The body requires many elements and processes in order to sustain a healthy balance. This is especially important for athletes and people who live active lifestyles. In an effort to support people who fall into these categories, numerous sports drinks and supplements have been created. Many of these products are marketed as solutions that serve as excellent sources of electrolytes.
Gatorade is likely the most well-known sports drink that highlights the benefit of providing electrolytes for athletes. It is consumed all over the world in nearly every sport. Gatorade has remained consistent with much of its basic formulation, but it has consistently been adjusted to find new innovations to support active lifestyles.
In Module 9, you learned about some of the common types of electrolytes that exist in the human body. Module 10 focused on concentration of solutions. As a formulations chemist, you have just been appointed as the manager of lab staff in the innovation department for Gatorade. Use what you learned to propose the best plan of action for creating the next great electrolyte-rich formulation.
Here are some additional resources that may assist you:
- Sports Drinks
- Solubility and Temperature Dependence
- Solutions
- Using the information in the case study above, the additional resources, and what you have learned from Modules 6-13, which report would you submit from the choices below?
- Option A: Rapid Heating and Cooling
Present an argument for boiling the new solution as more solid electrolytes are added, followed by immediate packaging and chilling before shipping to stores. Use what you have learned about solubility to state why this is the most effective plan of action. - Option B: Constant Mixing
Propose a system that incorporates constant mixing of an aqueous solution at room temperature as solid electrolytes are added. Lay out a potential plan for scaling this process to support the mass production of Gatorade to make sure that large batches are ready to ship to stores in a timely manner. - Option C: Electrolyte Emphasis
Consider the ratio of different electrolytes to be included in your new formulation. Assume that you will dissolve 1 gram of solute for every 1mL of aqueous solvent. You have decided that the solution should include sodium, potassium, calcium, and chloride ions. Decide how many grams of each ion you will include in a 100mL sample solution. Use what you learned in Module 10 to include molarity in your proposal.
What you need to do:
- Read through the case study and the accompanying resources.
- Reflect on what you’ve learned in the course and how the information applies to the scenario.
- Select which solution you think is best for the given scenario.
- Compose a discussion post by clicking on the “Comment” button. Your first post should include the following information:
a. Which option you selected (You can say A, B, or C.)
b. A brief statement as to why you selected that option
c. An outside source that supports your conclusion; this can be a reference to a book, website, journal article, etc. - Your post can be no more than 800 characters and no fewer than 600 characters. Your post should be in your original words, not in quotes or citations. In-person discussions are short, so your challenge is to be concise and articulate to demonstrate your understanding of the course. You can use additional discussion posts to further support your position if needed. If you go below or over the character limit, you will not be able to post your reply. If you prefer to write your post first in a word processor, check your character counts first.
6. Once you have submitted your initial post, read through what others have posted. Find someone who has selected a different solution than you and has really made you think about your choice. Reply to their post with a thoughtful question. These should not be “who, what, when, or where” types of questions. They should be substantive “how and why” types of questions that seek to understand why someone chose the solution they did.
RESPONSE IS 600-800 NO MORE THAN 800 CHARACTERS
