It may be refreshing and delicious, yes, but advocates (and PR companies) claim coconut water replenishes your body better than water after a strenuous workout. Nature's Gatorade, if you will. But is that really true?
The big deal with coconut water, according to Andrea Giancoli, registered dietitian and spokesperson for The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, is that it has a lot of potassium, which is important for heart health and regulating blood pressure and other body systems. But it's "not magical." There are plenty of other potassium-rich foods—bananas, potatoes, kidney beans, lentils, and spinach, to name a few—so skipping out on the coconut water isn't going to deplete your potassium stores.
Regarding its effectiveness as an after-workout drink, nutritionist Monica Reinagel says most of us just don't work out long enough or hard enough to seriously need an electrolyte replacement drink, so water is perfectly fine. As for hardcore athletes? The mineral they most need is sodium, and coconut water is actually pretty low in sodium.
So drink it if you enjoy it, and but don't expect it to work wonders.
Read More: Is the Coconut Water Craze All It's Cracked Up To Be? at NPR
(Image: Vegan Fueled Athletic Mom)
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As long as you're able to eat something healthy, I think people place too much emphasis on re-hydrating through electrolyte drinks. They are great in you're in a situation where food isn't really an option -- if you're sick, if you're very hot and trying to cool down while replacing sweated electrolytes, or if you don't like eating too soon after a workout -- but otherwise, a healthy diet will give you all the sodium, potassium, chloride, etc. that you need.
I understood that coconut water could cause diarrhea and therefore dehydration. If you're going that route anyway, not not drink both? I do get exhausted after a workout because of low blood pressure, so I think sodium is a great idea. Otherwise, unless you're running a race after your workout, why obsess over it?
I really loved cold, fresh coconut water while travelling in the hot brazilian summer. Very refreshing and more interesting than just plain water. However I don't think its that much more healthy, I just drank it because I like it. Also, its just such a nice feeling to get it fresh from the little stands they have there. Anyway, drink it if you like it, don't drink it because you think you have to.
They're just clever marketing.
I always wonder about the people sucking frantically on an electrolyte drink while they pedal away at the gym. Seriously, ditch the extra calories and just go hard on the water.
I hate packaged coconut water. I tried it once and it didn't taste anything like fresh coconut water. It was too artificially sweet. I think the best way to enjoy it is to simply get a coconut and chop off the top so you can fit a straw in it, then sip. The best part is when you're done with the juice and you can eat the coconut. Yum! Unfortunately, that is definitely not the recommended way to drink it during or after a workout. (Imagine bringing a coconut to the gym)
Oh, and don't drink too much. It will give you diarrhea. (Happened to me as a kid.) I limit myself to one coconut a sitting.
I always stick with filtered water during and after my workouts. There is something quite refreshing about coconut water though. (Maybe it's just in my head).
I am totally imagining bringing a coconut to the gym, and nestling it in the bottle holder on the treadmill, with a straw and a cocktail umbrella. It would really glam things up!