We’ve all seen those ads promising that sports drinks can transform us into faster, stronger athletes. And, yes, in some cases they really can improve performance and provide necessary hydration, experts say. But for most people, most of the time, water is a healthier choice. Here, we answer some of the most frequently asked questions about sports drinks.
What’s Actually in a Sports Drink?
Sports drinks often contain carbohydrates — usually some type of sugar or a calorie-free artificial sweetener. These beverages also contain water as well as electrolytes — minerals like calcium, magnesium, sodium, andpotassium. We need electrolytes to maintain proper fluid levels in our bodies, and we lose electrolytes when we sweat,according to Michigan Medicine.
Are Sports Drinks Really Full of Sugar?
It depends, and you really need to read the labels. Gatorade, for example, sells one 20-ounce (oz) sports drink with34 grams (g), or 8 teaspoons (tsp), of added sugarsand another one with0 g of added sugars. Similarly, Vitaminwater has one 20 oz sports drink with27 g (6.4 tsp) of added sugarsand another with0 g of added sugars. The American Heart Association (AHA)recommends6 tsp or less for women and 9 tsp or less for men of added sugar daily.
Who Should Be Drinking Sports Drinks and When?
Sports drinks may be necessary to help reduce fatigue and improve performance when you exercise continuously for more than an hour, saysJacqueline Shahar, CDE, a clinical exercise physiologist and diabetes care and education specialist at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston.
Sports drinks can also help you stay hydrated during shorter workouts on exceptionally hot, humid days. “The primary reasons to consume sports drinks during exercise are to provide fluids and electrolytes to preventdehydration, and to provide carbohydrates to maintain fuel availability to the muscles during prolonged exercise,” saysMike Saunders, PhD, director of the Human Performance Laboratory at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. “These events include marathon running, long-distance cycling and triathlons, and other events of similar duration and intensity,” adds Saunders.
For endurance athletes, drinking only water while exercising might make them more likely to experience cramps or what’s known as cellularedema, which is swelling caused by fluid accumulation in cells, Shahar says. In addition, drinking just water can lead to hyponatremia, or low sodium levels in the blood, which can lead to symptoms like confusion and, in severe cases, seizures, she adds.
Can Sports Drinks Be Harmful?
Most people don’t need sports drinks, saysVasanti Malik, a doctor of science and an assistant professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto.
“Hydration can be accomplished with water, and electrolytes can be replenished by consuming a diet rich in whole foods that naturally contain electrolytes,” Malik explains.
Water is a healthier choice — especially when you aren’t doing an intense workout or exercising on a hot, humid day — because the added sugars and calories in sports drinks are associated with a higher risk of developing and experiencing complications from conditions likeobesity and type 2 diabetes, she adds.
And astudy published in March 2019 inCirculationfound that consumption of sports drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages like soda is associated with a higher risk of total mortality, especially from cardiovascular disease and, to a lesser degree, cancer.
Are Sports Drinks Only for Exercise, or Can They Help With a Hangover?
If you’re dehydrated due to drinking too much alcohol, sports drinks might help, even if you’re not planning any intense workouts, Malik says. That’s because they can help replace electrolytes lost in urine or from vomiting and help the body absorb water.
“Alcohol is adiureticthat suppresses a hormone calledantidiuretic hormone, which functions to help the body retain water and electrolytes instead of losing them through urine,” Malik says. This means, even if you don’tvomit, you lose more water and electrolytes when you drink alcohol.
What About DIY Sports Drinks?
This is absolutely doable, says金正日Spaccarotella博士, a certified personal trainer and biology lecturer at Kean University in Union, New Jersey, who teachers her students how to make their own sports drinks.
This recipe, adapted fromNancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook,has about 120 calories, 31 g of carbohydrates, and 296 milligrams (mg) of sodium in a 16 oz serving, similar to what might be found in commercially available sports drinks, Spaccarotella says. Plus, making your own sports drink is easy, less expensive, and means you know exactly what you’re putting in your body.
Homemade Sports Drink Recipe
你娘家姓的d:
- Medium-size bowl or pitcher
- Measuring cup
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp sugar
- A pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp hot water
- 2 tbsp cranberry or orange juice
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1¾ cups cold water
Directions:
- In your bowl or pitcher, dissolve the sugar and salt in the hot water.
- Add the juices and cold water. Stir.
- Put bowl or pitcher in fridge to chill.
