Coconut Water

    The other day I was introduced to the new trending drink: Coconut water. 
Yeaahhhhhhh, that's right, where would we be without coconuts? At first I was skeptical.Then I tried coconut water and realized the benefits it can have for your body at certain times. I looked into what ingredients are in this drink (100% pure coconut water) and realized that people need to know more about it.              

    When looking at the brand O.N.E Coconut water it clearly beats out any 
sports drink. It contains 45 calories, 470mg or potassium (k), 47mg of sodium (na), 18mg or magnesium (mg) and only 8g of sugar per 240ml serving. Most sports drinks contain about 4 times as many calories per serving along 
with more than double the amount of sodium (~100mg) and almost double the sugar. As well, coconut water contains about 16 times more potassium than most other sports drinks.This means that per serving, coconut water is the leading source of concentrated electrolytes (k, na, mg) than any leading drink on the market. So, If you are looking for a good electrolyte replenishment, try coconut water instead of other sugary sports drinks.
   

    So your probably thinking,"Ryan, this is the coolest thing ever.Why am I not buying coconut water by the dozen?" Well, probably because it tastes nasty! I find it bitter to the taste and hard to stomach on its own. I also tried mixing my coconut water with my post workout promasil protein shake but that did not go so well. It tasted even worse. I've concluded that coconut water and I are going to have a tough relationship. It's going to be hard for me to continually consume coconut water until I find a medium which 
it mixes well with.
    

    Until then, my verdict on coconut water is that I see no wrong in drinking 
it given hot, humid, summer conditions. We often find ourselves outside in 
the heat working all day followed by working out. We may not have an increase in appetite due to the high heat temperatures. Therefore, having a source of concentrated electrolytes is a good idea. As I write this I have a coconut water stored away in the fridge in case I need one after a long day 
of work or after a workout.

Ryan Fahey

B.A Human Kinetics

CPTN Canada

Canfitpro FIS, PTS

NCCP