The #1 sports drink for heart health is……

WATER.  Basic H20.  We need 1/3 oz. water for every pound of body weight each day.  This means that a 120 lb. individual would need 40 ounces of water each day, or eight 5-oz glasses.  I’m often asked:  “How can I drink that much water?”  I recommend that you drink 1-2 glasses of pure water upon rising, just as you are beginning your day (not tea, not coffee, not juice—pure water).  Then carry a water bottle with you throughout the day.  Keep an extra bottle of water in your car or briefcase.  Choose water to drink with meals.

Pure water.  Fruit juices, soda, coffee, teas and sports drinks do not count toward this basic body need.  There is no replacement for water itself, as water diffuses into our cells as needed.   When water is taken into the body in the form of other liquids (juices, teas, coffee, etc), the additional solutes in the water can dramatically affect water uptake by the cells.

IS TAP WATER OK? 
Drinking tap water (from municipal sources) is better than no water at all.  AND, filtered water which has bacteria, heavy metals, particulates, excreted drugs which have found their way into the local water source, and chlorine and bromine are removed. 

Filtered water means that the water has undergone three processes in order to yield water that is optimal for use by our cells:

1. reverse osmosis
2. 2-micron (this is the pore-size) filtration, and
3. charcoal granulation.

HOW MUCH WATER IS NEEDED FOR EXERCISE?
It is appropriate to increase water intake with exercise…up to ½ oz or more per lb. body weight each day.  A 180-lb man will need 60 oz/day (eight 8-oz glasses of water) on days without strenuous exercise; 80-100 oz/day (10-12 eight-oz glasses) on days of strenuous exercise.  As they say, it is true that you should “drink before you are thirsty.”

With exercise, minerals and electrolytes (especially sodium and potassium) are lost with sweating along with cellular toxins.  To replace electrolytes lost during exercise, DRINK WATER and eat a healthy diet.   To replace the minerals (zinc, selenium, magnesium…), you may need a vitamin/mineral supplement to augment your food intake.