Question

1. What is the role of water in the body discuss the importance of hydration especially in relation to exercise and the benefits of fluid replacement

2.  Daily recommendations (What are they for water? Do the sports beverages have daily recommendations? Does coconut water have daily recommendations? If not, explain how one should use them).

3. Nutrient content (Explain what ingredients/nutrients are found in each beverage; due to the fact that there are so many flavors and varieties of sports beverages and coconut water to choose from, make a general statement about ingredients found in them). And, do not forget that there are nutrients found in water and you must highlight a few of them and explain their purpose.

Answer 1

1.  Body uses water in all its cells, organs, and tissues to help regulate its temperature and maintain other bodily functions.  Water carries nutrients and oxygen to all cells in the body. It helps excrete waste through perspiration, urination, and defecation, It protects your tissues, spinal cord, and joints, It helps create saliva.and other body fluids. When you exercise there is increase in body temperature, as a result lot of water is lost through sweat and evaporation, if water is not replaced than dehydration can set in, Drinking fluid during exercise and afyer exercise is necessary to replace fluids lost in sweat. This action will reduce the risk of heat stress, maintain normal muscle function, and prevent performance decreases due to dehydration. During exercise not only water is lost, some amount of electrolytes and small amounts of nutrients like carbohydrate is also lost, if these are not replaced than fatigue can setin, so it is necessary to replace these nutrients and salts by taking suitable energy drinks.

2.We’re constantly losing water through sweat, urination and breathing. Ensuring we have enough water is a fine balance, and crucial to avoiding dehydration Many factors (both internal and external) ultimately affect your need for water, depending upon the temperature, physical activity, diet and many other factors,  Health authorities commonly recommend eight 8-ounce glasses, which equals about 2 liters, or half a gallon of water each day.This could go upby 10 to 20 % if you are physicaly very active or if you are living in very hot conditions.

Sports beverages does not have any daily recommendation, individuals  should only have sports drinks during extended and heavy exercise that lasts longer than an hour, personaly i would prefer on all ocasions water,  water should be the beverage of choice for hydration before, during and after physical activity, unless it is recommended by a specailst. It is safe to drink coconut water, It is low in calories and contains natural enzymes and minerals like potassium that make it a good drink, however there is no daily recommended levels for coconut water also.

3.Sports drinks are beverages made of water, sugars, small amounts of minerals like sodium and potassium and sometimes other ingredients. They are made with specific amounts of sodium and sugar to make it easy for your body to absorb. Some sports drink contains, caffeine, herbs or other unregulated substances, you should be carefull consuming them. The bottom line is that . Carbohydrates and minerals like sodium are the only ingredients proven for safety and performance. Other ingredients such as herbs, amino acids and caffeine should be avoided.  Coconut water forms naturally in the fruit and contains 94% water and very little fat.It contains some amount of sugar (less than sports drink), potassium, sodium and calcium, which all could be usefull to the body.  The principal ions found in water are calcium, magnesium, sodium, bicarbonate, sulfate, chloride and nitrate, Most of the inorganic chemicals in drinking water are naturally occurring. They are acquired by the contact of water with rocks and soil and the effects of the geological setting, including climate However, the chemical composition of drinking water can change depending upon the contaminating effects of industry, human settlements, agricultural activities and water treatment, sometimes more chlorine can be found in drinking water. The human body needs sodium in order to maintain blood pressure, control fluid levels and for normal nerve and muscle function, Potassium is also important for maintaining the balance of acids and bases in the body, calcium also functions as a pH stabilizer, because of its buffering qualities. Calcium also gives water a better taste.