Hydration is an essential factor affecting physical performance and cognitive function. For endurance athletes, ensuring optimal hydration isn’t merely about drinking enough water. The body requires a balanced mix of electrolytes and nutrients to efficiently absorb and retain the fluids necessary to support energy metabolism and the peak function of muscle cells, especially during long or intense endurance training.
When it comes to maintaining and replenishing hydration, nature provides a suprising blueprint that surpasses all other beverages - Dairy Milk!
With an ideal blend of complete protein plus electrolytes and carbs, milk has been demonstrated to possess a superior hydration index compared to water and traditional sports drinks, with measures of hydration power comparable to medical oral rehydration solutions (Maughan et. al., 2016).
What makes Milk "work" when it comes to hydration?
Particularly when we sweat during prolonged endurance workouts, we don’t just lose water, but also vital electrolytes. Electrolytes help maintain fluid balance inside and outside our cells. This balance ensures our muscles function optimally, prevents cramping, and aids in nerve signaling to fire those muscles when we’re exercising. When we deplete the electrolytes in our blood stream, an imbalance can occur that we feel as fatigue, cramping, and even confusion or mental fog.
The primary functions of electrolytes in Dairy:
- Sodium: The most abundant electrolyte we store in our bodies. Regulates osmotic pressure which for endurance training translates to maintaining optimal fluid balance inside and outside our muscle cells.
- Chloride: The other electrolyte derived from salt. The yin to Sodium’s yang. This electrolyte is the second most abundant in our bodies and plays a key role in maintaining fluid balance.
- Potassium: Essential for transmitting nerve signals and contracting muscles, including the heart.
- Calcium: Your body needs calcium to help muscles and blood vessels contract and expand, as well as transmit nerve signals.
- Magnesium: Helps cells as they metabolize nutrients like carbs & fat into energy. Your brain and muscles rely heavily on magnesium.
Proteins from milk have also been shown to support hydration. When taken with fluid in modest amounts, casein and whey proteins from dairy have been shown to help blood vessels reduce leakage of fluid and electrolytes into other tissue where it cannot reach muscle cells.
In modest quantity, protein can also help reduce the impact of dehydration after intense exertion or long duration exercise. Additionally, both casein and whey protein isolated from dairy provide complete amino acid profiles. Which is to say they furnish all 9 essential amino acid building blocks required to repair and build muscle that we must consume because our bodies cannot manufacture them internally.
We all know dehydration severely affects performance. Just a 2% decrease in body weight due to sweat loss can equate to reduced endurance, increased fatigue, altered thermoregulatory capability, reduced motivation, and increased perceived effort. Whether you row, swim, run, cycle or go all out on any field of play, maintaining fluid balance can ultimately determine a PR or medal.
Freak Shake mimics dairy's nutritional and hydration profile.
The Dairy blueprint provides Freak Shake with an highly effective hydration roadmap. Every individual loses electrolytes in their sweat at different concentrations, which means there isn't a single perfect electrolyte replacement formula for all. So we looked for clinical data on hydration that was conducted in a broad clinical context representing a diverse cross section of the population. It surprises many folks to learn that dairy milk, whish is abundant in electrolytes, complete protein and carbs, is nature’s original endurance drink!
That’s why we mimicked the electrolyte and nutrient profile of dairy to fortified Freak Shake Endurance drink mixes for hydration support We pack in high carbohydrates to fuel and replenish muscle cells that are rapidly depleted of energy stores during endurance training. We left out the fat and lactose (a type of sugar that can create digestive discomfort in those who have dairy intolerance).
While carb-based sports drinks are widely available, they often overlook the additional hydration benefits of this dairy hydration blueprint. For example, most sports drinks offering hydration benefit focus on sodium because it is one of the most rapidly depleted electrolytes lost in sweat. But fewer drinks offer a complete range of other important electrolytes also lost in sweat. Freak Shake Endurance Fuel provides a full panel of electrolytes and contains over 1000mg or 3 times the amount found in mainstream sports drinks. The last nutritional difference between Freak Shake and traditional hydration beverages is the inclusion of just enough protein to help promote the full utilization of fluid that an athlete consumes before, during and after endurance exercise. Freak Shake’s high carbohydrate, high electrolyte, and modest protein profile creates a hydration triple-threat.
Carbs, Electrolytes, and a bit of Protein. Whether you use it to fuel up pre-workout or recover from a strenuous session after workout, Freak Shake Endurance fuel is a delicious and convenient solution to support your hydration and endurance training goals.
Train Harder. Recover Faster. And Stay Hydrated with freak Shake Endurance Fuel.
Byron Fergerson, M.D. & David Stuart, Ph.D. are scientific advisors to Freak Shake and regularly share their expertise
REFERENCES
Maughan R., Watson, P., Codery P., Walsh, N., Oliver, S., Dolci, A., Rodriguez-Sanchez, N., Galloway, S., A randomized trial to assess the potential of different beverages to affect hydration status: development of a beverage hydration index. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 103, Issue 3, March 2016, pps 717-723. Doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.115.114769
Roy, BD., Milk: the new sports drink? A Review. J Int Soc Sport Nutr. 2008;5(1):15. Doi:10.1186/1550-2783-5-15
Berry CW, Wolf ST, Murray B, Kenney WL. Hydration Efficacy of a Milk Permeate-Based Oral Hydration Solution. Nutrients. 2020;12(5):1502. Doi:10.3390/nu12051502