"I believe that water is the only drink for a wise man." ~Henry David Thoreau
When we
exercise, our body temperature rises, and we begin to sweat. When the sweat evaporates, our body is cooled
down, and this action keeps our cells from overheating and beginning to
die. In addition to water, sweat
contains the electrolytes sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium, which help
regulate fluid levels and muscular reflexes.
It is important for the dancer to replace both the lost fluid and the
lost electrolytes.
Not all
drinks are created equal, and dancers need to know the best thing to drink to
stay hydrated and healthy.
Soda should
be avoided for several reasons. The
carbonation bubbles in soda create a bloated feeling and will likely give a
feeling of fullness before providing hydration.
Soda contains large amounts of refined sugar and has no nutritional
value. A 12-oz can of Caffeine Free
Pepsi contains 10 ¼ teaspoons of sugar, which can create a sugar high while
offering little hydration value.
While fruit
juices are also high in sugar, they contain vitamins and nutrients. They are not the best option but are a
healthier choice than soda. Consuming
the actual fruit is preferable since, in addition to hydration, the body will
reap the benefits of the fruit’s phytochemicals. Phytochemicals have been shown to have
antibacterial and antioxidant qualities and play a role in fighting cancer,
heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Sports
drinks are often recommended as a hydration solution for those who are
active. These drinks will hydrate and
contain electrolytes. Unfortunately,
sports drinks contain high fructose corn syrup (manufactured sugar), food dyes
and such a small amount of electrolytes that a person would have to consume
large amounts of them before seeing any effect.
Renowned dietitian, Nancy Clark, recommends making your own electrolyte
filled sports drink that avoids the corn syrup and dyes, using the recipe below:
¼
cup sugar
¼
tsp salt
¼
cup hot water
¼
cup orange juice plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice
3
½ cups cold water
1.
In the bottom of a pitcher, dissolve the sugar
and salt in hot water.
2.
Add the juice & remaining water; chill.
Yield: 1 quart
A fairly
recent addition to the beverage aisle in stores is vitamin water. Vitamin waters are high in caloric content
and contain small amounts of added vitamins.
During exercise, blood is diverted away from the digestive system so the
small amounts of vitamins these drinks provide have little chance of being
absorbed by the body.
Plain old
water is still the best way to keep the body hydrated during exercise. It is important to drink small amounts
before, during and after exercise to keep the fluid levels balanced in the
body. Eating a salty snack like pretzels
before exercising will help the body retain some fluid, and eating recovery
foods like yogurt, salted nuts, pizza, pretzels and bananas will help replenish
the electrolytes lost in sweat while dancing.
