For many of us, summer means activity and exercise, often outdoors in the blazing sun. When you come right down to it, summer just isn’t summer without a bit of sweat.
If you love to exercise in the summer, though, you’ll need to account for dehydration and muscle fatigue, both of which are exacerbated by high temperatures. Overdo it, and you risk serious health problems.
To recover, the body needs lots of water, nutrients, and electrolytes to give the body the resources it needs to recover quickly.
This is where muscle support products and a variety of sensible practices come into play.
According to Dr. Millie Little, electrolytes such as magnesium and calcium are needed for the body to achieve muscle contraction and relaxation. These minerals and a variety of salts are, together, referred to as electrolytes.
We get these minerals through food and supplementation, and in normal states of mind and body, we retain them sufficiently to promote healthy muscle action and development. However, during times of heavy exertion, exposure to the elements, or prolonged periods of high environmental heat or body temperature, we lose these minerals through our sweat at a much greater pace than we would through simple metabolism and urine.
This is why we tend to cramp during periods of high exertion and low hydration. Our muscles simply don’t have the electrolytes to work correctly!
Therefore, we need to replenish these electrolytes through supplementary means. Fortunately, there are many high-quality supplements that can be taken with water, which will give you all the extra minerals your body needs to promote healthy muscle function and recovery. Here are some in a variety of flavors, each with a slightly different electrolyte balance:
- Electrolyte Plus C in Natural Lemon Lime Flavor from Nutra Biogenesis is an energy support formula with 733 milligrams of vitamin C as calcium ascorbate, active cofactor B-complex vitamins, electrolytes, and alpha-lipoic acid. Mix the effervescent lemon-flavored powder in water or your favorite beverage for an energy-boosting drink that also doubles as an antioxidant.
- Original Quinton Isotonic 30 Amps from Quicksilver Scientific is a nutrient-rich, raw marine fluid harvested from the depths of plankton-rich ocean blooms and cold-sterilized to retain its beneficial properties. It contains up to 78 essential minerals and trace elements the body relies on for supporting cellular health.
- Green Superfood Hydrate from Amazing Grass is a superfood drink powder with essential nutrients that support energy production and recovery.
You may think that water alone is enough, but if you ever exercise and find that you experience muscle cramps or are slow to recover, you may need to be doing more.
Remember, drinking water flushes electrolytes out of your body through sweat and urine. This is why sports drinks include salts and minerals because these are what your body needs to promote healthy muscle function while also being the substances most likely to be lost during strenuous activity.
So next time you plan to have a vigorous session of summertime activity, don’t just pack the water bottle. Include a pouch of electrolytes in your backpack, or simply mix them into your water ahead of time, so you’re ready to give your body what it needs to function at its best!
