One driving motivation of my 5 mile Friday sessions (outside of zone 2 training) is the fact that during this hour I am not taking phone calls, checking emails, or distracted with my fucking phone. On my latest run I stumbled upon this hydration content gem courtesy of Ben Greenfield and his interview with Dr James DiNicolantonio’s featuring his new book “WIN”. This cast is primarily spent providing details on purportedly one of the greatest performance supplements that can be created within the comforts of your own home and likely with ingredients found in your kitchen. Below outlines the recipe, protocol, and cool hydration facts that will help you customize your supreme hydration beverage.
- Supreme Hydration Recipe increases exercise performance by 10-20X.
- Average sodium loss during training or competition is 1200mg / L of sweat (1L =2.2lb).
- Other hydration offerings such as Gatorade contain 1/10th or only 10% of the salt found in this rehydration recipe (to provide benchmark).
- Gastric distress caused by high osmolarity happens above the saltiness of blood; roughly being 3200mg /L.
- Glycine: prevents gastric and absorption issues when fluid osmolarity is high. This amino acid provides a mechanism of facilitating transport and driving salt and water into the body at a ratio of 3:1 (glycine:sodium). Glycine is also a antioxidant that inhibits oxidative stress from activity metabolism, and also reduces core body temperature. Fun fact: models suggest that consuming pickle juice (specifically the ascetic acid) releases endogenous glycine which has neuro-inhibitory properties alleged to mediate cramping.
- Beta alanine and or beet root juice can also increase performance albeit short lived and generally increasing high end endurance 1-2min only.
- Sodium bicarbonate: Adding to hydration solution is also proven to improve power output, recovery and endurance in MMA atheletes. Although there may be an acidity buffer effect that can upset the stomach balance. To remedy, sodium citrate can be substituted and will not affect stomach acidity. This supplement should not be added with salt as this poses gastric contraindications: separating consumption is best. Sodium bicarbonate or citrate is best loaded over weeks as this can create (yup you guessed it) gastric distress.
Temperature: Temp matters and can bolster performance. Drink cold as this can lower core body temperature (often intense exercise can raise body temp and once it gets too high performance and comfort declines). By adding salt, this also provide opportunity to get beverage sub zero for increased temp lowering as salt has a lower freeze point. Subzero not necessary though; a hydration beverage consumed at 39 degrees is enough to lower body temp by half a degree.
Beverage 1: To be fully consumed 90 minutes prior to competition / high end training sessions. Rate of consumption important: start drinking 105 min prior to performance; slowly and measured over 45 minutes as this avoids over saturating the absorption capacity of the gastric intestinal system.
Beverage 2: To be fully consumed 4 hours prior to workout / competition. Do not take with Beverage 1 as this can create gastric issues.
Competition Solution (taken prior to competition or comp training)*:
- Add 4,600mg (1tsp is 2,300mg) of salt to 1 liter of cold purified water
- Add 6g of glycine
Maintenance Solution (taken daily):
Beverage 1:
- Add 1,200mg (.5tsp is 1,150) of salt to 1 liter of cold purified water
- Add ~2g of glycine
Beverage 2*:
- 3g of sodium bicarbonate or citrate.
- 30g of carbs
*Day to day. Don’t hyper hydrate. Benefit of exercise is the accumulated plasma volume expansion over exercise. caused by drop in circulating blood volume. blood is flowing to skeletal muscle. flow to kidney decreased causing retaining of salt and water (aldosterone). Dehydration during training also causes this. If you hyper hydrate you won’t get as large of volume decrease. prevent or reduce drop in circulating blood volume. Similar to train low compete high. low carbs during training and then prior to competition or event, carb load. ergogenic aid. both are examples of hormesis.*
*Best to build up bicarbonate stores over weeks (high acute doses increases contraindication of gastric distress). 1000mg per liter 1800mg per liter 2-3 liters per day of NABICarb: taken over 4 weeks significantly increases power output, recovery, and endurance.
