Sports Drinks: Are they In You?

Remember the good old days when people used to drink water from the tap? No Brita filters, no crystal light, no flavored waters. That seems such a long, long time ago. Now everywhere I turn I am bombarded with ads for vitamin mineral waters, antioxidant waters, flavored waters and even fiber-based waters. As these products come and go, one thing stays the same. . . sports drinks! Ever since I was a kid I can remember Gatorade. It seemed to be the cool drink that everyone wanted, not only was it "water-like" which made my parents happy, but it tasted superb. The only problem with it was that it cost an arm and a leg to get, and since my weekly paper route wasn't making me the big bucks, I often had to beg my mom to buy it. As a kid I was involved in sports during the winter and summer months. I was always attracted to Gatorade not only because of its taste, but because I often saw my athlete idols drinking it (i.e. commercials). I loved Gatorade as a kid and I still do, but other than its catchy commercials/slogans and it's delicious taste, does it really improve athletic performance? If I get Gatorade "in me" will I really turn into Michael Jordan or some of the other athletes that swore by it? Well I did a little poking around and heres what I found out about sports drinks.

Sports drinks such as Gatorade and Powerade can in fact be beneficial for athletes or any active individuals. They can provide people with the fluid and electrolytes necessary to rehydrate (Dunford, 2006). Gatorade contains essential electrolytes such as NaCl (sodium chloride) and potassium. The other aspect of sports drinks that makes them so beneficial is their "simple sugar" continents. Gatorade and Powerade both contain simple sugars that work to provide an energy source. The sugar in Gatorade is a carbohydrate source that can be used to sustain energy levels in individuals exercising for prolonged periods of time (Dunford, 2006). It has been proven that providing carbohydrates during exercise can actually lead to increased performance and delayed fatigue. Sports drinks' "simple sugar" contents are also beneficial because they can be easily absorbed in the intestine and can stimulate fluid absorption (increasing re-hydration) (Wilk & Bar-Or, 1996).

Although sports drinks such as Gatorade do provide many benefits, as mentioned above, there are some negatives associated with them as well. First of all they are rather expensive to purchase. Similar to any sports supplement, they demand a hefty price for their services. Second, sports drinks have been associated with causing decreased gastric emptying and fluid absorption (which can promote dehydration) (Wilk & Bar-Or, 1996). This can be tied directly to the amount of Carbohydrates in these sports drinks. Often people don't just drink a few sips of Gatorade because of it's addicting flavors. I have fallen victim to this in the past, I would often drink a full 750 ml of Gatorade because the "ice-berry" flavor was to delicious to ignore. It turns out trying to play hockey with a gut full of neon blue Gatorade isn't such a great idea!

Ultimately my verdict on sports drinks are good! They can be helpful to anyone who is active or even non-active people. If consuming a flavored water is going to increase a person's water consumption, then why not. The only thing that needs to be questioned with sports drinks is the same thing that needs to be questioned when dealing with any sports supplement. Is it really worth the cost? For example, if a person is struggling with his/her finances, she they really be spending $10 a week on Gatorade instead of just drinking regular old tap water? Sure it may not taste as good, but it is free and just as beneficial as sports drinks. If a person can afford to spend the money on Gatorade then great, but if it is going to jeopardize a persons health due to financial stress, then maybe Gatorade shouldn't be in you!

References:

Dunford, M. (Ed.) & Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutritionists Dietetics Practice Group (2006). Sports Nutrition: A Practice Manual for Professionals. 4^th Ed., Chicago, IL: American Dietetic Association. Chapter 6, p. 94-115.

Liebman, B.L. & Schardt, D. (2008). The Scoop on Enhanced Waters. Nutrition Action Healthletter, June 2008, p. 14-15.

Wilk, B., Bar-Or, O. (1996). Effect of drink flavor and NaCl on voluntary drinking and hydration in boys exercising in the heat. J Appl Physiol, 80:1112-1117.