Best Isotonic Drinks Reviewed & Compared

How to Choose An Isotonic Drink

When it comes to working out and otherwise improving your athletic performance, having item to boost them will make a big difference to your body’s health and physique. From external sources such as weights and elastic bands to ingestible items such as protein powder and recovery gels, there is a huge variety of them out there for your own benefit.

That said, one such thing that is often used by athletes are what are known as isotonic drinks. Fancy as it sounds, this particular drink is actually a synonym for sports drinks: in other words, it refers to drinks with electrolytes, i.e. a balance between salt and sugar to replenish fluids that are lost during exercise. Many athletes such as middle to long-distance runners especially thrive with this particular drink, as it helps them recover easier than otherwise.

Keeping all of this in mind, you might also wonder just what the criteria for evaluation for choosing the ideal isotonic drink is. There are a lot of factor to consider, and you might be overwhelmed by the lot. However, there is no need to fear, though: we are here to help. Read on to learn more in this article about what to look for in isotonic drinks to find the best one for you. Soon enough, you will be feeling better in no time.

Let’s get right down to it!

Different types of sports drinks

First off, it is important to consider the other kinds of sports drinks out there besides isotonic drinks. This is to ensure that you can get the right one for the specific type of exercise you are doing, so that you recover in a timely manner. Here are the others to consider:

1. Isotonic.

Consisting of similar levels of salt and sugar in the body, it is not a surprise that isotonic means “balanced” in this case. It does a solid job of quickly replacing fluids lost through sweat and exercise, as well as offers a boost in carbohydrate to help you keep going when the going gets tough.

2. Hypotonic.

This particular drink is similar to isotonic drinks; the only differences are that it has a lower concentration of salt and sugar in it, as well as not giving that carbohydrate boost. It is often used by athletes which do not need so much endurance, such as sprinters and gymnasts.

3. Hypertonic.

On the other hand, hypertonic drinks have a higher concentration of salt and sugar than the other two types of drinks. It is used differently in that it is used during post-workout to support the intake of carbohydrate, as well as add to the muscle glycogen stores. However, it needs to be taken with isotonic drinks to help replenish the fluids lost in the process.

By keeping these aspects in mind, you can be on your way to determining which one is best for you.

What to look for in isotonic drinks

Now that you have an idea of the different kinds of sports drinks out there, it is time to focus on isotonic drinks and what you should look for before choosing the right one for you. After all, not all of them are the same, so looking closely at them is important. Here are some things to consider:

1. Concentration levels of salt and sugar.

As previously mentioned, isotonic drinks have a balanced amount of salt and sugar in their system. It has the same particle concentration as blood, so knowing what is your blood’s pH level inside will help you determine what exactly you need for your ideal isotonic drink.

2. Carbohydrate boost.

Especially if you work out for quite a while (over an hour or so), then adding in some carbohydrate to your workout regimen will be important for boosting energy. On average, take around 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour, and it should work out for you.

3. Other recovery features.

Of course, you cannot forget that water is important for the sake of replenishing the fluids lost during exercise, including sweat. About 500 mL of water is standard, so that is important to consider. Muscle glycogen stores might be a possibility if you are performing an intense workout, so you might choose to add that into your daily intake.

How to know when to use isotonic drinks

Depending on what kind of exercise you do, you may or may not even need to use isotonic drinks for your workout. It will depend on the intensity and duration of your exercise, so in that case, we have provided a short checklist of what to take for each level of working out:

If you exercise less than one hour at an easy pace: take WATER. Considering that you are not going too hard with your practice, a simple rehydration to replace the sweat lost is all you need to do to recover well.

If you exercise more than one hour at a moderate pace: take ISOTONIC DRINKS. At this point in exercise, you are starting to lose more than just fluids, but rather also electrolytes. Taking isotonic drinks will, as a result, replace those electrolytes, as well as add a boost of carbohydrate to the mix.

If you exercise more than 2-3 hours at a fast pace: take ISOTONIC/HYPERTONIC DRINKS. For extremely intense workouts, you might need more than just electrolyte and carbohydrate replenishing; in fact, adding muscle glycogen stores will be crucial to the success of your workout, since you are tearing through a lot of muscle with each rep or stride you partake in.

Hence, knowing yourself and how hard you exercise will give you a better idea of which drink will be best for you to take.

Overall, isotonic drinks are an excellent way to help you recover from workouts that otherwise might exhaust you greatly. It can make the recovery process much smoother, all the while making your stronger in the process. It is worth a try, then, to take this special sports drink.

Isotonic Drinks: Criteria for Evaluation

When it comes to sports and exercise, perhaps you do your best to work out regularly, whether at the gym or at home. You might even be a dedicated athlete who is training to become a professional, so you probably practice for hours on end, every single day. Granted, it can be a tough ordeal, but in the end, the hard work will pay off.
That said, you probably have tried your hand with isotonic drinks, as means of boosting your performance and otherwise helping you recover from a long, intense workout. Whatever the reason is, you are also curious to know just what the criteria for evaluation is with isotonic drinks. After all, not all are made the same, which can be difficult when it comes to picking the best one for you.

With all that said and done, we are going to help you out! This article will give you an idea of just what are the criteria you will need to evaluate a good isotonic drink from a not-so-good one. We will give you the advice and information to give you a head start and, soon enough, you will be able to select the optimal one for your body and health. Let’s get to it!

