Whether you're playing soccer at the park or competing in an Ironman triathlon, you need to replace the fluid you sweat out. If you don't then your body won't function at its best. Even a 2-3% drop in body weight due to dehydration can lead to fatigue and lactic-acid build-up. That can translate into a 7% drop in your performance. If you think that's no big deal, consider this: on average, the difference between the finishing time of the winner in the Tour de France and the last place rider's time is roughly 5%. In an Ironman triathlon, 7% adds around 40 minutes to an elite amateur's time. We thought that would get your attention.

However, the body needs more than plain water to rehydrate. It also needs to restore the electrolytes, sodium and potassium, that it loses through sweat. In addition to these key electrolytes, and to make rehydration even more effective, GU Electrolyte Brew packs a light dose of easily-digestible carbohydrates and a light flavor that keeps your taste buds craving more. That's all it contains because that's all you really need. Anything more would just slow you down.

Electrolytes: Necessary for Optimum Hydration and Muscle Function

There are two major electrolytes in the body: sodium and potassium. You lose them because the body works with its own perfect ratio of water-to-electrolytes1, 2. So when your body turns on the sweat glands in an effort to cool you down, it also expels excess electrolytes to keep that ratio in balance. Conversely, when you drink fluid, you also need to add a proportionate amount of electrolytes back in2, 3. The addition of electrolytes enables your body to keep that new fluid around instead of dumping it in order to restore the water-to-electrolyte balance. These electrolytes also facilitate the neuromuscular system's ability to work effectively so that your muscles keep doing what your brain tells them to do. GU Electrolyte Brew packs 325mg of sodium and 50mg of potassium into one 21 oz. serving.

GU Electrolyte Brew's Carbohydrate Blend: Fuel in the Name of Rehydration

The mix of maltodextrin and fructose found in GU Electrolyte Brew serves a dual role: it supplies working muscles with easily available fuel, and it speeds up the rehydration process by stimulating the absorption of both electrolytes and fluid in the stomach2, 4. 66% of the blend is maltodextrin, a corn-based complex carbohydrate that the body digests faster than simple sugar. The other 33% is comprised of fructose, the principle sugar found in fruit. Research shows that this 2:1 ratio of complex to simple carbohydrates will improve endurance performance by increasing the rates of exogenous carbohydrate absorption.NEW GU Electrolyte Brew uses fructose because the stomach absorbs it in tandem alongside maltodextrin and provides your muscles with as much fresh energy as possible. Fructose also adds just the right amount of sweetness and palatability. Studies have shown that we become highly sensitive to taste after extensive exercise. As a result, what tasted good at the beginning of exercise will, two-plus hours later, taste sickly sweet and become unpalatable. GU Electrolyte Brew, on the other hand, tastes perfect, which means you'll continue to drink it and keep yourself hydrated.

Citric Acid: A Tart and Powerful Energy Helper

Central to the production of energy is the citric acid cycle (Krebs Cycle), which taps citric acid and is responsible for the breakdown of amino acids, glucose, and fatty acids to produce ATP5 (the actual energy molecule that fuels your muscles). GU Electrolyte Brew uses it to speed along the processing of its carbohydrate blend. Citric acid also helps us attain a well-balanced taste flavor profile for GU Electrolyte Brew that keeps you wanting more.

Natural Flavors & Color: The Case for Natural Appeal

Studies show that taste, aroma, and color will most likely determine whether or not you keep drinking. Too much flavor or sweetness?often found in artificially flavored drinks?will cause you to stop hydrating after a while. That's why we invest in all-natural flavor and color. We want you to keep gulping down GU Electrolyte Brew all day and enjoy keeping your fluid level topped off.

References

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2. Med. and Sci. Sports Exerc. (Position Stand) 1996 (28)1: i-vii.

3. a) Int. J. Sports Med. 1992 13: 399-406.
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c) J. Appl. Physiol. 1988 65: 325-331

New. a) Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2004;36(9):1551-8.
b)Br J Nutr. 2005;93:485-92
c) J Appl Physiol. 2004;96:1277-84.
d) Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2008;40(2):275-281...to name only a few!!!

4. a) Med. Sci. Sports Exers. 1994 26: 267-280.
b) Sports Sci. Rev. 1991 19: 1-40.
c) J. Sports Sci. 1991 9: 29-52.
d) J. App. Physiol. 1993 75: 2168-2172.
e) J. Appl. Physiol. 1993 75: 2774-2780.

5. J Chem Ed 1986 63(8): 673-677.