Men\'s Health Australia - 11.2018

November 2018 15

THE NEW HYDRATION

UPGRADE POINTS TO

ALL-NEW STAMINA

MAXIMISING LIFE’S GREATEST LUXURY

POST-RUN HYDRATION can be

a prickly issue. A bottle of Gatorade

may bring you back from the brink, but

beyond a few extra carbs, are sports

drinks working hard enough to boost

our performance? Our verdict: they

could do better. Research conducted by

the Tunisian National Center of Medicine

and Science in Sports found that a daily

intake of just 150ml of cactus juice – a

trending health drink – can make you

both faster and fitter. It’s time you

caught up.

After two weeks of quenching their

thirst on cactus, unfit test subjects were

able to run further and found exercise

easier. The cactus had even increased

their VO2 max – the maximum rate at

which your heart and muscles

can effectively use oxygen

during exercise. Experts consider this

measure to be the most accurate

indicator of a person’s overall fitness.

The study’s cardio amateurs, however,

significantly raised their upper limit

in a mere two weeks simply by

switching beverages.

The cactus juice also protects your

muscles against exercise-induced

decay. The compounds that make

training so painful were found in far

lower concentrations in the blood of

the cactus juice drinkers post-run.

So, whatever your ability, you can

spike your stamina levels by refreshing

your hydration plan. We’ll drink to that.

IMAGE MANIPULATION: COLIN BEAGLEY

02

WEEKS TO GIVE YOUR

ENDURANCE LEVELS

A REFRESHING SPIKE