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I have always been a water drinker. I say that meaning I have always preferred water over any other types of beverages, especially when it comes to hydrating. That sounds obvious. However, with all the options in sports drinks and whatnot, people take water for granted, and rightfully so. Water is flavorless and, unfortunately, doesn’t have the electrolytes that are needed when you’re being very active. That is why many people turn to things like Gatorade or Powerade in order to quench our body’s thirst for the loss of these essential minerals.
Playing paintball gets hot, you sweat a lot, it’s that simple. Most athletic, endurance sports have you strip down to something comfortable and cool when participating. Paintball, on the other hand, puts you in heavy pants, pads, long sleeve jerseys and we wear masks that restrict our breathing. Paintball companies have been innovating as much as they can in an attempt to make our gear lighter weight and more effective in the harsh environments, but the plain and simple fact is, heat is always going to be an issue. Which is why I am always advocating for healthy hydration.
The bottom line is Motive Pure keeps you hydrated longer without the dragging effect of sugars, which allows you to recover faster for back to back matches and long practice days.
Ryan Greenspan
The reason I can’t stand the popular sports drinks, aside from the artificial flavors, is the same reason I don’t drink soda, the SUGAR! Sugar, if you didn’t know, is not great for you. Many popular sports drinks have upwards of 30-40 grams of sugar in them which should be right around what you consume in a day. I know that many people don’t count their sugar intakes and, more than likely, consume a lot more than 40g in a day. But it is important to be conscious, as an athlete, of what is going into your body. With that said, some of the other reasons sugary drinks aren’t the best for you while playing is because sugar tends to thicken up your saliva and gum up your mouth. That creates a problem when trying to communicate and breath. I’ve noticed that changes in the viscosity of your saliva can have an affect on those functions. Sugar also gives you a short term spike in energy which some people like, but that comes with a harsh crash shortly thereafter.
So how do we get the necessary electrolytes without the sugars? Dynasty and I have experimented with different types of electrolyte tablets and other sports drinks in the past, but at the end we always tend to settle on trusty old room temp water. The room temperature part, to a lot of people’s disgust is also good for your body as well. But drinking room temperature water while playing in a hot environment is a tougher argument to win amongst the team and other people and isn’t nearly as important, so I’ll stick to the battles I can win.
I was recently introduced to a company called MOTIVE PURE. They offer a zero-calorie liquid electrolyte hydration that mixes with water. The drink is a mix of potassium, sodium, magnesium calcium and sodium citrate, which is exactly what your body needs when being very active. Motive Pure is a liquid electrolyte water additive flavored with natural flavors and stevia leaf as a sweetener. They offer a handful of flavors like Lemon/Lime, Orange Pink Lemonade, Berry and Grape.
In my opinion, Motive Pure is ideal for paintball players and any other high endurance active athletes because you have to play hard for short periods of time for matches and points but we also tend to be at the field all day, whether at a practice or at an event, with games spanning over several hours and events, for us, lasting several days. The bottom line is Motive Pure keeps you hydrated longer without the dragging effect of sugars, which allows you to recover faster for back to back matches and long practice days.
I have been using MOTIVE PURE since the Nashville event, which was one of the hottest events in NXL history, and this is exactly what I have been looking for. It is super easy to drink, you just mix with water, give it a stir and you’re ready to go! I usually drink one about an hour or so before my first match. Then, depending on how hot it was or how much I sweat, I may have one afterwards as well. I always have another before bed to help me recover overnight. While your body is at rest it has time to heal and recover. As long as you’re not sweating profusely or getting up to pee five times per night, your body will absorb everything perfectly overnight and you’ll wake up fresh and hydrated!
Motive Pure is another outside industry company who has taken notice of paintball and it is a great step in the right direction. I am happy to have the support of Motive Pure and I hope that I can help change a few minds out there in the sports world to put down the sugar filled drinks and pick up something a bit more pure to put in their bodies.
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