Today, the editors at Tanyoulu will introduce to you some basic common knowledge about essential medications to carry during outdoor travel:

This article provides some basic information about commonly used medications and serves only as guidance. For proper medication methods, please follow your doctor’s advice.

Sports drinks are formulated according to the physiological consumption characteristics during exercise. They can replenish lost nutrients in a targeted manner, help maintain and improve athletic performance, and accelerate the elimination of fatigue after exercise. A sports drink is what you need.

Cold Medicine: Contac, Tylenol, Keganmin, Quick-Acting Cold Capsules (contain high levels of chlorpheniramine – it's best to take only one pill, too much and you won't wake up the next morning :)) Moroxydine (antiviral, no side effects, best taken mixed with quick-acting cold capsules) Day & Night (if you want to stay alert, go with Day & Night)

Medicine for Diarrhea: Changkang Tablets (pure traditional Chinese medicine, no side effects), Furazolidone, Berberine, Norfloxacin

Diarrhea Medicine: Laxatives (in case you consume something unclean, take them quickly to purge it out)

Bruise and Injury Medicine: Honghua Oil (doesn’t sting when treating wounds, very effective), Yunnan Baiyao (can be used for internal bleeding), in case of severe bleeding, press on the artery and sprinkle a mixture of Honghua Oil and Yunnan Baiyao on the wound to stop bleeding and reduce inflammation. Voltaren

Painkillers: Analgesic Tablets, APC (i.e., Aspirin – experts recommend you definitely bring it, has multiple uses), Panadol, Tylenol

Anti-inflammatory Medicine: Amoxicillin (i.e., oral penicillin – but confirm before departure whether any team member is allergic to it), Roxithromycin (a third-level antibiotic, just in case, but may have some stomach side effects, recommended to take after meals)

Stomach Medicine: Domperidone, Ranitidine (inexpensive, quite effective, anti-acid, protects ulcer surfaces, used for stomachache, excess stomach acid, gastric ulcers)

Motion Sickness Medicine: Vertigo Stop (inexpensive, comes in plastic bottles), Cinnarizine

Promoting Sleep: Valium (prescription drug, widely available at hospitals, not expensive, be careful not to overdose)

Vitamin Category: Vitamin C, Vitamin B (Vitamin B2 – if you have type B blood and attract lots of mosquitoes, can be taken internally, rumored to repel mosquitoes), Centrum, American Ginseng Lozenges

Should carry: absorbent cotton, gauze, bandages, band-aids (learn how to dress wounds). Iodine (best for disinfection, can use those small plastic bottles that held penicillin, sealed well so it doesn’t leak), tourniquet, Ruyicao, salt, oral glucose

On Cold Prevention: Banlangen (remember to bring the powdered kind, dissolves easily)

Mountains are usually very dry, bring Xiashangju (improves vision, moistens), for reducing internal heat use Huanglian Shangqing Pian. Mountains are prone to dampness, can bring Shensu Pills (for wind-cold, colds, and not expensive). Vitamin C.

Snake Medicine: Jidesheng Snake Medicine

Gastrointestinal Medicine: Trumpet Brand Zhenglu Wan. Heatstroke First Aid and Prevention: Rendan, Shidishui, Huoxiang Zhengqi Water (capsule). Tourniquet

Voltaren is toxic, use with caution, do not use on broken skin

It’s best not to mix medications

Sports drinks are formulated according to the physiological consumption characteristics during exercise, can replenish lost nutrients in a targeted manner, help maintain and improve athletic performance, and accelerate the elimination of fatigue after exercise. Therefore, they should have the following basic characteristics:

Appropriate Sugar Content: Sugar is the most economical and direct primary energy substance for the human body, stored in the form of glycogen in skeletal muscles and the liver. Since the body’s sugar reserves are limited, during exercise, if large amounts are consumed without replenishment, muscles will become fatigued and athletic ability will decline. On the other hand, over 90% of the brain’s energy supply also comes from blood sugar. A drop in blood sugar weakens the brain’s ability to regulate movement and causes fatigue. Therefore, sports drinks must contain a certain amount of sugar. Good sports drinks mainly use oligosaccharides, which help replenish blood sugar, allowing the brain and muscles to continuously absorb sugar during exercise, thereby improving endurance, delaying fatigue, and accelerating post-exercise recovery. Oligosaccharide drinks also help lower blood lactate levels during exercise, increasing muscle strength and workload.

