It’s no secret that I live a pretty sweaty existence. Between teaching and practicing hot yoga, running and CrossFit, most days require multiple showers and outfit changes. But it’s not just staying clean and dry that I have to pay attention to due to my high activity level, I also have to be mindful of proper hydration and fueling. When you sweat as much and as long as I do, it becomes important to think about electrolyte replacement. I have tried many solutions, from powders to tablets to sports drinks, but lately I’ve been loving coconut water as a natural alternative.

When I came on board as general manager of Metro Fitness Club, one of the first things I did on the retail side was add coconut water to our drink selection. Recently, I was offered the opportunity to personally review ZICO coconut water and I agreed so that I could share the benefits of hydrating with coconut water with you guys.

ZICO shipped a case with four of the flavors they offer – natural, chocolate, pineapple and mango. They’re also offering pomberry, lima citron and passion fruit, but I have not tried those flavors.

Let’s cover the basics …

Each bottle (except for chocolate) contains only 60 calories and 12 grams of sugar (no added sugar). There is more potassium in each bottle than is contained in a banana. Coconut water is gluten-free and contains five electrolytes: sodium, magnesium, calcium, potassium and phosphorus.

I’ve been drinking coconut water during hot yoga practices. I like to place it in a water bottle with ice cubes so that it’s watered down a bit and lasts longer during my practice. I also enjoy it for long runs – it’s a nice treat to have in my fuel belt instead of water and gives me an extra kick during warm weather runs.

Post-hot yoga practice is not always pretty – crazy hair and drenched clothes – but at least I’m hydrated! When I’m sweating heavily and not mindful about hydration and replacing electrolytes, I sometimes feel nauseated or get headaches later in the day. I’ve found that if I drink some sort of sports/energy drink, like coconut water, during class, I recover more quickly from the workout.

Recently I held a taste-test of the different ZICO flavors at the gym. Honestly, the natural coconut water is my favorite. I have to water down the pineapple and mango flavors by using ice cubes, but others really love the flavored water. The chocolate is so delicious (tastes like chocolate milk!), but I like it better for a post-workout recovery drink. I can’t drink something that chocolatey during an intense workout.

The fun part is that ZICO is offering a contest for Peanut Butter Runner readers – a $100 gift card and a case of ZICO for TWO winners! Simply check out the video above and tell me how you think coconut water could benefit you in your activity/sport of choice and what flavor you think sounds best.

Sweepstakes info:

Rules:
– No duplicate comments.
– You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post?
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
– This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.Winners will be selected via random draw and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
– The Official Rules are available here.
– This sweepstakes runs from 6/4 – 6/30.
– Be sure to visit the ZICO brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!