Coconut Water

Why are they always handing this stuff out at the pre race events and why would I want to drink it as an athlete? Zico, O.N.E. and Nature Factor are examples of brand names. The Zico brand contains only 60 calories/11 oz serving, 0 grams of fat and 0 grams of cholesterol. The big benefit is that it’s loaded with potassium at 670 mg as compared to 422 mg in a medium banana and 36 mg in 1 cup of Gatorade. Coconut water contains 60 mg sodium, 1 gram protein and 15 grams of carbohydrate which would be too light on sodium and too much fluid in order to meet your carbohydrate needs during a race. Post race coconut water would still be too light on sodium unless you added some salty pretzels, too light on protein for muscle recovery and inadequate in carbohydrates for glycogen replacement. The athletic benefits in a nut shell: it may reduce the risk of muscle cramps, help regulate blood pressure and if you like the taste you may hydrate more regularly.