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Do sport drinks really make superstar athletes like Michael Jordan, Peyton Manning and Tiger Woods perform better?
You can’t help but admire the clever marketing used by beverage companies which give people the impression that sports drinks are healthy and beneficial during or after a workout or a game.
But can sports drinks really give you that competitive edge?
What’s Inside that Sports Drink Bottle?
What the makers of Gatorade, Powerade and Vitwater don’t tell you is that sport drinks are harmful to your teeth and are almost 30 times more erosive than water. Sports drinks contain citric acid, which softens your tooth enamel to the extent that you could damage it by brushing.
Like soda, sports drinks contain high amounts of acids to extend their shelf life and can be more problematic than beneficial for a sweaty athlete with a dry mouth who can’t produce enough saliva to regulate and protect his mouth from the acidity.
Putting it bluntly, sports drinks are little more than sugar water with added salt.
Most sports drinks on the market contain as much as two-thirds the sugar of sodas and more sodium. You can also find high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors and food coloring, none of which can be considered healthy.
If you are exercising to achieve weight loss, drinking sports drinks defeats that purpose. It’s quite ironic once you realize that you’re working out hard to burn off those calories and shed excess pounds only to gulp down more calories and high fructose corn syrup, which is associated to obesity.
A study from the University of California at Berkeley’s Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Center for Weight and Health even found that students who drink one 20-ounce sports drink every day for a year could gain 13 pounds!
Sports drinks are also often referred to as “energy” drinks, but in the long run, the high sugar content does quite the opposite. You do get a quick burst of energy, which is quickly followed by a fall out, because your pancreas and other glands do all they can to balance out the toxic stimulation to your blood sugar.
Sugar- free and low calorie sports drinks don’t solve this problem because they are likely to contain an artificial sweetener, which is worse for your health than sugar or high fructose corn syrup.
Sports drinks also contain processed salt to help replenish the electrolytes you lose when you sweat. However, unless you’re sweating profusely for an extended period of time, the excess sodium is simply unnecessary, and potentially harmful.
Also, salt typically increases your thirst and will make you want to drink more.
Stick to Good Old Water
Pure water is still the best beverage to use to stay hydrated.
There is no danger of dehydration if you exercise for just 30 minutes a day at moderate intensity. It’s only when you’ve been exercising for an hour or more, at high intensity, that you may need something more than water to replenish the lost fluids.
Anything less than 45 minutes will not lead to enough fluid loss that will justify drinking these high-sodium, high-acid and sugar-laced sports drinks.
Even if you’ve been exercising for more than an hour, there are far better and healthier options for you to rehydrate.
Dr. Mercola recommends fresh coconut water, one of the highest sources of electrolytes known to man. Coconut water is used to prevent dehydration from strenuous exercise or even diarrhea. In remote areas, coconut juice is used intravenously, short-term, to help hydrate critically ill patients and in emergencies.
Don’t waste those hard-earned dollars on sports drinks. Stick to good old water. Nothing quenches your thirst better.
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