Here’s a concerning article about dehydration and how it can affect animals.  One such event concerns dehydration in pigs.  At a hog farm in Iowa, it was normal to put small feeder pigs in the finishing barn so they could be fattened to their marker weight of 220 pounds.  In this particular barn, nipple watering devices that could be adjusted for height were used.  When the feeder pigs were introduced, the devices were at their lowest height, and were progressively raised as the pigs grew.  Then, they were supposed to be lowered to the correct height for the next batch of feeder pigs.  On one occasion, the farmhands forgot to lower the devices, and the pigs were without water for 3 days.  Upon realizing their mistake, the workers lowered the devices to let the pigs drink.  Within a a couple of hours, all the pigs were dead. Porcine physiology is very similar to human physiology, so this is pertinent to our discussion.  The pigs lost a lot of electrolytes as they perspired.  As they progressively dehydrated, the greatest osmotic pull was in the cells of the brain.  Once they drank all the water they desired, they all died of cerebral edema.  If professional veterinary advice had been sought-after, the workers would have been apprised to spray the flooring of the finishing barn with a water hose numerous times a day for 3 days.  That way, the fluid and electrolytes would have had a chance to equilibrate so they would have been able to safely drink all the water they wanted.
 
During the extremely blistering Oklahoma summer of 2006 (daily highs 100 to 110 degrees),  our military personnel in the Middle East with daily high temperatures can reach 140 degrees, and they are wearing MOPP suits and are packing a full combat load of ammunition and supplies.  They are also rehydrating with water and maybe sport drinks.  The troops are young and strong, but  the extreme conditions are stripping them of the ability to make effective decisions i.e.. it is the belief they are suffering a degree of cerebral edema.     Since combat is the ultimate team sport, where your very life depends on your "teammates" doing their job, it is essential the troops have a clear head in order to make good decisions.  
 
Two fallacies that have spurred the make up of traditional sport drinks are:  an athlete/soldier needs sodium to replace the sodium lost in sweat and an athlete/soldier needs simple carbohydrates/sugars to replace energy stores lost in extreme exertion.  In my opinion, almost every American has way too much sodium in their diet, and this is just a variation of the archaic salt tablet.  Basic physiology tells us sodium "lives" extracellularly, which means added sodium will osmotically draw more water increasing the blood pressure (by increasing the volume in a closed system) that is already increased with exertion, and dehydrating the cells.  This could possibly increase the  risk of heart attack and/or stroke.  Also, increased sodium forces potassium out of the body in the distal loops of Henle in the kidney.  Potassium is about 94% intracellular, and it is vital in keeping the osmotic pull of water coming into the cell, thus hydrating the cells.  This is essential for cellular and thus whole body health.  By adding carbohydrates of an extremely high glycemic index, about 78, the athlete experiences a "sugar rush" and an initial energy surge.  However, by definition, high glycemic index means a huge surge of insulin is released, which will drive glucose into the cells, depressing serum blood sugar levels, and thus dramatically decreasing the athlete's energy level.  It's similar to an insulin dependent diabetic taking an injection of insulin and then not eating.  One small benefit is the insulin surge will drive some potassium into the cells, but there  is a very small gain traded off for a significant downside. In comparison, the glycemic index of a candy bar is about 46.  Watermelon, at 82, was one of the few foods with a higher glycemic index.  In addition, the muscle cells of an athlete use up stored glycogen via aerobic metabolism.  When this runs out, they are very capable of switching to burning fat via anaerobic metabolism.  If simple sugars with a high glycemic index are given, this interferes with this cycle and hinders rather than helps the athlete compete and recover.  
 
If one considers the makeup of most sport drinks, it is evident they're full of simple carbohydrates with a high glycemic index and they have a great deal more sodium than potassium.  They as well have none of the additional minerals that are by and large accepted as being essential to assist cells work and rejuvinate.
 
One great product that Creative Compounds carries is Complete H20 Minerals Electrolyte Sports Blend.  Complete H2O Minerals Sports Blend Mix is an attempt to amend this situation.  It has zero carbohydrates in the least, hence promoting the athlete/soldier to employ his natural energy stores and pathways.  It in addition to has no sodium at all, so it does not encourage hypertension.  It has a significant amount of potassium and chlorides, thus encouraging cell work and rejuvination.  In addition, 9 other molecular minerals are present in the blend:  magnesium, calcium, MSM, zinc, manganese, chromium, selenium, molybdenum and boron.  This blend of 11 minerals is an optimal blend in helping cells do what they were designed to do.
 
It must be mentioned, a paper published by Rockefeller University 18-Jan-2002 entitled Another transmembrane protein structure solved by Rockefeller scientists specifically states that for water soluble charged minerals to be able to penetrate a fat soluble cellular membrane, specifically gated chloride ion channels exist that require minerals to be a specific size (very small) and a specific charge (negative/anionic) to cross the cell membrane.  By no small chance, Complete H20 molecular minerals are angstrom sized and negatively charged anions.  Thus, just a few milli or microgram amounts of these minerals do a better job than traditional sports drinks.  Please visit our store for more detailed information of this product.  Especially now that the dog days of summer is here!