Coconut Water
One of the more widely advertised natural ingredients promising to be a big breakthrough in athletic performance is coconut water, with manufacturers claiming it can do everything from hydrate you to help you lose weight. The age-old advice of “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” rings truer than ever with this ingredient.
What it does
Coconut water is predominantly marketed as a way to provide better hydration for athletes than sports drinks or plain water, which would then, in theory, provide enhanced athletic performance. Unfortunately, this is not the case[1].
Coconut water is also promoted as a way to increase athletic performance, but that’s simply not true either[2]. In fact, not only is Coconut water not effective at hydrating you or increasing your athletic abilities, but studies[2] also show that users feel “more bloated and experienced greater stomach upset with the [Coconut water]”.
How it works
If it were to work, coconut water would provide its benefits thanks to the large array of vitamins and minerals it contains within it. For all of us, however, these levels are too low to make any noticeable difference to our energy or performance.
Dosing
Standard dosing of coconut water is 250ml during exercise.