The marketing experts want to make you buy coconut water. But do you really need it?
If you are an amateur athlete and want to improve your skills, supplementation has to form part of your sports practice.
But you should take only those that have a scientific basis and really bring you benefits.
That’s why today we will solve all your doubts and tell you the benefits of coconut water for athletes, and we will see the specific recommendations for off-road sports such as enduro, mtb, rally or motocross.
Is coconut water good for you?
To start valuing this coconut drink as a sports supplement we have to understand what coconut water is for.
The coconut water electrolytes are one of the keys to this response. These natural electrolytes in the beverage are the same electrolytes that we lose in the form of sweat when we exert ourselves.
Want to know what this water made from coconut tastes like? Its taste is smooth, fresh and depending on how close to the sea the coconut has been extracted, it can even be a little salty.
It is rich in sodium, potassium, chlorine and even of magnesium, calcium and phosphorus. Just the electrolytes you need to recover.
You will find all kinds of strategies from marketing experts, who want you to buy the typical sports drinks in the supplementation market. Or worse, sugary soft drinks.
In Powering Offroad we don’t bet on that kind of products , and we prefer this fresh fruit drink instead, because when it comes to preparing our trainees, we choose the most natural and efficient.
Not only do we stay away from ultra-processed foods and drinks, but in our training app we added a unique feature we call the hydration calculator.
It is a tool with which you can hydrate effectively during any race without using commercial sports drinks.
Coconut water: Nutrition facts and benefits
A good time to drink it is after a race, when you need something to help replenish your hydration. These are some of its nutritional properties and we will tell you how they will help you.
- Potassium: regulates heart rate and muscle function. It is crucial in preventing accidental muscle breakdown.
- Sodium: it’s lost in great amounts through sweating. You notice this because your sweaty equipment and clothes become salty after riding or playing sports. It becomes especially important in hot weather, and during ketogenic or low-carb diets.
- Magnesium: it participates in more than 300 reactions of the organism, and it is fundamental for the later muscular relaxation in resistance sports.
- Phosphorus: transfers energy throughout the body and regulates nerve function.
- Calcium: is fundamental for muscle contraction, and it is important to maintain the ratio between calcium and magnesium balanced.
Extra fact: coconut water is excellent for a keto diet because of its high fat content and very low sugar content.
What’s the difference between coconut milk and coconut water?
We tend to think that coconut water and coconut milk are the same. But in reality these two liquids are totally different.
Coconut water is the clear liquid that the coconut brings inside when it is unripe. It is basically the liquid content.
Coconut milk is a product of the coconut meat, which you have to cut, grind and blend. Unlike coconut water, coconut milk is much thicker, white and quite similar to cream.
Coconut water will help you hydrate in an incredible way, while coconut milk, according to different scientific publications, has very good effects on cholesterol and blood pressure.
But organic coconut water is not only good for hydration, its benefits are almost endless.
It provides you naturally present fructose.
Brings to your body a significant amount of vegetable fiber dissolved in the liquid itself, so you will have better control of insulin.
Helps regulate blood pressure, which helps prevent heart attacks and treat high blood pressure.
Contains antioxidants, L-arginine, ascorbic acid and manganese.
As an extra point, you should know that this fresh fruit drink stimulates the immune system in the fight against infections (study).
Is it useful for hydration in off-road sports?
If we take into account the factors that most influence the adaptation to endurance physical activity by the rider, there are:
- External temperature
- Relative humidity of the environment
- Clothing
- Thermoregulation capacity
We realize that in sports like motocross, enduro, mtb, etc, we will have a high incidence of these factors.
That is why it is very important to ensure proper hydration in the rider, since he runs the risk of losing a large amount of electrolytes that can affect their feelings during the race and in their subsequent recovery.
Although this coconut drink has health benefits, it should not replace the consumption of mineral water.
However, it is advisable to drink it to hydrate in endurance sports that involve several hours of wear and tear.
Especially if you are thinking of replacing one of the typical commercial sweetened sports drinks.
After a demanding race, besides taking into account the coconut drink option for a good hydration, remember all the nutrition steps to recover in the best way.
Want to drastically improve how you riding skills?
Best choices and where to buy it
The best coconut water is the natural green water, freshly extracted from the fruit is the best option if you live in countries where the availability of this fruit is possible.
But if this is not your case, these are some 100% natural coconut water options analyzed and validated by our team:
Other by-products such as coconut milk, coconut water powder and coconut water with protein can also be very interesting and useful to you as a sports enthusiast.
