With the return of the dismal summer heat, staying hydrated is paramount to your success in the gym and/or athletic field.
Adding a carbohydrate supplement (fruit juice, Gatorade, etc) can boost your workout performance, too.
However, if you feel bloated and uncomfortable drinking loads of water/sports drink during a time trial, game, or workout, there’s a trick you can employ.
Swish your carbohydrate drink, but then spit it out. (Please not on the gym floor! 🤬) In Alex Hutchinson’s fantastic Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance he cites a 2009 study where scientists found an increase in performance in a cycling time trial by simply swishing and then spitting a carbohydrate drink.
How is that possible? According to the author, the mouth contains carbohydrate sensors signaling to the brain that more energy is on the way. The brain then allows the body to push harder knowing that future energy will be arriving soon.
In the interest of staying maximally fueled AND hydrated intraworkout, however, we recommend that you guzzle your carbohydrate drink down after you have swished it a bit in your mouth. After all, dehydration is a much more limiting factor on performance than low carbohydrate levels.
Big thanks to Katey and Evan for being such good sports!!
If you have any other questions about training or our programs here at Steelworks Strength Systems, please fill out the form below!