What You Should Drink
During harder efforts in the heat, it's important to drink something that has a similar concentration of sodium as your actual sweat. Unfortunately, everyone's sweat is different. Some people lose just a little bit of sodium in their sweat (400-700 mg Na/L) while others can lose a lot (1000-1500 mg Na/L).
Products that contain 600-800 mg of sodium per liter of water, like that found in Skratch Labs' Exercise Hydration Mix (720 mg Na/L), are always going to be better at replacing sodium in the body than just plain water. If you think you lose more sodium than others, you can have your sodium sweat concentration measured through companies like Skratch Labs and use a drink product higher in sodium, like the Rescue Hydration Mix (1500 mg Na/L) and the Hyper Hydration Mix (3500 mg Na/L).
If you can’t get your actual sodium sweat measured, one way to guesstimate your needed sodium intake is to drink to thirst, and weigh yourself before and after exercise. If your body weight is significantly under its initial weight (greater than three percent of body weight loss), then you likely need more sodium.
The closer you get to replacing the actual sodium you lose during exercise, the more you will be able to satisfy your thirst while still maintaining optimal performance.
The bottom line? Listen to your body. And know the smarter your rehydration strategy, the better your body will perform.
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