You may recognize this post from April. At the time the blog was in its infancy and some of you may have had a chance to read it, others may not have. Well I’m bringing it back and its for a good reason, it works and I want everyone to know about it. For those of you that have tried Coconut Water, what your experience? Drop me a few lines or comment on the article. I will post responses within next weeks blog.
But that’s not all (in my best Bob Barker impersonation). I have some product that I’m willing to share and the best response / post will be awarded a 1 Liter container of O.N.E. Coconut water. The response / post can be on your own blog or here on this blog, but if it is on your own you will be required to provide a link within your response or comment on this blog. This opportunity will remain open until May 25 at Midnights. Enjoy! I look forward to hearing from you about your experience.
Enjoy!
The coconut, it’s long been the symbol of the tropics and images of long, white sand beaches that extend for miles. The water of the coconut on the other hand is a relatively unknown consumable portion of this powerful nut. Being the Midwest child of the media nation, I had no idea that this liquid had potential beyond its traditional uses until I came across a post on Scott Dunlap’s blog: “A Trail Runner’s Blog”. The idea of using this natural hydration solution intrigued me, but it wasn’t until some time later when I re-examined the possibilities that coconut water provides.
I came to discover the power of the coconut and specifically, Coconut Water through a series of events. I have long sought an electrolyte drink and a company that I can consistently stand behind. I thought I found that in Hammer products through Heed and its sister product, Sustain. These products have always served me well but the recent news of a lawsuit against Hammer products Http://www.hammernutrition.com/za/HNT?PAGE=ARTICLE&ARTICLE.ID=9107) resurfaced some long standing frustrations with the supplement industry and led me to alternative solutions for my nutritional and hydration needs during training and competitions. It should be noted that this litigation is still pending as of 4/16/08. Also understand that my decision was not a knock against Hammer Nutrition and their products. They have served me well for many years and now I have chosen to take a different approach to my nutritional and hydration needs. I’ll write more about this in a later entry, for now let’s stay on topic and discuss the incredible opportunity we have with Coconut Water.
In my estimation, all endurance performance is built upon one thing: the foundation of proper hydration. Endurance athletes can’t even begin to focus on other aspects of their performance if their hydration needs are not being met. It is the glue that binds everything together. Without it, your training and competition quickly come raveling apart, leaving performance dreams a distant memory. I’ve long sought a whole food or natural approach to this key component with limited success. Water alone is never enough because electrolytes are necessary to ensure proper bodily system functions; yet, when you look at the spectrum of natural hydration options, there are truly few available.
In today’s market, It’s difficult to recognize a nutritional plan without incorporating some type of synthetic or manufacture solution for your hydration needs. The available products are plentiful and provide a dizzying selection that often clouds the whole foods options available within the marketplace. That is until I came across this study: Rehydration with Sodium-Enriched Coconut Water after Exercise-Induced Dehydration (http://www.tm.mahidol.ac.th/seameo/Vol38No4July2007/26-4026.pdf) . It was the first article that I have come across that puts a very popular hydration product to the test (Gatorade) vs a completely 100% natural approach (Coconut Water).
After some brief research, I found that Coconut was the natural hydration tool that I have been seeking for so long. Every part of the coconut is consumable and can be used for a wide range of products from rope to oils. With each tree producing upwards of 70+ coconuts per year, it is the quintessential renewable resource. The downside to the coconut is that the tree has a limited growing area requiring ample amounts of rainfall and sunlight. Regardless, I suspect that this nut of the Coconut Palm is about to go through a revival of sorts in the athletic community. Mortin Satin, the Chief of the United Nation Food and Agriculture culture stated, “Coconut water is the very stuff of Nature, biologically pure, full of natural sugars, salts, and vitamins to ward off fatigue…and is the next wave of energy drinks”. This movement will start in endurance community and spread much like Gatorade in the 80’s 90’s, yet this time it will be Gatorade who has taken a back seat to what I believe to a more superior product.
I wanted coconut water to work in the worst way. For the last year to a year and a half, I’ve been dealing with some increasingly difficult digestion problems during my long runs. It seemed that my iron gut was now rusted and I often found it difficult to complete a long run without some level of discomfort. It was this situation that led me to forgo the use of gels altogether and subsequently limited my use of electrolyte drinks. So what led me to use coconut water, let’s start with a comparison of coconut water vs Gatorade endurance formula:
O.N.E. Coconut water (11oz) Vs Gatorade Endurance Formula (11oz)
Potassium: 670mg Vs 275mg
Sodium: 35mg Vs 123mg
Sugar: 15g Vs 123g
Protein: 1mg Vs 0
Calcium: 40mg Vs 8.25mg
Phosphorus: 17mg Vs 0
Magnesium: 25mg Vs 4.126mg
So as you can see the most glaring comparisons between the 2 products are the differences Potassium and Sodium. Most Americans have too much sodium in their diets, myself included, so I don’t put much thought into the lower levels of sodium. In my endurance events, I know that I will be taking in enough sodium through the foods that I am ingesting. Potassium on the other hand, is rapidly depleted during exercise and is responsible for muscle contraction and converting glucose to glycogen. Because of his I am concerned with ingesting enough potassium. It should be noted that coconut water closely resembles the composition of blood plasma and in emergency situations it been used as an alternative solution. Its nature isotonic composition, allows for the quick adsorption into the body allowing safe and effective hydration.
You should give this product a try, I have and I am now a believer. So much so, I reached out to O.N.E. One Natural Experience to discuss the possibility of a sponsorship and thankfully, they agreed that there may be some opportunities available. While I anticipate that this will be a big portion of my hydration and nutritional needs for the upcoming Cactus Rose 100mi race, I don’t believe it’s the only answer. Like any product, it’s one piece of the equation. When used properly, I foresee it being the glue that will hold my nutritional plans together for all of my future endurance events. This product has opened my eyes to many additional endurance fueling options which I look forward to sharing with you in the future. In the mean time, give coconut water a try and let me know how it turns out. I’ll be interested in finding out if others find the same success with this product as I did.
Locally, I found a great source for my coconut water at the Sun Harvest store, although I would imagine that you should be able to find ample supplies at any grocery store with a significant Hispanic or Asian food section or your local natural foods grocer.
2 Comments
May 18, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Coconut water huh? I don’t know. There’s so many nutritional suppliment products out their, its really hard to tell what really works and what doesn’t.
May 22, 2008 at 7:23 pm
Just read through some of your posts. While I have had plenty of coconut water before (being an Indian, it was pretty easy to find in my youth), I have never had it as a hydration solution. I will give this a shot.