Why an ISO doesn't make you faster: Your next sports drink is Hypoton!

Just dream back to one of your sporting triathlon highlights. You're running through an aid station and trying to get a drink. Iso! Cola! Water!
Today we'll tell you why you should call HYPO instead of ISO next time!

Iso vs. Hypo – What are the differences?

Isotonic ('iso' = equal) drinks are characterized by the same concentration of particles as that of blood. In comparison, the particle concentration of so-called hypotonic (“hypo” = under) drinks is lower than that in the blood.
Scientific research in recent years has shown that hypotonic drinks, such as our OMNi-POWER® CARBOTONIC sports drink ,
are better tolerated. They can also be absorbed more quickly and stay in the stomach for the shortest time. This is particularly beneficial before and during long endurance exercise and minimizes gastrointestinal (gastrointestinal tract) problems.

What you should stay away from during the race

Hypertonic drinks have a higher particle concentration than that of blood. The concentration gradient causes water to be drawn into the intestines, which is often the trigger for nausea or diarrhea during high levels of stress.
Hypertonic drinks include fruit juices, energy or soft drinks. It's best to stay away from this, especially during intensive training sessions.
However, they can be used to quickly replenish carbohydrate stores after exercise.

Diarrhea during exercise – what causes it?

If you go through the path of digestion step by step, it begins in the mouth when you swallow. It then goes into the stomach and further into the small intestine. Here, in the small intestine, 95% of absorption takes place. Anything that cannot be absorbed moves further into the large intestine. The problem: There is hardly any absorption in the large intestine.
The bacteria in the large intestine metabolize the sugar, producing fermentation products. This process creates gases and toxins and leads to gastrointestinal problems. Final stop: Dixie toilet

Perfusion shift

During a movement, the required muscles require a lot of blood, because blood flow means the supply of nutrients to the affected muscles. However, this process comes at the expense of many organs. For example, the intestines receive less blood flow during exercise.
In earlier times, when people were still dependent on hunting themselves, it certainly made sense not to have to take a 'toilet break' during a hunt.
Perfusion shift describes this process. It's about redistributing blood flow by transporting it to where it is most needed at that time.

The second task of blood flow: cooling

However, reduced blood flow in the stomach also means that optimal cooling can no longer be guaranteed, which leads to a rapid rise in temperature. This leads to a shift in the PH value, which changes the enzyme activity. However, enzymes are largely responsible for ensuring that our body can go through the process of absorption and that energy continues to be provided to us. This also changes the length of time the supplied substrates stay in the stomach.

Can resorption be trained under stress?

The good news: In principle, you can train the body to reabsorb under stress. You can find out more about this topic in this blog post!

How do I tell if a sports drink is iso or hypotonic?

The higher quality a product is, the more detailed the description on the packaging or on the internet usually is.
You can find all the important information about our CARBOTONIC both on the packaging and on our website.
By the way, CARBOTONIC is hypotonic between 60-100 g per 750 ml of water!

Final word – Less is more!

Many manufacturers advertise countless additives in their sports drinks and many other products. From added amino acids to a wide variety of vitamins.
But is this really effective or just a marketing strategy?
In order to make absorption as easy as possible for the body, the products should always be as pure as possible!

Get one of our CARBOTONICS or the practical CARBOTONIC sachets for on the go!

Did you know,..

...that there is always a suitable podcast for the blog posts?
Your hosts are Simone Kumhofer (sports and nutrition scientist, professional triathlete and expert in intestinal health and the microbiome) and Chris Nindl (triathlete, former cyclist and organizer of theOMNi-BiOTiC® Apfelland Triathlon )
Take a listen! - Click here for the podcast!