The Benefits of Starting Well Hydrated
Sodium plays a very crucial role in hydration and fluid retention in the body (and especially in the bloodstream).
In short, without the right amount of sodium in your drink, drinking extra fluids won't do much good. The importance of sodium in maintaining your performance was proven again in the late 20th century by a study on NASA astronauts .
It’s all about finding a balance between drinking enough fluids and sodium to encourage fluid retention in your bloodstream without causing gastrointestinal distress or excessive fluid retention that makes you feel bloated. Typical sports drinks – which generally contain ~200-500mg of sodium per liter – simply aren’t going to cut it for pre-loading, as they don’t contain enough sodium to make a significant difference to blood volume. On the other hand, most of the scientific research done in this area has looked at the use of extremely strong electrolyte drinks that contain up to 3600mg of sodium per liter. This sodium concentration is similar to what you would get in an IV. This high sodium concentration, while very effective at increasing blood plasma volume, can result in stomach upset, nausea, or diarrhea, which is not something we want during exercise.
A 2014 study looked at the effectiveness of 4 drink concentrations – water, 1,380 mg sodium/L, 2,750 mg sodium/L, and 3,680 mg sodium/L – comparing the effect they had on pre-exercise blood volume versus how much sickness and diarrhea they caused.
The athletes drank a fixed amount (17 ml per kg body weight, so about 1.2 l for an average 70 kg athlete) of each of the drinks and the more sodium there was, the more blood volume was increased (as expected). However, with the most concentrated drink, 6 out of 8 athletes had diarrhea compared to zero problems with the 1,380 mg/l drink and plain water
It was this study that led to the highest sodium concentration in Precision Fuel & Hydration products being 1,500 mg sodium/L for our preloading drinks and these are available in the all-natural PH 1500 drink mix format and in low-calorie PH 1500 effervescent tablets.
1,500 mg/L seemed to be the 'sweet spot' as it is very palatable and easy on the gut (we never get any comments about stomach upset from using it), while still being effective at increasing your blood plasma volumes and getting you optimally hydrated sooner.
Preloading with PH 1500
Drink 1 x PH 1500 with 500ml of water the evening before your effort or competition
Drink 1 x PH 1500 with 500 ml of water approximately 90 minutes before exercise or competition. Drink your drink at least 45 minutes before you start, so that your body has time to fully absorb what it needs and to urinate out the excess.
Drink the PH 1500 in water you would otherwise drink to ensure you don't overdo it.
Do NOT just drink lots of water (without added sodium) leading up to a competition as this will only dilute your sodium levels in your body and have the opposite effect!
In summary
Increasing your blood plasma volume before intense exercise is a proven way to improve your performance, especially in hot conditions.
A higher blood plasma volume makes it easier for your cardiovascular system to cool down and deliver oxygen to your muscles.
PH 1500 is very effective at increasing your plasma volume because it contains 3x more sodium than a typical sports drink. That extra sodium helps pull water into your bloodstream and keep it there.
Pre-Loading with PH 1500 can also help you prevent/relieve muscle cramps. 89% of athletes who previously suffered from cramps during exercise said they were relieved of the problem after pre-loading with PH 1500.
A regular sports drink has too low a sodium concentration to be used for pre-loading.
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