We have grown up being told that water is the ultimate liquid to rehydrate, but recently there is much information about sports drinks, electrolytes and which should I have. Water, sports drink and mixture. Oh my god. The choice. The confusion. Which is best for me??
Well look no further. Click on this link to find out which sports drinks are best.
· increased heart rate
· impaired heat regulation
· increased perceived exertion (i.e. exercise feels harder than usual and the athlete fatigues earlier)
· reduced mental function
· reduced skill level
· stomach upset
Each kilogram of weight loss indicates 1 litre of fluid loss.
Ideally fluids consumed during exercise, should meet the following criteria:
· have a palatable flavour to encourage greater fluid intake
· contain 6-8% carbohydrate
· contain electrolytes such as sodium and potassium
· be non-carbonated
Sports drinks are the preferred fluid to consume during exercise. Sports drinks are flavoured therefore encourage a greater fluid intake. The carbohydrate and electrolytes in sports drinks promote better fluid absorption. The carbohydrate also provides a fuel source. Other fluids such as water, cordial and juice may be suitable when exercise intensity is low.
Staying hydrated: tonicity
Some sports drinks claim to be isotonic, which means they have the same concentration of solutes (substances dissolved in water or another solution) as the blood and cells, which helps with their absorption. The Standard for electrolyte drinks specifies criteria for the osmolality (concentration of solutes, being salt and sugar in this case) of drinks that claim to be isotonic.
Drinks like fruit juice or soft drink are hypertonic, meaning they have a higher concentration of solutes than the blood and cell fluids. They are released from the stomach more slowly than weaker drinks, so don’t rehydrate as quickly, and also draw water from body tissues into the gut, potentially increasing dehydration.
Then there’s hypotonic drinks, which have lesser concentrations of solutes than the blood and cell fluids. An example is Mizone Formulated Sports Water, which promises rapid hydration and is marketed for sports. While it meets the Standard for electrolyte drinks (or ‘sports drinks’) in terms of sodium, it has less sugar (3.7%) than other sports drinks (5-10%), which should be taken into account if energy is an important consideration – as for endurance events.
There is some clinical evidence that hypotonic drinks are absorbed faster than water, isotonic or hypertonic drinks, and that drinking them may feel more “refreshing”. You can achieve a similar effect by adding one part juice to three or four parts water.
Read the table below to find out about the well-known sports drinks and what they contain.
| Product | CHO g/L | CHO % | Protein g/L | Sodium
mmoL/L |
Potassium
mg/L |
Other
Ingredients |
| Sports Drinks | ||||||
| Gatorade | 60 | 6 | 0 | 21 | 230 | n/a |
| Gatorade
Endurance |
62.4 | 6 | 0 | 36 | 150 | n/a |
| Accelerated | 60 | 6 | 15 | 21 | 66 | Calcium, Iron, Vitamin E |
| Powerade
Isotonic |
76 | 7.6 | 0 | 12 | 141 | n/a |
| Powerade
Energy Edge |
75 | 7.5 | 0 | 22 | 141 | 100mg Caffeine per 450mL serve |
| Powerade
Recovery |
73 | 7.3 | 17 | 13 | 140 | |
| Staminade | 72 | 7.2 | 0 | 12 | 160 | Magnesium |
| PB Sports
Electrolyte Drink |
68 | 6.8 | 0 | 20 | 180 | |
| Mizone
Rapid |
39 | 3.9 | 0 | 10 | 0 | B Vitamins
Vitamin C |
| Sports water | ||||||
| Powerade
No sugar |
0.1 | n/a | 0.5 | 23 | 230 | n/a |
| Propel Fitness water | 38 | 3.8 | 0 | 0.8 | 5 | Vitamin E
Niacin Panthonthenic Acid Vitamin B6 Vitamin B12 Folic acid |
| Mizone water | 25 | 2.5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | B Vitamins
Vitamin C |
So remember. Be active and fir for the Summer. Drink lots of water, but also don’t be afraid to have a sports drink if you are really working at a high intensity. You can also dilute it down if you so choose.
Play safe, train hard and I’ll see you all soon.
Mr Alive