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NOTE: The studies we will review are tagged with citation numbers like this: [2]
If you “click” on that red number, you will be transported to the actual study.
Many of the graphics can also be enlarged by clicking on them.

The Hydration Issue

Everyone knows that this summer has set many new-high-temperature records and it could be the beginning of a warmer trend. I am getting thirsty just thinking about it.

We are ALL water balloons. The average male body is 60% water, and the average female body is about 55% H2O. One of primary reasons why living cells thrive is because they use minerals called electrolytes [1], along with our cell membranes, to control the exact fluid levels within each cell, and the fluid content outside and between those cells, to create a magical transportation system, wherein things “move down the concentration gradient” (from high concentration areas, like our digestive tract) to areas of lower concentration (like our hungry cells).

This same “concentration gradient” process is also used to move waste products back out of our cells, into that extracellular fluid, where it drains into our circulatory system and is filtered out of our blood by the liver and kidney.

What are Electrolytes?

Electrolytes are a specific type of mineral that carry an electric charge when dissolved in water. This means they can be positively OR negatively charged, and play essential roles in the human body, including: energy metabolism, muscle function, healthy inflammatory response, fluid balance, proper pH levels and nerve signaling. That makes them vital for the normal functioning of our cells and organs.

Our body also uses electrolytes to drive amazing processes like the Sodium-Potassium Pump [2] wherein living cells segregate those two metallic ions from each other (Na+ and K+) to maintain electrical neutrality within each cell and to choreograph electron transport across cell membranes to produce nerve impulses for our muscles. This process is at the heart of how we think, move and live. It is the miracle of life itself.

Many of the Nobel prizes of the last 2 centuries were awarded to chemists and anatomists who detailed how and why living tissues formed and persist in our world. The pre-doctoral classes I took in biology and chemistry prepared me to understand the magic and mystery of life and to appreciate the blessing we have all been afforded to BE that life.

In the early 1980s Dr. Jim Whittam, senior VP responsible for research and development of new Shaklee products conducted research on the ideal balance between dietary proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, to help us to maintain normal resting blood sugar levels, as well as how to tweak them to power exercise for competitive athletes. His published studies are contained in Shaklee's
Clinical Research Study Archive. [3]
(Cits 5, 9, 11, 46)

Later in the 80s Shaklee began to explore what would be the perfect Sport Drink. Proper hydration is of major importance to athletes, because it is closely tied to their athletic performance and their time-to-fatigue ratio.

Although water is delightful, rehydration occurs more quickly when electrolytes and carbohydrates are present in the drink. Shaklee decided to determine the ideal concentration and balance between electrolytes and carbohydrates in a rehydration formula for athletes.

They tested a series of formulations to find the one that was the best at maintaining plasma glucose levels, while also being well-tolerated by the athletes. [4] (Cit 56) Their study led to the birth of the original Performance® Electrolyte Drink. In 2017 Shaklee updated the original Performance formula while also creating a new Performance® Low-Calorie Electrolyte Drink that now comes in convenient stick packs so that you can take them on the run. [5]

Great Ways to Stay Hydrated

Performance® Low-Calorie Electrolyte Drink [6] is based on the same formula as the original Performance® Endurance Electrolyte Drink, and contain electrolytes plus a unique mix of carbohydrates to deliver instant and sustained energy.

The original Performance® Endurance Electrolyte Drink displayed the impact of the OPTI-LYTE® blend on 2 different groups of competitive, high-intensity cyclists.

Both groups started by maintaining a moderate to high intensity cycling workout for over three hours (200 min) BEFORE engaging in a high-intensity burst, as athletes typically do towards the end of a long race. The Shaklee Endurance group was able to cycle for an additional 33 minutes, while the water-only group experienced complete exhaustion in only two more minutes. [7]

I helped my ex- raise her 2 young children in the suburbs of Chicago. Summer temperatures often climbed into the 80s and 90s, and since we were only a few miles from Lake Michigan, humidity levels were often in the 50-80 percentile, where sweat just does not cool you much, unless you stand in front of a fan.

Extended sweating can rapidly deplete your electrolyte levels, so we made popsicles out of Performance® Endurance to help cool them down, while they played outdoors.

Here is what happens when you let your electrolyte levels crash:

Fatigue
Headaches
Irregular or fast heart rate
Muscle cramps, muscle spasms
Numbness or tingling in extremities

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