Is BodyArmor A Good Sports Drink?

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To get a boost of electrolytes such as potassium, sodium, and calcium, athletes use sports drinks. So, is BodyArmor a good sports drink?

Sports drinks are full of minerals and electrolytes that help the body in attaining draining energy during intense exercise. Various brands offer multiple sports drinks in different flavors and formulas. Among those brands, BodyArmor is a popular brand.

Mike Repole introduced BodyArmor in 2011. The brand hikes in sales and popularity when Coca-Cola purchased some holdings in the brand and the brand became the official sports drink partner with UFC.

What Is In BodyArmor?

BodyArmor is not only a drink; it’s a lifestyle. This sports drink uses healthy ingredients rather than hard chemicals that hurt the body for a small amount of energy.

Ingredients used in Body Armor:

An 8oz serving of BodyArmor drinks have:

70 calories
20mg sodium
18 grams carbohydrates
350mg of potassium

Sports drink fulfills a major proportion of daily vitamin and minerals intake. They are providing a healthy substitute for hazardous energy drinks.

Vitamins and minerals in Body Armor:

Vitamins A, C, and E
Vitamins B3, B5, B6, B9, and B12
Zinc

BodyArmor fulfills 100% of the RDI of vitamin B3, B5, B6, B9, B12, and zinc.

Cane Sugar As A Sweetener:

BodyArmor uses cane sugar as a natural sweetener for this sports drink. Mostly, sugar is demonized, whether it comes from either sugar cane or sugar beets.

Sugar is considered the most readily available form of energy booster. Most energy or sports drinks use artificial sweeteners to sweeten their drink, but they are harmful to the body.

The body welcomes any form of sugar as an energy booster, but natural sweeteners are famous for their quality and health benefits.

Some health experts believe that cane sugar can cause weight gain, obesity, and diabetes. They don’t say that it all happens when you are not working out much.

BodyArmor does not use artificial sweeteners as they are not beneficial to heath and may cause health problems, but cane sugar, a natural sweetener, is not harmful in moderation.

Coconut Water Based:

Juice concentrate is a standard version of fruit juice that is used in the beverage industry. It is attained by evaporating the water content of any fruit juice. That concentration is easy to transport, treat, and process.

Juice concentrate is rich nutritionally, and they have a greater shelf life than fresh juice. Different types of beverages use different procedures to make juice concentrates and process them.

BodyArmor uses coconut juice concentrate as the base for the sports drink. Coconut is a rich source of sodium, potassium, and water that works as the foundation for Body Armor sports drinks.

Another reason to use coconut is the naturally sweet flavor that decreases the use of cane sugar to sweeten the drink.

For some people, coconuts are an allergen. FDA also categorizes coconuts as an allergen. BodyArmor is a coconut-based sports drink that must be avoided by people allergic to tree nuts such as almonds, cashew, and walnuts. Consult your doctor before using BodyArmor.

Vitamins

Vitamins are an essential part of our everyday diet. For an athlete or sportsman, a proper intake of vitamins is necessary. Body Armor being a sports drink, contains all essential vitamins necessary for an athlete or sportsman to their intensive exercise.

Body Armor contains:

Vitamin A, C, and E:

Vitamin A, C, and E are necessary antioxidants. The body needs them to counteract oxidative stress during workouts.

Vitamin B (B3,5,6,9,12):

These vitamins help the body to regain energy after the workout by cell repair.

Electrolytes

Electrolytes are necessary to keep the body conditioned to do intensive exercise. Body Armor contains some very important electrolytes like:

Dipotassium Phosphate:

This electrolyte helps in energizing the muscles with the help of adenosine triphosphate. On the other hand, Potassium helps in restoring the electrolytes in the body.

Magnesium Oxide:

Magnesium Oxide is an important electrolyte that regulates blood pressure, blood glucose, and the nervous system.

Zinc Oxide:

Zinc helps in strengthening the immune system. It also helps in retrieving muscle power after an intensive workout.

Sugar and Salt content in BodyArmor:

The sugar content in Body Armor is slightly higher than in other sports drinks like Gatorade. a 16oz bottle of BodyArmor contains 36 grams of sugar, and the standard average quantity of sugar in a 16oz bottle of other sports drinks are around 28 grams.

The salt content in the BodyArmor is lesser than other brands in the market. Salt is an electrolyte for the body and essential for sports drinks. Popular sports drink Gatorade carries around 90 mg of sodium while BodyArmor carries only 20mg.

