Alkaline water is increasingly being used as an option to replace energy drinks in high-intensity workouts, with the aim of improving muscle performance and reducing fatigue during muscle training.
During intense training, at the gym or on the run, for example, muscle fibers use glucose as an energy source and, in the process, produce a large amount of lactic acid that lowers the body's pH.
However, the muscle can only function properly in a pH range that should not be less than 6.5 and, therefore, as lactic acid accumulates, there is a progressive increase in tiredness and an increased risk of injury.
Main benefits
By ingesting alkaline water, the pH of the blood remains longer within the ideal values and, therefore, the muscles are able to better eliminate the excess of lactic acid that accumulates during activity and, therefore, in addition to improving muscle performance, still helps to:
- Prevent the appearance of cramps; Avoid muscle injuries; Reduce tiredness during training; Decrease recovery time after training;
In addition, alkaline water acts as a natural antioxidant, as do vitamins in a balanced diet, which in addition to preventing premature cell aging also improves cell efficiency and performance during training.
To keep the body with alkaline pH it is also possible to make an alkaline diet, using foods that keep the blood in an ideal pH range for training. See how you can do this type of diet.
When to take
The intake of alkaline water is very important during training to maintain hydration and combat the effect of lactic acid that increases with exercise.
However, it is also very important to drink alkaline water throughout the day, to keep the body in an alkaline pH range, so that when you start training the body it takes longer to become acid and allows the muscles to function properly for more time.
How to make alkaline water
To obtain all these benefits, it is recommended to increase the pH of the water that you normally drink, in order to make it more alkaline. To do this, mix one coffee spoon of baking soda in each liter of water and drink throughout the day.
Although the pH value cannot be easily calculated, as it varies and according to the region where you live, the more basic the water is, the better the performance will be, with no risk of using sodium bicarbonate.