Product Criteria for evaluation

Before you go ahead and grab that first isotonic drink brand right in front of you at the local vitamin and supplement store, take a step back and check out these few aspects to help you evaluate the criteria for the most suitable one for you. The same criteria our team applied before selecting the 10 best options for our featured list!

Look at concentration levels

In essence, the word “isotonic” means “equal,” so it is expected that the concentration levels of sugar and salt in the drink are at relatively-equal parts. Having this ratio represents the blood’s pH level, so having an idea of your current blood pH level is good for knowing just how concentrated the salt and sugar are to each other.

Compare brands

From generic brands to trademarked ones, there is a wide variety of different isotonic drink brands out there. It is not a matter of choosing the cheapest or the most expensive or most reputable brand, but rather the one which will suit you the best. This comes down to reading the labels on each brand and seeing whether it will work for your body’s and workout conditions.

Generally-speaking, generic brands are budget-friendly, although their effectiveness might be uncertain. Name brand varieties are considered more reputable, but even then, that relies on a case-by-case basis for individuals taking it. Knowing yourself and your abilities will be the best way to go about finding the best one for you, no matter what.

Check out the product rating

If you are especially looking for brands online, then it certainly helps to check out the product’s rating. Often on a 5-star standard, many people say that anything higher than a 4.5 is considered top-notch, even more so when there are many reviews to its name. While there are always exceptions to the list (e.g. good 3.5-starred products, less-than-stellar 4.9-starred items), 5-star ratings are a quick and efficient way of sifting through the best ones, and you can eventually narrow your choices down to a few to select.

Read the product reviews

If the 5-star rating was the system for quickly eliminating the not-so-good brands from your list, then it is the product reviews that follow which represent the deal-breakers. In other words, taking the time to read through as many reviews as possible will give you a more holistic view of how the product is expected to work for you.

It is not just a matter of reading the good reviews, but also the bad reviews—no matter how reluctant you might be to do so, it is important in order to ensure that you will not get any terrible side effects or problems associated with it. Reading of other users’ experiences will give you the global picture, and later the incentive to go forth with your purchase.

Having a criteria for evaluating isotonic drinks is crucial for the sake of your benefit and health. By taking the time to do so, you can ensure yourself an effective and safe progress to muscle gains in the gym.

FAQs

Considering that you have tried all sorts of athletic supplements, it would not be a surprise to know that you have dabbled in isotonic drinks, or at least have considered trying it. Posh as the name sounds, isotonic drinks are actually colloquially known as “sports drinks:” essentially, they contain electrolytes (a balance of salt and sugar) to replenish the fluids lost during workout, notably through sweat.

Besides that, you have probably a lot more questions about isotonic drinks, so as to check out whether they would be worth taking or not in the long run. That said, we are here to help! Read on to learn more in this article about the benefits, features, and ways to take isotonic drinks for optimal performance. Soon enough, you will be ready to go in no time for your next exercise.

What are the different types of sports drinks out there?

First things first, it is necessary to discuss the other kinds of sports drinks out there besides isotonic ones. This is to ensure that we give you a fair comparison of the upside and downside of taking each liquid, depending on your lifestyle and fitness level. With that said, here are the different ones. For a complete overview of the sports drinks available to athletes, please look under our #Different types of sports drinks” section.

How can I benefit from isotonic drinks?

Aside from its practical uses, just what exactly does isotonic drinks do to your body? Hence, we have the benefits to help you figure it out:

1. It replenishes your bodily fluids. Of course, you sweat a lot during exercise: usually, it is fine for an hour to replenish with just water, but anything more than that requires replenishing with electrolytes, as you can find in isotonic drinks.

2. It gives you added carbohydrate. For an extra boost of energy, many isotonic drinks add carbohydrate to the mix, so that you can keep going for longer periods of time without so much fatigue. It can give you that “extra gains” that you are looking for, should you want it.

3. It can store muscle glycogen. If you are intending on bulking up, then isotonic drinks have some source of potentially storing muscle glycogen for use later on. Granted, hypertonic drinks are better-equipped at doing so, but otherwise, isotonic ones are not too shabby, either, in this case.

How do I take it for optimal use?

Many sports drinks such as Gatorade are what you would consider sports drinks, which isotonic drinks are a part of. However, you have the option of making your own type of isotonic drink to benefit your particular regimen and lifestyle, which we will show you down below:

1. Mix equal amounts of salt and sugar (1:1 ratio) in enough hot water to dissolve them (about 5 cups total).
2. To make it more appetizing to drink, you are free to add syrup or powdered flavors into the drink, such as lemon, strawberry, and other fruit flavors (it is like your own homemade Gatorade!).
3. Give a final mix before enjoying it!

It is important to know that your solution should be neither too concentrated nor too diluted: not only will it be unpleasant-tasting, but also it might not be very effective on your body, depending on how hard you have worked out. It can be a tricky balance, but knowing how much to add based on the amount of water on hand will be the best way to go about it.

Decision Time

All in all, isotonic drinks are the right balance for sports drinks to handle while needing replenishment for a tough, long workout. It is incredible to know that it is made only of a few natural ingredients (salt and sugar), which go a long way in helping you recover. It is also versatile to make, as it can be combined with flavored syrups and powders for a more-pleasant experience to drink. In the end, it is worth a try!