Sports Drinks
In today’s blog, we’ll consider the following:
The Great American Sugar Paradox
Sugar lessons learned the hard way
Creating a healthy choice for Superhumans
First, let me offer my congratulations to my returning readers. You are a valued part of the bodyhelix neural-cultivating effort. The fact that you read these blogs is evidence that you intend to improve your knowledge base and extend your Health-Span. This sets you apart from the triviality that permeates our culture. You take training seriously and aspire to learn what works for you. At bodyhelix, we constantly strive to learn, too. And we love to share and inspire others. Our goal is for others to benefit from our team's experience.
You know how hard we’ve worked to bring you the best sports compression gear in the world. We encourage everyone to do their own homework about fabric science and the advantages of compression. I predict the more you learn the more appreciation you’ll have for the diligence we’ve put into our research and the meticulousness of our manufacturing. Bodyhelix surpasses the athletic industry titans to serve you better.
We are proud to put our brand name on a new product, a ‘real’ sports drink. Our formula is not candy water, which is the core of most so-called sports drinks on the market today. Ours is fuel for Superhumans. Your support team at bodyhelix brings innovation — again. Personally, I’ve spent years searching for a genuine sports drink. Along the way, I have learned many painful lessons. Below is my story of how team bodyhelix is blazing another trail in the sports performance category. And it’s a true story – not a bunch of hype by advertising scoundrels. I’m delighted to announce that our team has created a sports performance drink like no other. But first, let me set the scene…
The Great American Sugar Paradox
Have you heard of the Great Sugar Paradox? Part two of that question: Why does the American consumer so readily accept Candy Water as a Sports-Drink? Last week’s blog introduced the antiquated elastic bandage calamity and how it’s still being inflicted on athletes today. Similarly, this blog is taking a hard look at what athletes are gulping down in the name of ‘performance’. Just like the dilemma of the bandage deficit, the news about today’s sports drinks may be even worse.
Americans love their sugar, to the point of addiction. And big food companies know it. No secret here. The titan companies are well aware of the physiology of the body and sugar, and they understand the addictive qualities of sugar. The giant companies retain teams of Ph.D.’s who craft compelling advertisements that justify the sale of cool-sounding candy water products. And star athletes are endorsing these counterfeit sports drinks and making a nice profit to boot.
They wrap a ‘semi-truth’ around their messaging by promoting the supposed energy boost that sugar delivers. Glucose (sugar) does provide needed energy for our body’s cells. Glucose formed by foods high in carbohydrates causes insulin production to increase, resulting in a decrease in energy and an increase in tiredness. It can leave you flat on your face (lower blood sugar levels), which is not ideal for an endurance sport. Did you know that a 32-ounce sports drink can contain 76 grams of sugar? That’s equal to about 19 teaspoons, about six times the recommended daily amount, especially for kids and teenagers.
Eating sugar releases opioids and dopamine in our bodies. Sugar is more addictive than cocaine in some animal models. Sugar is probably the most consumed addictive substance around the world! And it’s wreaking havoc on our health and athletic performance. I hope this is not news to you. This has been well documented for some time – which begs the question:
Why do parents resolutely pack coolers full of candy water for their kids’ sports activities? Answer: Because those big food industry scoundrels make obscene profits by marketing their slick stories. Parents are picking up what the scoundrels are putting down. In other words, big drink companies tell consumers what they want to hear – long-lived marketing tactics that always work.
Let me digress a bit on commonly used marketing tactics to make my point. Have you heard of “Pester Power”? I’m not making this up. This corporate marketing strategy refers to a child’s ability to nag parents into purchasing items they may not otherwise buy. Marketing to children is all about creating pester power because advertisers know what a powerful force it can be.
Coach’s challenge: The next time you go to your child’s big game, bring a cooler of chilled filtered water for the team instead of the orange, green, blue, and pink candy waters. Filtered water is a far better choice for kids. Can you predict the revolt? Unless and until kids are raised with accurate nutritional knowledge, your water choice will be smashed. And you’ll be pestered into submission.
Pester power and advertising geared toward kids sets the stage for decision-making by the child rather than the parent. Marketing companies put your children in charge of your spending choices. It is conservatively estimated that advertisers spend more than $12 billion per year to reach the youth market. Children view more than 40,000 commercials each year. This has climbed dramatically in the last 40 years.
Candy water is not relegated just to kids. It’s everywhere on all sports fields – in high schools, colleges, and professional arenas. Those highly compensated persuasive sports stars flaunt the great taste and energy lift. And no doubt these phony drinks taste great – they’re liquid confections. It’s no mystery that these behemoth companies choose their revenues over our collective health. Make good choices with your sports drinks.
That said, the most elite athletes who are committed to their sport will not be seen drinking bogus sports drinks. No way. They are elite performers because they’ve done their homework, and they know better.
Sugar lessons learned the hard way
As my readers know, I take the liberty of sharing my opinions and my real-life experiences in these blogs. Here’s a sugar lesson I learned the hard way. In my 20s, I lived in Florida and played competitive tennis in the oppressive heat. During one memorable match, it happened. My body locked up with cramps after being on the court for only about 45 minutes. I was shocked – and in a lot of pain. I’m rolling around in agony on a clay court with total body cramps in the heat.
