Hydration Nation [Liquid IV Review & Giveaway!] by The Ascent Blog
Whew! It has been a crazy couple of weeks. In fact, it feels like we have barely sat down to catch our breath since August. With Brandon back in school full-swing, back-to-back CrossFit competitions, friends’ weddings to attend, oh and our own wedding to plan, life has felt super crazy. The past two weekends have found me sitting on my bed on Sunday night thinking, “How is tomorrow Monday again?”
After the Girls Gone Rx competition, my entire Sunday was spent in a hungover stupor. This was a major bummer because not only did it keep me from really being able to enjoy one of my rare off-days, but I think it also really contributed to the serious DOMS that I experienced for most of the rest of the week. The problem was that I wasn’t actually hungover… I was just super duper dehydrated. I like to think that I am pretty good about drinking water during the day, but it can be hard to remember to drink enough during WODs, let alone with 4 WODs in one day. I also feel like I need to get so much water to keep myself hydrated that it just is sloshing around in my stomach, but I also am not a fan of energy drinks that might hydrate me more quickly because I try to stay away from food dye and random flavorings and chemicals, especially when I am asking so much from my body.
Then last week, a shipment from Liquid IV landed on my doorstep. Liquid IV was originally formulated specifically for hangovers, so it seemed like just the cure I was looking for–because honestly, I haven’t felt as hungover as I did the day after my competition since approximately Halloween of 2009 when I accidentally invited a guy who I didn’t know (but who was dressed like a skier, which everyone from Colorado knows is the biggest cop-out costume of all time) back to my house and then proceeded to make him sleep on the couch.
Liquid IV is preservative-free, with no artificial colors or flavors, low sugar (sweetened with Stevia), and low calories. I am not a calorie counter (unless I am counting them because I need more), but I do want to make sure that the calories I intake are purposeful, so I don’t like getting them from drinks. The ingredients list caught my eye right away: Glucose, Sodium, and Potassium for oral rehydration; Calcium, Phosphorous, and Magnesium for additional electrolytes and to prevent cramping; Zinc to boost your liver; N-Acetyl Cysteine to boost adrenal glands; Prickly Pear to reduce inflammation that has also been known to help with nausea and dry mouth; and White Willow Bark, a natural pain reliever that also reduces inflammation. These ingredients are super intentional, which I am a huge fan of.
The box not only contained a few bottles of Liquid IV, but also a handful of crystal packets for mixing my own up on the go. I immediately stashed them in my bag for the Benchmark Brawl so that I wouldn’t forget them on Saturday.
The competition day came and I all but forgot about the Liquid IV mix in my bag. We showed up at the competition and began warming up, but even after downing almost a full Nalgene, my mouth still felt dry and sticky. I started rummaging through my bag and was so excited to find those little packets. For the rest of the day, Brandon and I relied on the Liquid IV, and I can honestly say that as soon as I drank some I felt a lot more alert, and it helped alleviate a headache that Brandon had been battling all morning.
I knew the real test would be the next morning, so we both drank another bottle when we got home (by the way, it tastes awesome–mild but sweet, kind of like green tea). Once again we both perked up right away.
The next morning we woke up and although we were both sore, I didn’t feel any of the sluggishness or, well, misery I had felt the previous weekend. If anything, I should have felt worse, because I ate the majority of a pizza on Saturday night for recovery, whereas the previous weekend I had actually eaten a clean dinner after my comp. My muscles have been tired, but not even as close to as sore as they were the previous weekend, and I already feel like I’m starting to recover, whereas last week I spent almost all week taking massive amounts of ibuprofen to get through the day. I 100% contribute these improvements to the Liquid IV.
And now comes the part where you get cool stuff!
Liquid IV is sold as a monthly subscription, where you get 6 packets of drink crystals automatically delivered each month. Usually this is $14.99/month (or about $2.50 per packet–this is some seriously high quality stuff, guys!). BUT if you order this week using either the code ‘ASCENT’ or the link below, you will get your first month for 50% off! You can cancel your subscription at any time, so if you only want the first month, then no problem!
Here is the link –> https://liquid-iv.com/ascent
(PS, I don’t make a commission off of your purchase in any way, I just like being able to share cool stuff with you guys!)
After you sign up for your first month, you will be entered to win a Liquid IV Prize Pack that includes: 1 case of Liquid ID RTD bottles (not sold online), a sweatband, 5 Liquid IV wristbands, and a Liquid IV T-shirt! Just leave a comment below letting me know that you purchased! You can also get extra entries in the giveaway for liking Liquid IV on Facebook and following them on Instagram.
The winner will be announced next Friday, October 18th. Good luck!
