Why is energy replacement important and how did it get linked to hydration?
When you exercise you burn calories and use up energy. Fortunately, you can get a quick energy boost by drinking or eating something that has fast absorbing calories. These are called high-glycemic foods. Fast energy foods are carbohydrates and a good example of a fast energy food is sugar (sucrose). Normally you dont want to eat sugar for a variety of reasons, but when you need fast energy its a good choice and better than some other choices such as high-fructose corn syrup which is frequently used because its cheaper than sugar. Dextrose is also a good choice, but it isnt as readily available (although its the sweetener in Smarties candy and the second sweetener in powdered Gatorade). Apparently, some fast energy foods are more easily absorbed than others and some can slow down the absorption of water, at least if the concentration is greater than 7% (Gatorade and most sports drinks are 6% or less). You will need to look at the ingredients to know what you are getting. Two simple sou
