Staying hydrated while training is extremely important – everyone knows this. It allows you to perform at your best, and make the most of your workout.
Before and during your gym session, electrolytes are needed to keep your body at optimal levels of hydration; these salts and minerals allow your muscles to keep running at full power – so you can lift bigger weights, for longer.
But what contains a high amount of electrolytes? Coconut water.
While it’s possible to drink coconut water daily, it’s an expensive product; meaning it’s not an economical optimal.
For this reason, it becomes a perfect addition to a pre workout supplement.
In this article, you’ll find out:
- What is Coconut Water Powder?
- What Are The Benefits?
- How Does It Work?
- The Science Behind It
- How Much Should You Consume?
- Conclusion
What Is Coconut Water Powder?
Simply put, this ingredient is the water taken directly from coconuts, which is dried into a powder – so it can be added into supplements.
Coconut Water has gained positive attention due to possessing a high amount of electrolytes, and beneficial vitamins. Not only does it hydrate you, but it improves your general health and immune system.
Here’s a list of the micro-nutrients CW provides:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D3
- Thiamin
- Manganese
- Zinc
- Iron
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Sodium
- Copper
What Are The Benefits?
As we’ve mentioned, coconut water’s main benefit is to keep you hydrated, due to it’s high electrolytes composition. But it offers numerous other advantages that many aren’t aware of.
One of it’s benefits is that it’s low in calories and carbohydrates compared to other sports drinks. This is ideal for those wanting to watch their figure and carbohydrate intake while cutting body fat.
Not only that, coconut water has even shown to boost your metabolism, as well as lower your blood pressure.
The Benefits Summed Up:
- Increased Hydration – the electrolytes help to re-hydrate your body during intense exercise.
- Lowered Blood Pressure – a reduction in blood pressure results in an improvement in general health
- Promotes Fat Loss – it’s low in calories and carbohydrates compared to other sports drinks, even being able to aid digestion and boost your metabolism.
How Does It Work?
The way that coconut water works isn’t overly complicated. Basically, it’s high in potassium (among other electrolytes) which helps keep you hydrated through periods of intense exercise.
In fact, it’s such a great electrolyte replacement, that it’s even used as IV hydration in emergency situations [1].
What are electrolytes?
Electrolytes are salts and minerals that’re essential to your health – meaning it can’t be replaced by other nutrients in your diet, and your body requires a direct replacement of that certain electrolyte.
The most common types found in your body are:
- Calcium
- Potassium
- Chlorine
- Magnesium
- Sodium
- Phosphate
How do electrolytes keep you hydrated?
Simply put, you can’t function without electrolytes. They’re responsible for transporting water and nutrients to key areas of your body (eg. your muscles) – so you can carry out daily activities.
Ultimately, it’s important to maintain the right balance of electrolytes in your system. This is why sports drinks contain electrolytes, and coconut water is referred to as ‘nature’s sports drink’.
For this reason, we’ve added an optimal 300 mg of coconut water powder into 4 Gauge, per serving.
The Science Behind It
The benefits of coconut water are becoming increasingly known. As a result, there’s been an increase in studies conducted on this nutrient.
Take a look at the studies that examined whether CW delivered on its claims:
Increased Hydration
A clinical study in the J Physiol Anthropol Appl Human Sci Journal [2] aimed to measure the relationship between coconut water and hydration.
To do this, 8 volunteers performed exercises in a high temperature environment. Upon completion of the exercises, they were asked to sit in a thermoneutral zone for 2 hours – to further dehydrate them.
The participants then consumed water or CW, with their hydration levels being analyzed for 1 hour afterwards. Ultimately, it was found that the participants who drank coconut water could intake higher amounts without experiencing nausea, fullness or stomach upset, than the ones who’d consumed water.
The result:
- Coconut Water is more beneficial than water for hydration – the participants were able to consume more CW than water, allowing for higher hydration levels.
CW’s ability to hydrate was also proven in a study by Douglas S Kalman, et al [3], and Campbell-Falck D et al [1].
Lowered Blood Pressure
A study conducted by Alleyne T et al [4] set out to find coconut water’s effectiveness at reducing blood pressure.
In this study, 24 subjects with high blood pressure were either given; bottled water, CW, a sugary drink, or a mixture of coconut water and a sugary drink, or a sugary drink to consume over a period of 2 weeks.
The study found that those who consumed coconut water experiened the largest decreases in blood pressure.
The result:
- Coconut water reduced blood pressure in participants – those who were given CW had seen a significant decrease in blood pressure levels over the 2 week period.
Promotes Fat Loss
A 2005 study published in the J Med Food journal [5] aimed to analyze how effective coconut water is at boosting metabolism – and therefore promote fat loss.
They examined the effects of CW in cholesterol-fed rats, by giving them dosages of the nutrient. Ultimately, the study found that CW was able to increase lipid metabolism – therefore having a beneficial effect on fat loss.
The result:
- Coconut water was able to promote fat loss – the rats’ lipid metabolism had increased after being given dosages of CW.
How Much Should You Consume?
4 Gauge contains an optimal 300mg of Coconut Water Powder, to ensure you experience it’s benefits – to help you power through your workout.
This will provide you with ideal amounts of electrolytes to keep you hydrated during intense gym sessions.
Conclusion
Coconut water is a great nutrient that’s known for being beneficial in numerous ways. We’ve included it in 4 Gauge, to keep you topped up with the right electrolyte balance – so you can perform at your best until you leave the gym.
Drinking CW everyday would be very beneficial, but also very expensive. For this reason, we believe that the most efficient way to add this nutrient to your diet is inside our pre workout supplement.
Let’s recap the benefits of coconut water powder:
- Increased Hydration
- Lowered Blood Pressure
- Promotes Fat Loss
With numerous studies backing-up this nutrient, it’s hard to argue against it. By taking 4 Gauge, you’ll consume a range of beneficial ingredients, including CW powder to make sure you perform at peak levels.
References
- Campbell-Falck, D. The intravenous use of coconut water. Am J Emerg Med. 2000; 18(1): 108-11
- Saat, M. Rehydration after exercise with fresh young coconut water, carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage and plain water. J Physiol Anthropol Appl Human Sci. 2002; 21(2): 93-104
- Douglas S, Kalman. Comparison of coconut water and a carbohydrate-electrolyte sport drink on measures of hydration and physical performance in exercise-trained men. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2012; 9: 1
- Alleyne, T. The control of hypertension by use of coconut water and mauby: two tropical food drinks. West Indian Med J. 2005; 54(1): 3-8.
- Sandhya, V.G. Beneficial Effects of Coconut Water Feeding on Lipid Metabolism in Cholesterol-Fed Rats. Journal of Medicinal Food; 2006, 9(3): 400-407