Mitigate Cramping Without the Calories 
To combat dehydration, athletes hydrate with sports drinks that contain calories in the form of carbohydrates. Today, more and more athletes want to replace fluid and electrolytes without taking in all these calories. To meet this need,
Powerbar
recently launched their new
Electrolyte product line. What is Dehydration? It is an excessive loss of water from the body usually accompanied by a deficiency of electrolytes. Athletes face dehydration when sweat loss is greater than fluid intake. Evaporation of sweat from the skin’s surface assists the body in regulating core temperature during exercise. Sweat is composed mainly of water, but also contains minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. A deficiency of water and electrolytes may compromise physiological function and negatively influence performance because muscle cells use electrolytes to maintain voltage across cell membranes and to carry electrical impulses for muscle contraction. If these voltages are interrupted due to an electrolyte imbalance, cramping may occur.
Powerbar Electrolytes is small package of powder that you dissolve in a 16 oz bottle of water. This package contains 260mg of sodium. I tried it on my ride yesterday and I'm not sure if it made a big difference, but I didn't cramp or feel excessively fatigued. The overall taste was a little sweet form my "buds", but I added a little more water and that toned it down a bit. For a more detailed nutrition plan, check out the
PowerBar Coaching site. For a ski-specific training program to help complement your nutrition plan try a customized fitness program from
My SkiCoach today! Stay Fit Skiing! Andrew Hooge, CSCS, CES