July 28, 2007 by PFI
Now that we have entered the dog days of summer let’s keep up the review of sports and hydration. So what about vitamin water is this fad or function? Nutritional deficiencies in industrialized nations are rare and sports scientists haven’t decided if athletes need more than the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamins and minerals. There is a lot of conflicting information out there and Personal Trainers at Pinnacle Career Institute are taught to discern the difference between what may help or hinder your health and fitness goals. If you don’t need extra vitamins and minerals and you probably don’t then consuming vitamin water may simply slow your fat loss goals. For general health and fitness it’s hard to beat plain old water for most of your hydration needs!
July 23, 2007 by PFI
That is a great question that confuses a lot of people. Personal trainers need to know the differences between energy drinks and sports drinks so they can provide the right answer when asked this question. An energy drink usually implies that it contains legal stimulants (caffeine, guarana, taurine, various forms of ginseng, ect) or supplements to increase your energy levels. Some of these supplements are unproven and may be potentially dangerous so beware! Certain aspects of sports drinks make them ideal for use and not all energy drinks share those elements. Energy drinks may be higher in sugar than recommended and that can reduce digestion and upset your stomach too. The stimulants in energy drinks may cause stomach irritation and the increase in heart rate is undesirable as well. Most energy drinks won’t contain essential electrolytes required for exercise. I’d recommend using a sports drink or beverage and not an energy drink before or during exercise. For more info: http://www.gssiweb.com/Article_Detail.aspx?articleid=310
