In a long distance event, when you start to feel you’ve reached a sugar overload, it often gets difficult to carry on eating properly. OVERSTIM.s® has specially designed a savoury range for when you’ve reached sugar overload.
Why are sports drinks important?
While the main fuel is still carbohydrates, simply feeling nauseated by sugar should not stop you from refuelling your sports energy. Because plain water, although thirst-quenching, does not compensate for mineral losses or bring energy during the activity.
Especially since exercising in hot weather increases sweat losses, which increases the need for vitamins and minerals, including sodium. Long-term, completely stopping the consumption of sports drinks will speed up dehydration and will jeopardise success in your sports goals (hypoglycaemia, food cravings, decreased alertness, etc.).
If you want to get to the end of your event, the solution will therefore be to maintain your intake by taking unsweetened products, whose nutritional contents will meet the needs of the sports practice.
Sodium’s role
During long distance events, it is important to provide sodium to your body. During a sporting activity, since blood is “saltier” than sweat, athletes who only hydrate with plain water are diluting their salt concentration in the blood. Hyponatremia is what can later manifest after several hours of sporting activity, with fatigue, dizziness, headaches, nausea… To counter this risk, consider taking savoury products and sports drinks.
Do not wait for sugar overload before doing something about it
To beat sugar overload, OVERSTIM.s offers two solutions:
• The tomato-flavoured Savoury HYDRIXIR® drink with carbohydrates and proteins will ensure you have constant energy in your long-distance events.
• The Origin’Bar OVERSTIM.s® SAVOURY BARS that you regularly take during your sporting activity in rotation with the range of sweet products.
Switch between flavours
To avoid the tedium that can set in by repeatedly drinking beverages with the same flavour, it is a good idea to pick contrasting flavours – such as red berries and mint – alternating between periods of about 1 hour.
DID YOU KNOW?
Taking sodium tablets is strongly discouraged! Indeed, massive sodium intake in the form of salt tablets is not recommended. Their concentration, which is much higher than that of food, retains sodium in the stomach. To rebalance, the body then draws water to the stomach. The latter fills with water to the detriment of the muscles, which get dehydrated. Ingestion of these tablets aggravates the risk of dehydration and cramps, as well as the occurrence of digestive problems.
Our final tips
When you’re training for long periods, don’t wait until you’ve reached sugar overload to do something about it. If you eat or drink a savoury sports product during the first few hours of the sporting activity, you’ll prevent any feeling of sugar overload.