Moderate Electrolytes: Exercise-induced sweating leads to significant loss of electrolytes such as potassium and sodium, causing bodily fatigue and even cramps, leading to reduced athletic performance. The sodium and potassium in drinks not only replenish what is lost in sweat but also help retain water in the blood vessels, ensuring the body gets adequate hydration. If the electrolyte content in the drink is too low, it won’t be effective; if too high, it increases the osmotic pressure of the drink, causing gastrointestinal discomfort and preventing the water in the drink from being absorbed quickly by the body. Low osmotic pressure ensures that the water and other nutrients in the drink pass through the stomach quickly and are fully absorbed. The osmotic pressure of the drink should be lower than that of plasma, i.e., a hypotonic drink. The types and amounts of sugar and electrolytes in the drink directly determine its osmotic pressure. Nutrient-rich sports drinks, even with various sugars and inorganic salts, can still maintain low osmotic pressure.

No Carbonation, No Caffeine, No Alcohol: Carbonation can cause bloating and discomfort in the stomach. Drinking large amounts of carbonated beverages may cause stomach spasms or even vomiting. Caffeine and alcohol have diuretic and dehydrating effects, further exacerbating fluid loss. In addition, both stimulate the central nervous system, which is not conducive to fatigue recovery.

Hypertensive Patients Should Not Drink Too Much Sports Drink: Light exercise is indeed beneficial to health, but for people with hypertension, drinking sports drinks after exercise can raise blood pressure. Because hypertensive patients must limit salt intake, and salt contains sodium, which raises blood pressure. Sports drinks have high sodium content, and drinking them will inevitably raise blood pressure even higher. Sports drinks are not a problem for normal individuals or those with low blood pressure, but hypertensive patients who drink them indiscriminately during exercise are highly prone to stroke. Therefore, hypertensive patients should not drink too much sports drink.

How to Buy Sports Drinks? Currently, there are many products in China labeled as “sports drinks,” such as “Jianlibao,” “Red Bull,” “Shupao,” etc. However, according to experts, professional sports teams rarely choose these drinks anymore. Drinks like “Red Bull” contain caffeine, which is a banned substance for athletes. “Jianlibao” contains mineral trace elements but is high in sugar and is still a carbonated beverage. Specialized sports drinks currently on the domestic market mainly include several major brands. One is the NBA-sponsored brand – Gatorade, which sells well in southern cities like Guangzhou and Shanghai, with supermarket prices around 4–5 RMB per bottle. Another is “Weichuang High-Energy Solid Drink,” available in pre-, during-, and post-exercise versions. A set costs about 12 RMB, with pre- and during-exercise versions at just over 2 RMB. The post-exercise recovery drink also contains amino acids and other components that aid recovery and eliminate fatigue, but it’s slightly more expensive at around 7 RMB. However, this type of sports drink is currently only available in solid packaging and needs to be mixed by the user, which is somewhat inconvenient. Now, “Nutrilite Protein Powder” produced by Amway has also become a necessity for many “athletes.” Because protein makes up about 20% of the human body weight and is used to build muscles, blood, skin, and many other body organs. It helps the body create new tissues to replace damaged ones; delivers oxygen and various nutrients to cells via the blood, and regulates the body’s water balance, among other functions.

Sports Drinks – Your Need Hydration during exercise is a crucial aspect. During halftime in sports competitions or breaks in training, athletes often pick up a bottle of water and drink heartily. Is it plain water they’re drinking? No, because plain water dilutes the blood, causing more water to be lost through sweat and easily leading to an electrolyte imbalance in the body. Then, is it fruit juice? Also no. Fruit juice and fruit beverages with relatively high concentrations have high osmotic pressure, preventing their contents from being quickly absorbed. In fact, it’s a new type of beverage – a sports drink.

Some sports drinks also contain additional ingredients, such as B vitamins, which can promote energy metabolism; vitamin C helps eliminate free radicals, reduce their damage to the body, and delay the onset of fatigue; appropriate amounts of taurine and inositol can promote protein synthesis, prevent protein breakdown, regulate metabolism, and accelerate the elimination of fatigue, among other benefits. Because sports drinks meet these basic criteria, they can promptly replenish fluids, maintain normal fluid balance in the body; quickly restore energy, stabilize blood sugar levels; provide timely energy replenishment; improve and enhance metabolic regulation capabilities; and enhance thermoregulation and cardiovascular function, among other effects. Therefore, sports drinks not only quench your thirst but also relieve your body's thirst!

The principle of replenishing sports drinks during exercise is as follows: 2 hours before exercise, drink 500 milliliters of fluid to increase glycogen reserves in muscles and the liver. During exercise, use small, frequent sips to prevent stomach discomfort—consume 125–250 milliliters of fluid every 15–20 minutes to extend the duration of exercise and delay the onset of fatigue. After exercise, replenish lost fluids to speed up the recovery of lost water, sugars, inorganic salts, trace elements, etc., promote rapid restoration of muscle glycogen, and help eliminate fatigue. The guideline is to drink 1,000 milliliters of fluid for every 1,000 grams of body weight lost. Choosing a sports drink during fitness activities can quickly replenish fluids, energy, and electrolytes lost through sweating, effectively maintaining or even further improving the body’s condition during or after exercise.

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