The Truth About Sports Drinks

There’s a huge market for hydration beverages like Gatorade and Powerade, but do you know what you’re actually getting when you chug one down?  Be careful when you drink a sports beverage – if you’re not doing it right it may be contributing to weight gain!

Are sports drinks healthy?

The Good

Sports rehydration beverages do have their advantages.  There is some truth to the commercials that say something along the lines of, “he/she has lost a lot, and water won’t put it back.”  Sports drinks have electrolytes, which are basically salts, specifically ions.  When you sweat, you sweat out both water and these ions, which is why it burns to have sweat in your eyes and it tastes terrible.  Drinking water alone will not put this salt back into your body, so sports drinks can effectively rehydrate you.

The Gatorade label I’m looking at also shows that there is some potassium in the bottle, which is good for preventing muscle cramps.

The Bad

The bad is pretty simple: there’s a ton of sugar in these little drinks.  The 12oz bottle I’m looking at has 21 grams of sugar and 80 calories, which won’t be particularly friendly on your waistline.  Plus this bottle is smaller than average – frequently a full bottle will be 1.5-2 servings, but really, who saves the rest for later?

Should you drink rehydration beverages?

This depends entirely on what you’re using them for.  If you’re just looking for a sweet alternative to water, you’ll be much better off with a 100% fruit juice.  However, there are times and places for sports drinks.

Before Exercise

If you’re doing a long endurance activity, something that will take you more than an hour to complete, you may benefit both from the electrolytes, potassium and sugar in a sports drink.  Just don’t drink too much – it may upset your stomach.

During Exercise

Again, if you’re performing an endurance activity and you’re sweating a lot, a sports drink may be your best option (Looking for an intense workout? Try interval training).  In fact, if you’re running a marathon or performing in a triathlon, your body will need some kind of fuel, whether it comes from Gatorade, gels, or something else.

After Exercise

Immediately after exercise is one of the only times I would recommend fast absorbing sugars (for all those other times, learn about a smart-carb diet).  When you put your muscles under stress, they will need energy to recover, so you actually have a short “window” through which to consume sugary snacks or beverages that your body will be able to use.

Do you need a sports beverage?

Usually, you don’t need a sports drink.  You can very easily get salt through the foods you eat and milk actually has a good dose of electrolytes (plus you’ll benefit from the high quality protein found in milk).  Unfortunately, you can’t exactly run a 3 hour marathon while carrying milk around, so during endurance activities make sure that you’re either getting a sports drink or some other snack to rehydrate and refuel your body.

The Best Way to Use Sports Drink

Gatorade or Powerade are not replacements for water, so make sure you’re drinking both (learn how water can help you burn calories).  Some people water down their Gatorade, though I’ve never much liked how that tastes.  Instead, take a sip of Gatorade or Powerade followed by two sips of water.