It was a bad situation and also a dangerous one. I never wanted that to happen again. I figured I just need to hydrate with those great orange sports drinks – brilliant! Wrong. Strike two! I was back on the ground with severe muscle cramps. So much so that I needed a doctor’s care. I emphatically remember my doctor’s question: “Why are you drinking sugar water while competing?” I told him it was a ‘sports’ drink. Fortunately for me, he was an excellent physician as well as an accomplished athlete. He was devoted to studying nutrition and training. Choose your sports drinks carefully.
This was my first foray into scoundrel marketing (profits before truth). I was furious for being so easily duped. I wondered why those powerful goliath companies can’t offer a healthy choice rather than perpetuating the Great American Sugar Paradox. I guess their deceptive approach works just fine for them.
Creating a healthy choice for Superhumans
Now you might sigh and say, “Coach, really, superhumans?” Neural-Cultivating has taught me invaluable lessons. One such piece of wisdom is this: “Using your common sense will get you common results.” Who wants common results? Scoundrel marketing thrives on people who settle for common, average, the lemmings. Just look how commonplace those orange, green and blue candy waters are on sports fields around our country.
Additionally, Neural-Cultivating has shown me that uncommon sense leads me to extraordinary results. Consider those athletes who are diligently doing the homework and research to be superhumans. Nothing average or common about this breed. Bodyhelix is devoted to the uncommon superhumans, those of you who are willing to do what it takes to advance your mind, body, and performance.
I have searched for a performance drink over the decades of my athletic career. Finally, with team bodyhelix, I have been able to customize a formula that meets my athletic needs, conforms to my stringent ingredient criteria, and exceeds all industry benchmarks. When I compete, I need three things in a hydration formula. I call these essentials the Big 3 Es. I must have Energy with no spiking. I require a formula that provides Endurance with consistent energy levels from beginning to end. And I need Electrolytes as a sweat replacement to prevent cramping. I need the Big 3 in my camp all at the same time, and I need them to stay in my camp for a long time.
The Search for Energy
I didn’t like the jittery roller-coaster ride that my mind and body were experiencing from the make-believe sports drinks. Of course, I researched those formulas and ran across a lot of hooey about those jazzed-up quick energy drinks. These left me fidgety and crashing before I could get to the finish line. This seesaw resulted in a lack of focus. For a professional tennis player, losing focus is a recipe for disaster. Winning national championships necessitates sustainable energy.
All the ginseng and sugar-laden products caused my body and mind to fly all over the place -- except on the court dialed into the zone. I also found that at night, when I needed crucial restful sleep, I would frequently wake with a wired feeling I simply hated. Our carb component provides a safer, slow-release energy source. No jitters and no seesaw.
The Search for Endurance
The next question for me to answer was how to continually recharge my body with a steady flow of energy. When it comes to endurance, I realized that during a grueling 4-hour singles match there was no way to effectively refuel. I couldn’t eat enough to get me through this marathon, and I certainly couldn’t eat adequately during the match. To make matters even worse, in my events I typically had about a one-hour rest after the singles match before the doubles competition.
The trick was to find a consistent rate at which the energy was released into my system. A slow and steady rate would allow me to go on and on – unlike the quick jolt and quick crash from other drinks. A clear mind from beginning to end allows effective, smart, and powerful tennis from the warm-up to match point. That’s why we are utilizing the patented pea super starch, not corn like most brands. Its low glycemic index will support energy and recovery needs while avoiding blood sugar spikes. Choose sports drinks with complex carbs.
The Search for Electrolytes
How could I replace electrolytes at the rate I was losing them to avoid cramping? During the grueling tennis marathons I played, the worst feeling was the sensation of those first muscle twinges. You know what’s coming – full-blown cramping and being unable to finish the match. What good is it to play flawlessly for a while, only to flounder before I get to match point. Another thing I learned the hard way was the fact that as my body would approach the threshold of cramps my muscles became highly susceptible to injuries.
Tense muscles caused my body to be stiff and ache. Sweat cools the body, but when cramps take over you may stop sweating – not good. Cramps can occur because of electrolyte depletion, not dehydration. Our new formula contains sweat replacement ingredients: sodium, potassium, and magnesium.
By carefully synchronizing the ingredients that satisfy the Big 3 Es, our new formulation allows me to compete longer with sustained energy levels. The customized blend of the Big 3 Es helps me stay focused without roller-coaster energy bursts that zap me out of the zone. The highly efficient carb source prevents muscle cramps because they are packed with electrolytes. The result is incredible endurance.
In a few short weeks, bodyhelix will be releasing our new drink called “Hydro Helix”. I’ll continue to bring you more details about our exploration and successful design of this new source of energy and endurance. We are excited to bring this sports drink to you using the same rigor we cultivated in the creation of our compression gear. Bodyhelix makes products that allow athletes to perform at their highest levels. Our mission is to design products with the final litmus test being social responsibility. We make innovative products that we love, and then we provide them for our friends.
I hope this blog created an awareness of the harm of candy water and disinformation perpetuated by unscrupulous enterprises. Bodyhelix wants you to be at your best. Stay healthy and continue to Move Through It! Learn. Share. Inspire.
Have a thoughtful day,
Coach Fred
