And now, an important message on hydration, brought to you by Commute by Bike.
Research indicates that ten out of ten Americans need to consume adequate amounts of water to survive. Most people have heard the sage advice, "drink before you're thirsty;" by the time that you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. With dehydration comes many unpleasant manifestations, including muscle cramps, fatigue and faintness.
Physical activity, heat and humidity all increase the rate at which your body loses fluids. With the absurd temperatures that have been felt across the United States for most of the summer (the good people of Dallas saw forty days of triple digit temperatures in a row), staying hydrated while commuting by bike should be a primary concern. Feeling dizzy while riding is neither fun nor safe, and bonking at your desk after your morning commute is not a positive step towards that corner office with a view.
Drinking water before, during and after your ride is an obvious solution to the problem of dehydration. However, we're not all as diligent as we should be when it comes to staying hydrated. There is also no shortage of products on the market that claim to assist with hydration and energy during athletic activities. Many of these beverages or mixes have excessive amounts of sugar or additives, which is not ideal if you are relying on these products to stay hydrated.
Nuun, however, is an electrolyte enhanced drink tablet that contains no sugar. Nuun is not an energy drink (each tablet contains less than eight calories), and the carefully calculated electrolyte balance in each tablet allows your body to absorb more of the water that you are pouring into your mouth into your blood stream, helping you to hydrate more efficiently and more effectively. And, water with Nuun is more delicious than water without Nuun because it comes in flavors like Tri-Berry, Strawberry Lemonade and Citrus Fruit. The flavor is much more subtle than most sports drinks (mostly due to the lack of hundreds of excess sugary calories), which makes hydrating with Nuun easy on the taste buds and on the stomach.
In each easy-to-pack container, there are twelve tablets that are meant to be dissolved in 16 ounces of water. Each pack retails for between $6 or $7, so your 16 ounces of Nuun hydration are more cost-efficient than the average sports drink. The only other supplies that you need to get started with Nuun are a water bottle and a water source.
I am a fan of Nuun. I have tried dozens and dozens of sports drinks (not to be confused with energy drinks, which I avoid at all costs). Nuun is the most effective hydrating tablet that I have used, and it does not force me to consume calories in my water or leave a disagreeable sugary taste in my mouth.
Calories, often in the form of simple sugars, are necessary during sustained physical activity, but I prefer to pack energy supplements (also sometimes referred to as food) separately on longer rides.
My only complaint, Nuun, is that you don't really seem to believe in the concept of capitalization. I can live with the lowercase "N" that is part of your logo. It's hip- I get it. But when you're describing the deliciousness of your Lemon Tea or Tropical flavor on your website, let's get some capital letters involved. Other than that, keep doing what you're doing.
