Are You a Solo Man?
Debatably one of the most iconic ad campaigns, the ‘Solo Man’ has been showing the benefits of sports drinks for decades. However, today we know that they’re not as good for you as you might think, so you need to find a new way of rehydration.
Solo Man ad, Australia 1986 – Youtube
‘Crack a Solo, be a Solo Man.’ If these words don’t ring any bells, you’re missing out on an important part of the Australian advertisement history.
During the 70s, Solo, an Australian soft drink brand, gained a lot of popularity thanks to this ad. You could see the famous Solo Man kayaking, training for triathlon, and doing many exhausting activities. At the end, he would crack open a can of Solo to replenish his energy, and you hear the famous catchphrase.
The Solo Man was a symbol of masculinity, as well as active and adventurous life. It comes as no surprise that the Solo drink gained a lot of attention. To this day, many athletes rely on sports drinks for rehydration.
However, there is evidence that they’re not so healthy, so a modern-day solo man needs a new solution.
Sports Drinks – Friend or Foe?
When you exercise or perform physically demanding work, you lose a large amount of water in the form of sweat. Your sweat contains electrolytes, which your body needs to perform at its peak, so you lose those as well with your lost sweat. Many athletes and professionals think that sports drinks replenish electrolytes. Unfortunately, this is often not the case.
Many sports drinks don’t contain enough electrolytes to fully replace the lost ones. You would need to drink a lot of them to really replenish the fluid and electrolytes lost. This wouldn’t be that big of an issue if these drinks weren’t so high in sugar.
To show you why this can be a problem, let’s discuss sugar and its potential health risks.
Why is Sugar Harmful?
Sugar falls under the category of carbohydrates, which our bodies use as fuel. Having this in mind, it might be a bit hard to understand how sugar can be bad for you. The truth is actually very simple.
When sugar enters your bloodstream, your body can either use it as an energy source or store it as fat. Depending on your level of activity, as well as genetic predisposition, your body’s response to sugar will vary.
Another thing that happens when you consume sugar is the production of insulin, a hormone that regulates the levels of blood sugar. The more sugar you consume, the more insulin you need. When you intake too much sugar, your body releases too much insulin, which leads to hypoglycaemia. Your body would start to crave sugar as a result, and the cycle continues if you give in to the cravings.
Sports drinks contain a lot of sugar for flavour. If you consume them on a regular basis, you get addicted to them. This can lead to many health conditions, including:
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Mental health issues
- Rheumatoid arthritis
For this reason, many people have started to frown upon the unhealthy sugars (or artificial sweeteners) in sports drinks. Thankfully, there is a better way to rehydrate your body.
A New Solution
If you’re looking for a new rehydration strategy, you might want to think about going the route of ORS (Oral Rehydration Solutions), such as SOS. SOS complies with the guidelines that the WHO (World Health Organisation) set for oral rehydration therapy – what it should contain and how much.
This means that SOS contains around 80% less sugar than an average sports drink, and none of the artificial ingredients. For flavour, it contains stevia, a naturally occurring sweetener that has no negative effects on your body.
Most importantly, it has a high concentration of important electrolytes such as sodium and potassium. This means that you’ll be able to rehydrate your body without exposing yourself to any health risks. It’s also fast-acting, so you can maximise your performance in no time.
You can now understand why more and more people who live an active lifestyle choose to go with SOS. Combining the formula with plain water will ensure that you replenish all of the fluid and electrolytes lost during physical activity.
So if you want to be a modern-day Solo Man, you should consider getting rid of sugary sports drinks and switch to SOS instead. If you think your body deserves the best hydration, visit our shop for more details.
