Isotonic drinks for mountaineering: what they are, why use them and how to make your own homemade drink

ByMoises Campos
Isotonic drink for the mountains

When doing any activity in the mountains it is essential to drink isotonic drinks. The loss of body fluids and electrolytes results in the loss of body fluids and electrolytes. dehydrationwhich can have detrimental effects on athletic performance, as well as triggering the dreaded hypothermia in cold environments, and it has been shown that as little as a 1-2 % loss in body weight affects our physical performance.

Therefore, it is crucial that those involved in outdoor sports or activities, such as skiing and snowboarding, are able to hiking or mountaineering, remain in a hydrated resting state (with body fluids at normal levels) before the activity, minimising dehydration during the activity and rehydrating fully after the activity.

Different types of sports drinks

There are many different types of sports drinks, but what are the differences? Sports drinks can be classified as hypotonic, hypertonic and isotonic. But what does this mean?

  • Hypotonic sports drink is a dilute solution containing approximately less than 40 g carbohydrate per litre (4 % carbohydrate solution).
  • Hypertonic drink, on the other hand, is more concentrated and contains more than 80 g of carbohydrates per litre (8% carbohydrate solution).
  • Isotonic sports drink is a "typical" sports drink containing 40 to 80 g of carbohydrate per litre (4 to 8 % of carbohydrate solution). This type of sports drink has the same osmolarity as body fluids and is therefore the most effective way to rehydrate both during and after exercise.

Sodium plays an important role in sports drinks, even helping to retain fluids in the body instead of eliminating them through urine or sweat. Studies have suggested that sodium solutions are better for rehydration, as they help to reduce excessive urination.

Carbohydrates and isotonic drinks for mountains

It has been shown that the carbohydrate intake is beneficial for athletes competing in sports with high intensity efforts of more than 60 minutes duration. Mountain activities fall into this category. Exercise and sunshine will cause you to lose a good amount of electrolytes and carbohydrates.

Benefits in particular are seen in the timing of repeated high intensity efforts, as well as in skill, decision making, cognitive function and reaction time. All of these are of great importance from both a physical performance and mountain safety point of view.

In terms of quantity, the research suggests that 30-60 g per hour is an ideal amount of carbohydrate to consume during high-intensity exercise.which is approximately 0.5-1 L of a typical 6% carbohydrate solution.

When to consume isotonic drinks

An isotonic drink would be beneficial in sports lasting more than 60 minutes. These drinks can be consumed during the warm-up or during the activity itself, with the aim of consuming 30-60 g of carbohydrate per hour.

For rehydration purposes, try to also consume an isotonic drink immediately after exercise for maximum benefits.

Homemade isotonic drink

To make this drink, apart from the ingredients mentioned below, the steps should be followed, without forgetting the above guidelines. Isotonic drinks will be complements to be used in situations of great physical demand, outside this area it could cause health problems - we mean that you should not get used to drinking your isotonic drink every day for breakfast for example.

  • 900 ml of water
  • 100 ml citrus juice (orange, grapefruit, lemon)
  • 1 small spoonful of salt
  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 3 tablespoons sugar (glucose)

Incorporate all the ingredients and all that is left is to mix so that they can dissolve well and there are no traces of sugar or deposits from any additives. An important recommendation is not to use very cold water, as this does not help the ingredients of the isotonic drink to dissolve completely.

If sugar is not your forte, if you are a person prone to diabetes or any situation that may alter your blood glucose values, you can use any other sweetener or sweetener, the most recommended is honey. Honey is difficult to dissolve, so you should use less than 100 g of honey, always keep this in mind.

Conclusion

The isotonic drinks for mountaineering you don't necessarily have to buy them in a sports or health food shop. Staying hydrated and using an isotonic drink will improve your physical capacity during the activity.

As you exercise in warmer climates, the rate of sweating increaseswhich is essential for maintaining thermal regulation in the body. When we sweat, not only do we lose body water, but we also lose electrolytes.such as magnesium, sodium and potassium, the main one being sodium. Isotonic drinks are used effectively, consciously and will replenish these losses.