cannot keep up with exercise-induced fluid losses. In other words, by the time we register we are thirsty, performance may be in decline.

How can performance be affected by such small fluid deficits? It may be due in part to the decrease in plasma volume (any decrease in fluids will automatically decrease blood/plasma levels), impairing the delivery of oxygen and nutrients in and out of muscles. Along with the loss of fluids, especially during prolonged exercise and profuse sweating, we also lose electrolytes that are involved in muscle and nerve function. Also with prolonged exercise, there is a significant decrease in muscle and liver glycogen, the body's main energy sources. Replacing fluid, electrolytes and glucose is the formula for performance success, especially in longer duration exercise (more than 60 minutes) in hot environments.

Tips to Staying Hydrated

Many people, especially those in hot weather climates, have challenges with staying hydrated. People simply don't know how much water is needed, and what basic, daily activities will dehydrate their bodies. Hydrating yourself is simple if you follow a few easy tips. These tips are especially important when participating in a weekly exercise program.

1. It is important to limit your caffeine intake. Caffeine naturally dehydrates the body, causing immediate dehydration. While that morning coffee or latte at Starbucks sounds great, try going for a morning walk to gain the energy you need for your day.

2. Upon waking consume 16 oz. of water in the morning. This will not only hydrate your body it will give your system a much needed jump start for the day. The human body actually loses water during sleep.

3. Don't wait until your thirsty to drink water. By the time you feel thirsty, you have probably already lost two or more cups of your total body water composition.

4. Throughout the day, consume one gallon of water. While this may sound like a lot of water, if you fill up a milk jug size bottle with water, and drink it throughout the day, you will see it's not that hard. It is important not to consume more than 2 gallons of water. This will flush the body of important vitamins and minerals needed for daily activity.

5. For every hour of working out, consume AT LEAST 16 ounces of water or a sports drink. This will keep your body functioning at 100% of its capabilities. In addition, when finished exercising, drink at least 8 ounces of a sports drink.