Health

Many people think staying hydrated is all about drinking water. This isn’t surprising. If you look up hydration in the dictionary, you find two definitions: the introduction of additional fluid into the body the quality or state of being hydrated (especially: the condition of having adequate fluid in the body tissues) Both are correct, but I like the second definition more. It better expresses my overall views on hydration. It’s true: If you don’t drink enough water, you won’t have “adequate fluid in the body tissues”. You won’t be properly hydrated.  But the opposite is also true. Drinking too much water...

Carb-loading before exercise is believed to fuel workouts and help speed recovery. As evidenced by your prerace or pregame pasta dinners in high school, the mainstream conversation around this topic suggests carbohydrates, and carbohydrates only, are the key to energizing high-intensity workouts, like race day.  The theory goes that carb-loading is necessary to sustain high performance through the finish line. However, a growing body of research indicates that fat-loading is at least as effective as carb-loading, particularly for longer efforts. This is promising information for athletes who want to optimize their long-term health without sacrificing their performance on race day....

As a mostly fat-fueled guy, I’m a big believer in only using glucose when I need it. The truth is, I don’t want a hit of sugar every time I supplement sodium, potassium, or magnesium. Many of my followers feel the same way. You might have heard that adding sugar to electrolytes boosts hydration - this isn’t false. Glucose does help transport sodium, chloride, and water across the intestinal barrier. Because of this, some claim you need glucose for proper hydration. Without glucose, they say, you’ll be short on both electrolytes and energy. But these folks are confused about the...