Can electrolyte freezer pops keep you hydrated?
It's hard to believe that electrolyte freezers pops are the newest trend in sports drinks. Who would have thought that electrolytes could be found in frozen treats? But it turns out electrolytes can be found in many foods and drinks, but they are also lost when the body perspires heavily. Suppose you're looking for a way to hydrate your body. In that case, electrolyte freezer pops might be a solution you've considered - just like any other freezer pop, electrolyte freezer pops come in various flavors with the bonus of electrolytes that help keep your body properly hydrated. So if you're interested in adding electrolyte freezer pops to your daily routine or diet, here's what you should know about them.
Why is hydration important?
Hydration is important for many reasons. Proper hydration helps regulate our body's temperature and maintains other important bodily functions and has been linked to a reduction in problems with the kidneys, better cognitive function, and even a reduction in incidences of cancer. (1) When we're properly hydrated, our bodies work more efficiently and feel better overall.
Hydration keeps your immune system functioning efficiently and helps clear toxins from your body, and electrolytes play a part in that process.
What are electrolytes?
Electrolytes are minerals - like sodium, magnesium, and potassium - that help regulate our body's hydration levels, balance pH levels, regulate muscle contractions, and control functions within the nervous system. (2)
When we sweat during physical activity or in hot weather conditions, these electrolytes are lost. It's easy to become dehydrated if you don't replace them regularly. A loss of just 2% of your body's water can negatively affect your performance, concentration levels, and mood. It's important to replenish these electrolytes as soon as possible after a significant workout or activity.
Electrolytes can be found in various foods and drinks like sports drinks, coconut water, bananas, potatoes, and leafy green vegetables. (3) You can also find traces of electrolytes naturally in water, but the amounts may vary greatly. Furthermore, water treatment to make it safe to drink can also affect the levels of electrolytes present.
Symptoms of dehydration (and therefore a lack of electrolytes) can include dizziness, diarrhea, fatigue, and confusion. You'll find that hydration and electrolyte maintenance are critical to maintaining physical health.
What are electrolyte freezer pops?
Electrolyte freezer pops are frozen treats made with added electrolytes, acting as frozen sports drinks. They are designed to help hydrate your body, but there are pros and cons, as with everything.
Just like sports drinks, electrolyte freezer pops can contain high sugar levels. While a small amount of sugar in your diet might not be a problem, consistently consuming electrolyte freezer pops can add a significant amount of unnecessary sugar to your diet. Overconsumption of sugar can lead to health problems like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. (4)
While electrolyte freezer pops may be a good way to replenish electrolytes that have been lost during physical activity, the main downside is that electrolyte freezer pops don't hydrate your body to a great level - they just add electrolytes back into your system. You still need to drink lots of water to be properly hydrated, so electrolyte freezer pops are only part of the solution.
What's in electrolyte freezer pops?
A popular brand of electrolyte freezer pops contains water, sugar, dextrose, citric acid, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, salt, potassium citrate, sodium citrate, potassium phosphate, sodium phosphate, natural and artificial flavors, calcium phosphate, blue 1, and magnesium carbonate. (5)
As the ingredients are listed in order with the highest first, the top three ingredients are water, sugar, and dextrose - which is another form of sugar. The sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate are used as preservatives, making salt, potassium citrate, sodium citrate, potassium phosphate, and sodium phosphate the electrolyte ingredients.
An electrolyte freezer pop can give you a small boost by adding sodium, potassium, and a small amount of magnesium to your diet - but without any other supporting vitamins or nutrients, it's not the best way to look after your body.
Keeping hydrated and healthy
There isn't enough liquid content in a single electrolyte freezer pop to keep you hydrated, and water will be much better for your body. The sugar content makes this especially true.
A better way of keeping your electrolytes in check and enhancing your performance is not only hydration, but also to use a multivitamin and immune-boosting supplement. Healthycell Bioactive Multi and Immune Super Boost contain essential vitamins and nutrients - and electrolytes - to help you get the best out of your body.
It's important to prepare your body for physical activity and not just "top up" afterward. Starting with Bioactive Multi as a foundation for your health and fitness, you'll get all your body's vitamins and nutrients to maintain its essential functions.
Combined with phytonutrients and antioxidants, this supplement is designed to help your body cope with stress and maintain hydration.
Immune Super Boost adds multiple vitamins and natural extracts to maximize support for your immune system. A healthy immune system is critical for hydration, as infections can impair your body's ability to regulate electrolytes. A study has shown that in COVID-19 patients, preventing a loss of potassium indicates a good prognosis - in short, if your immune system is healthy and your electrolytes are stable, there's a great chance of recovery. (6)
Electrolyte freezer pops can be a cheap way of getting electrolytes into your body, but using a multivitamin and an immune-boosting supplement can be a more powerful option.
Are there benefits to using electrolyte freezer pops?
While electrolyte freezer pops can be a quick and easy way of getting electrolytes into your body, they aren't ideal, even those with a low sugar content. The electrolyte freezer pops cannot provide the volume of hydration, you will still need to drink water and other beverages.
Electrolyte freezer pops can be a "quick fix". Typically, electrolyte imbalances are caused by dehydration, often from heavy physical activity, even from heatstroke, or excessive loss of electrolytes through urination. But it's worth keeping in mind that water can be an even quicker fix!
Drinking plenty of water every day keeps your body functioning well (7), and water gets to work quickly. (8)
If you're looking for electrolyte-rich foods, then eating bananas or avocados will give you electrolytes without the added sugars found in freezer pops. Adding in a multivitamin will give you the best results overall.
Electrolyte absorption
If you're using electrolyte freezer pops or any supplement, you need to ensure you're getting the maximum benefit from your product. Electrolyte absorption can vary between different brands of freezer pops, and the other ingredients can interfere with how your body absorbs the nutritional elements.
With Healthycell products, we use a next-generation MICROGEL™ delivery system. Each dose is supplied in an individual pack as an easy-to-consume flavored gel. You can take the supplement directly from the pack or mix it with water for added hydration. Unlike freezer products, MICROGEL™ packs are truly portable - they won't melt if you leave them in your sports bag too long. You can even keep them in your pocket or take them with you on the go without worrying about leakage!
Can electrolyte freezer pops be used as part of a diet or fitness plan?
High-sugar electrolyte freezer pops are unlikely to fit with any healthy diet and should only be used within a fitness plan as a last resort. If you choose to use electrolyte freezer pops, they can be a convenient option. Choosing a quality supplement to keep your electrolyte levels topped up and maintain a healthy immune system will give better results in the long term.
Instead of popping a freezer pop when you feel the first indication of dehydration or electrolyte imbalance, go for a high-quality supplement to provide everything your body needs to stay hydrated and healthy.
Are electrolyte freezer pops a good choice?
Electrolyte freezer pops aren't the best choice for hydration because they don't contain enough electrolytes and water to hydrate you - but they might be beneficial when used alongside water, healthy food, and other supplements.
A multivitamin and immune-boosting supplement is a much better choice with hydration for your overall health, and your electrolytes will be maintained much more easily.
