Avoiding dehydration through ECBs

Playing sports? Chasing your ride home? Fulfilling your 30-minute workout? Physical exertion like exercise makes it inevitable to sweat off the water and electrolytes in the body, which if not replaced properly, may cause dehydration.

Once the body is dehydrated, problems like heat stroke may happen. Severe dehydration, if left untreated, can be life-threatening.

There are several factors that may cause dehydration or the excessive loss of water from the body, one of which is too much exercise, without appropriate fluid replacement.

“Some dehydration is likely to occur during exercise because a person will not feel thirsty until he or she has incurred a water loss that is approximately two percent of his or her body weight,” said Dr. Lester Deniega, a pediatric infectious disease specialist.

Oral rehydration helps bring back lost water and electrolytes in the body to avoid dehydration.

Deniega said that one way to rehydrate is with electrolyte and carbohydrate-containing beverages (ECBs), also known as sports drinks. These ECBs replenish the body with lost water and electrolytes. “They function as a physiologic ‘first aid’ (prevention of more severe forms of dehydration),” said Deniega.

For its optimal use for rehydration, the taste, level of acidity and calcium content of an ECB is important.

Pocari Sweat, an ECB manufactured by Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, has a refreshing taste that satisfies thirst while keeping a person hydrated. It also contains calcium and a stable level of acidity to promote the body’s wellness.

Pocari Sweat has been proven to have a lower caloric content and with no preservatives. It is available in major supermarkets, convenience stores and drugstores nationwide.