Why do people need electrolytes when they aren’t competing or working out?
Athletes and active people sometimes do a poor job of rehydrating themselves. Electrolytes, particularly sodium, are critical for proper hydration, helping maintain electrolyte balance, and helping your body hold on to the fluid it needs. • Why is Gatorade better than water? Gatorade is specially formulated to give athletes what water cannot. Studies have shown that athletes who hydrate with Gatorade perform better than when they drank just water. The performance improvements included the ability to exercise longer before fatigue (1, 2), maintaining a faster sprint speed (3, 5) and exhibiting higher explosive power (4, 5 ) in the second half of a competition period. The studies show what the inventors of Gatorade hypothesized over 40 years ago when faced with the task of determining why many Florida Gator players were both underperforming and succumbing to the effects of heat and heat related illnesses: when it comes to optimal field performance, water isn’t enough. • 1. Davis JM, et a
