What should you drink after exercise? If you don’t like plain water, you can drink these!

Do you like outdoor running? Love going to the gym? No matter what type of exercise you do, quenching your body's thirst and replenishing water are essential things. Choosing boiled water is of course the best choice, but if you occasionally want to change the taste or want to drink a beverage, what can you drink if you don't like boiled water?

How often should I drink water after exercise?

If the exercise time is between 1.5 hours and 3 hours, you must replenish enough water. The longer you exercise, the more potassium and sodium ions will be lost in the body. For example, a marathon is 42 kilometers long and can take several hours in total. It is important to replenish water at the right time.

Experts suggest that the best way to replenish water is not to drink water only when you feel thirsty, but to replenish water in time during exercise to prevent dehydration. About 200 to 300 ml of water can be replenished every 10 to 20 minutes.

Q1/Is water with added vitamins healthier?

When you sweat a lot during exercise, you must replenish electrolytes and minerals, but what about vitamins? Do I need to take additional vitamins? Experts from the American Center for Sports Medicine point out that if you have already supplemented enough vitamins in your daily diet, then you don't really need additional supplements after exercise.

Q2／After sweating, can sports drinks quench your thirst?

You don't necessarily need to drink sports drinks when you exercise. The minerals and electrolytes added to sports drinks are actually needed for athletes after intense or long-term exercise. If it is just moderate or light exercise, or even without sweating for less than 1.5 hours, then plain water is actually enough.

Q3/Do energy drinks double exercise efficiency?

The highest ingredient in energy drinks is caffeine, in addition to carbohydrates, sodium, etc. Studies have proven that caffeine can indeed stimulate nerves and enhance alertness, concentration and other performance without causing additional harm to the body. However, energy drinks themselves are not helpful for replenishing water, so remember to drink plenty of boiled water.

Want to increase metabolism? Supplement these key nutrients

If the body's basal metabolic rate is improved, the effect of exercise can be doubled with half the effort. So what nutrients are very suitable for supplementing after exercise? "Protein" is definitely the first keyword that comes to most people's minds.

Protein can indeed help repair tired muscles after exercise, but it is not enough to replenish it. Carbohydrates are also needed. This is mainly because the glycogen in the muscles may be consumed during exercise, so it needs to be replenished in moderation. The ratio of protein to carbohydrates should be maintained at about 1:3 or 1:4, such as 500 ml of sugary soy milk + 1 banana, or 2 fist-sized fruits, or 1 slice of toast with natural jam.

Berry Energy Metabolism

You read that right. Berries are well known to be high-antioxidant fruits and are also good foods for increasing the body's metabolic rate. Elderberry, blueberry, acai berry, etc. are all berry foods that you can consume more to help promote metabolism. If you can supplement more of this type of nutrients outside of exercise, you can add points to your body's metabolic rate!