osmolality, schosmolality

as some of us AARS peeps gear up for our long run this sat, we should think about how to take care of our delicate bodies. and no, i'm not talkin' hair color or brow shapes. i'm talkin' hydration: water vs. sports drink.

in a recent active.com article, good ol' matt fitzgerald sings the praises of osmolality (who doesn't?). although i'm sure my microecon TA learned what 'osmolality' meant in 3rd grade, i was happy that matt defined it for the rest of us: "the concentration of dissolved particles in a fluid."

so in addition to learning a new word (note to self: use "osmolality" 3 times today to make it part of regular vocabulary), the article also provided some useful advice about when to use what - "Water is a great drink choice outside of workouts, but during exercise you're much better off with a sports drink". he also talked about the benefits of protein and, a bit surprising to me, sodium: "Those [sport drinks] that contain higher amounts of sodium are preferable, because they are absorbed quicker and maintain fluid balance in the blood and muscles better. Choose a sports drink that contains at least 15 mg of sodium per ounce."

this made me think of new flavors for sports drinks that highlight the high sodium content. what's saltier than potato chips? or pickles? mmmmmm...Fierce Dill Gatorade...Krazy Ketchup Propel Fitness Water...seriously, i might be on to something here.