Written by Guest Blogger – Eddie Zelenak, Buoy Hydration
Ever wonder why endurance athletic events like Tough Mudder or your local 10K road race pass out beers at the finish line? They’re onto something–well, partly. A better question is why does the German Olympic team train with non-alcoholic beer and why did they ship 1000’s of cases into Olympic Village during the last games? Answer – NA beer is ultra-healthy! (oh, and by the way – they won more gold medals last Olympics than any other time in history). So, it was a time for a game changer and this is where WellBeing and Buoy became the perfect partners in hydration heaven with WellBeing Victory Wheat – the first non-alcoholic craft beer with electrolytes ever.
Most people don’t drink enough water. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated according to a study by the Center for Disease Control. And, even if you’re getting in the recommended half-gallon each day, your workouts, coffee, energy drinks like Red Bull, and after work happy hours are sucking your zesty electrolytes dry. Losing as little as 2% of your body’s water content can significantly impair physical and mental performance. During an average workout, you lose 6%!
Beer, however, has a thing called polyphenols – naturally occurring micronutrients packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. A beer is one the best recovery drinks you can find – except its alcohol counteracts most of those micronutrient health benefits. WellBeing Victory Wheat and its electrolytes, vitamins, protein, and antioxidants easily top protein shakes or Gatorade on our list of workout recovery solutions. Michelob Ultra markets itself as a great post activity beer, yet the alcohol in it adds to your dehydration, and considering your already dehydrated from your workout…that also doesn’t make sense.
WellBeing Victory Wheat boasts a 0.19% alcohol by volume (ABV), less alcohol then a glass of orange juice and retains the polyphenols since they “vacuum out” the alcohol during the brewing process. “WellBeing Victory Wheat is a far tastier Michelob Ultra meets Gatorade, without the stuff athletes don’t want,” says Jeff Stevens, WellBeing’s founder and esteemed non-drinker who told the Buoy team after we brewed the first barrel. He continued by telling us, “In an age where Gatorade has more sugar than a scoop of Ben & Jerry’s and Americans are drinking less alcohol year over year, we’re priming our “I told you so” pump up to those not taking advantage of the health and wellness movement.”
Learning that WellBeing Victory Wheat non-alcoholic craft beer was on their product innovation radar for almost a year, Jeff said “We partnered with Buoy because of the flavorless electrolyte formula, which works well with the flavor profile and brew process of our NA beers.” Every WellBeing Victory Wheat 16oz can has three servings of Buoy in it–nearly as many electrolytes as a bottle of Gatorade. “Alcohol is so dehydrating and the added sugars and artificial junk in sports drinks just don’t make sense.” So, whenever you think it’s time to hydrate at work, working in the yard, during fitness time, or relaxing at home – WellBeing Victory Wheat gives you all the taste of beer, alcohol out…electrolytes in.