My Summer Secret

Summer is hot! Here in Salt Lake it is 93 today and due to my life demands I train at 12pm. Yes, that’s crazy but also it’s when my children nap and I can get a break from work. If you are a parent and you are reading this, especially one working from home right now, then you get it! Also, if you follow me on Instagram @adrianconway_ then you also know I sweat like I’m sitting on a pile of coals. High temperature plus naturally already being a heavy sweater can lead to muscle cramps, overheating, chronic fatigue, lower training intensity and ultimately less results. Luckily I have a secret weapon that I take every day which allows me to combat the loss of water, sodium, and electrolytes. 

Refresh is our hydration product that we designed 2 years ago. I take Refresh daily from spring through the fall and then a few times a week through the winter when my training days are longer or volume is high. We designed this product to give our health minded consumers an alternative to the sports drinks that are commonly consumed. For years people were buying popular and heavily marketed drinks that have high volumes of added sugar and artificial coloring and hardly any real quality ingredients. This product helps replace the sweat and nutrients we lose as we try to cool our bodies. When you sweat you can’t simply replace it with plain water. You can “dilute” your electrolyte stores from doing that. Drinking water is important but there is more to optimizing performance and recovery through our hydration than plain water or sugar ladened beverages that are “cool” to drink yet serve no value to your health or performance. 

Refresh is “Coconut Lime” flavor that comes in single serving stick packs that are easy to travel with and quick to mix with water. The list of active ingredients that aid in replenishment of your ability to recover and perform under high heat or high stress is long. Here are some of the key attributes of this product that make it stand out from other traditional sports drinks!

For hydration:

• Potassium
• Sodium
• Magnesium
• Calcium
• Vitamin B3
• Vitamin B6
• Coconut Water

For focus/ energy

• Green Tea Extract
• Yerba Mate Extract
• L-Tyrosine
• L-Theanine

Because we use coconut water as an ingredient, it tastes amazing, yet only has 1.5 grams of sugar and less than 2 grams of carbohydrates total! This makes it a great hydration product for everyone even those on a low carb/keto type of diet. I personally add Replenish (carbs) to mine to help me replace muscle glycogen lost during training as well. 

There are many ways to optimize the use of Refresh. For me it all depends on what I’m doing each day and also when I’m doing it. For example if I train early in the morning then I drink about 8 ounces of water right when I wake up + another 12 ounces of Refresh as I’m warming up and prepping for my session. The reason I train early usually is because I’m heading out on a long run and I try to have my water and electrolytes topped off before I head out. If I’m training around lunch time like I do most of my sessions then I have a normal morning and choose to sip on my Refresh as I begin my afternoon workout. So for my midday sessions I usually drink pre workout about 30 minutes before the workout, then I use Refresh + Replenish as my intra workout fuel source. Most of my training consists both of intervals of rowing, running, biking and body weight movements as well as some strength training. If my session exceeds 75 minutes, which doesn’t very often because of work and kids, then I also take a Refresh later in the day with my dinner. I don’t salt much of my food and we eat a fairly non processed diet, so sodium isn’t very prevalent in our food choices. With that being said, it helps me remain hydrated the rest of my day and into the night without drinking a lot more water that will wake me up to go to the bathroom and effect my sleep quality. 

It doesn't matter if you train for hours in a day or just an hour, hydration is a key part of your recovery and performance. It’s important that we fuel our bodies in order to get the best results we can from the hard work we put in. For years we were taught that sodium is bad, and it’s simply not true. If you are a consistently training individual and eat a healthy diet, you need to be adding sodium into water or meals regularly. Doing so will increase recovery, performance and even general muscle tone. Refresh, before, during or even after your training can be the “X” factor in taking your endurance or summer training to the next level. And when you are in the market for a sports drink for your children then there is no better option. Little sugar, high electrolytes and enjoyable taste can’t be beaten!