The purpose of sodium in sports drinks is to dehydrate the body during workouts. BodyArmor fulfills the need without the need for extra sodium in it.

Ingredients BodyArmor Avoid:

BodyArmor claims to be a healthy sports drink in its category. With its natural sweetener, concentration, and all other ingredients, BodyArmor proves its point.

To better know what it means to be a substitute for harmful sports drinks, we must know what BodyArmor does not have in it and what most sports drinks do.

1. Artificial Coloring Agents:

The use of artificial colors to produce strong colors for sports drinks is common in the sports drinks industry. Usually, artificial colors and flavors are added to enhance the color and taste of the drink.

BodyArmor being a healthy sports drink does not use any artificial coloring or flavors to give bright colors to the drink. Natural sources like vegetables, fruits, vitamins, and beta carotene are used to color the drinks.

2. Artificial Sweeteners:

Body Armor uses a natural sweetener called cane sugar that is produced using sugar cane. This natural sweetener brings a natural taste and feels to the sports drink.

Moreover, BodyArmor uses coconut water concentrate to create the base for the drink which is sweet in taste. Coconut water concentrate enhances the sweet flavor of BodyArmor without using artificial sweeteners.

3. Caffeine:

Caffeine is a stimulant that is in the methylxanthine class, which stimulates the central nervous system. It is used in major sports drinks and energy drinks to boost up the body for an extreme workout.

Some people are caffeine sensitive as it adversely affects their bodies. If you are caffeine sensitive, BodyArmor is safe for you to drink. BodyArmor is a caffeine-free sports drink.

BodyArmor has different versions, some of them like BodyArmor Edge which contains 100 mg of caffeine per 20.2oz of drink. This variety is for athletes who prefer caffeine in their sports drink content.

The quantity of caffeine is balanced to make sure it does not exceed the maximum intake limit which is less than 400mg, and BodyArmor contains 100mg per bottle.

Is BodyArmor for kids?

No. BodyArmor is not recommended for kids. Sports drinks are for adults that are engaged in extreme workouts and intense athletic activities.

Kids that are engaged in exercise and sports are also not recommended to drink BodyArmor.

Kid’s requirement for hydration and electrolytes is fulfilled by their food and water intake. Secondly, sports drinks like BodyArmor are formulated for adults, not for kids. Intake of sports drinks by them may cause electrolyte imbalance.

The major ingredient to look after in every drink is sugar. Different health organizations, especially the NHS , have prescribed that adults must not have more than 30 grams of sugar a day and kids must not have more than 24 grams.

8oz of BodyArmor has around 18 grams of sugar which are more than 50% of an adult’s sugar intake for the day. For such reasons, BodyArmor is not for kids.

Side Effects Of BodyArmor Sports Drink?

Sports drinks are like energy supplements that give a burst of energy to the body that naturally will take some time. Being loaded with sugar, and other such supplements, it should not be a habit to drink BodyArmor with consistency.

As mentioned earlier, sports drinks are formulated to provide a strong dose of energy to the consumer that is engaged in extensive physical activity for more than an hour. If you want a long-lasting source of energy, sports drinks like BodyArmor are not for you.

BodyArmor is only for athletes and people who are engaged in some sort of physical activity, if you are not doing any such physical activity that needs some additional energy you are wasting your money on extra calories that will hurt you.

Healthy Alternatives To Sports Drinks

Sports drinks are not the only source of energy and electrolytes there are some healthy alternatives to a sports drink like BodyArmor.

Coconut water:

One of the alternatives is coconut water, a natural drink that is lovely in taste and contains natural energy alternatives like electrolytes.

As mentioned earlier, they contain natural sugar to help your body with that. According to research, coconut water can work as a sports drink alternative during a 60 min workout session.

Water:

Natural water contains minerals and nutrients that are necessary for the body. Although water does not contain such nutrients that can work as a sports drink, it is still a good substitute.

Summary:

BodyArmor is a brilliant sports drink that is formulated to provide a healthy substitute for toxic sports drinks. With minerals and nutrients, it is a complete energizer package. BodyArmor tries to include as many possible natural ingredients to make it a natural drink.

The level of energy it provides and the ingredients it has enough nutrients and energy. It is always at the customer’s discretion to either use the product or not. Based on facts, and research BodyArmor is found to be a good Sports drink.