Coconut Water - Mother Natures very own Sports Drink

A few weeks back I read a blog post by Joe DeFranco which described a new sports drink he had been trying out on his athletes. Joe DeFranco runs one of the top training facilities in the USA that churns out freaky athletes year after year. These athletes then go on to dominate in the NFL and other Major Leagues across the Atlantic. When something is tried and tested in DeFranco’s gym and passes with flying colours you can be pretty sure that there is something more to it than just marketing hype.

However what really grabbed me about this sports drink is that it is a 100% natural product, packed full of goodness from Mother Nature herself (not an artificial chemical in sight). Since I am a strong believer in eating natural, organic foods over anything artificial, manufactured or processed this intrigued me a lot.

So what is this great magical sport’s drink that nature produces?

Coconut Water described by some as the ‘Fluid of Life’.

It turns out Coconut Water contains a fantastic profile of electrolytes and phytonutrients which are ideal for rehydrating the body and replacing minerals and electrolytes lost through exercise. In fact research has shown that Coconut Water contains over 15 times more electrolytes than leading sports drinks and contains more potassium than a banana!!

What is in Coconut Water?

Minerals - Potassium, Calcium, Sodium, Phosphorus, Iron, Zinc, Manganese, Selenium,Copper
Vitamins – C, B1, B2, B3, B5 & B6
12 Amino Acids
Very few calories
Fat free, cholesterol free
Free from lactose, preservatives and colouring

Not being one to hang around, I went straight to Google to see if I could source some of this stuff in the UK and give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised to find there are a number of suppliers and a couple of minutes later 12 cartons of Coconut Water were ordered and en route.

The Coconut Water arrived last week and I have to say so far I have been quite impressed with the stuff.

Firstly I have been experimenting by drinking the stuff during training sessions. I have found it to be quite refreshing, keeps me feeling well hydrated and I have had no problems with muscle cramping.

The second way I have been consuming my coconut water is by adding it to Smoothies that I drink throughout the day. A typical smoothie over the last week looks something like this;

Protein Powder (30g)
Greens Superfood (1 Scoop)
Frozen Mixed Berries
Organic Yoghurt
Banana
Udo's Oil / Olive Oil / Coconut Oil / Almond Butter
Coconut Water

These things taste awesome and are packed with more nutrition than most people get in a week. After drinking one I feel fresh, energised and healthy. (Seriously, I highly recommend smoothies as a great way of increasing the nutritional value of your diet)

Ok, so after a week of taking Coconut Water what does the body say?

Got to admit I have noticed some pleasant increases in my recovery time between training sessions. How much of this is down to the Coconut Water I cannot say (as there are plenty of other factors involved; sleep, intensity of training etc etc) but one thing is for sure, I shall be continuing to use Coconut Water as my in-workout drink and as a filler for my smoothies. Something packed with this much goodness all from nature herself has GOT to be better than a sports drink that glows in the dark!!

I suggest you give it a try………..

If you have any question/comments regarding this post it would be great to hear from you. Please get in touch using the "comments" link below and I shall aim to get back to you ASAP

Alistair Ramsay
BSc Applied Sports Science
Personal Trainer London

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