Are Sports Drinks Better for Athletes than Water?

Sports Drinks Replace Water – So many people replace water with sports drinks during exercise. The truth is, most people who drink sports drinks would be much

The Great Dehydration was a result of a stomach virus which apparently caused the body to lose water. As the body lost water, water moved out of the cells in attempt to keep solute concentrations balanced across the cell membrane. Sports drinks contain water as well as “electrolytes” like

All throughout an athletes life they are told to drink plenty of water, and replace their fluids. Athletes are told this enough to the point where it makes numbs them since they heard it so many times to the point where they forget the extreme importance of proper hydration, proper hydration. Proper hydration is not only key to optimum health, but also to great performance. Athletes are told to drink plenty of water, but do they really know why? It is this writer’s opinion that a greater understanding of proper hydration can lead to better health and performance for athletes and help spread awareness for dehydration and over hydration.

As you watch the Gatorade commercial you notice that Gatorade wasn’t only promoting hard work and dedication, but they were also promoting hydration, strength, power, and energy. Dedication is shown by waking up early in the morning, going for your daily jog or walk, while others are still sleeping. Staying hydrated helps the body keep moving and fully functional. Gatorade shows the importance of hydration by athletes taking breaks between workouts. Hydration also reduces the risk of cramps and soreness. Gatorade promotes energy by showing, before eating a Gatorade chewy the athlete did not have the energy he needed to start his morning run or weight lift. However, after eating the chewy they instantly gained energy. Power is symbolized by the lightning bolt, which

It is evident that healthy adults running a marathon that replaces with only free water will run into pathophysiology challenges that will affect performance. Adequate fluid intake is crucial for prolonged, strenuous exercises to maintain adequate hydration, thermoregulation, maintain plasma volume and avoid dehydration (Duvillard et al, 2004). Although athletes are prone to hydrate as much as they can during extensive marathons, research shows that fluid replacement with only free water or even hypotonic beverages can be detrimental.

This study focuses on the effects of ingested caffeinated energy drink compared to placebo in three different sports, rugby, soccer, and volleyball. Each sport had a dissimilar number of participants, including male and female. The effects were analyzed under different circumstances in each sport performed. A few materials were used during the activities to monitor precisely the changes in all participants’ bodies. This study illustrates significant positive changes and improvement in all participants’ performances when they ingested a caffeinated energy drink.

Have you ever gotten a sports drink instead of a soda thinking you were choosing a healthier option? Well this might change your perspective. Powerade and Gatorade are just watered down soda; yes,  it gives you electrolytes which is what you lose when you sweat, but that does not mean it is good for you. There are many other healthier ways of getting electrolytes than by just drinking a sugar drink. In the Powerade article written by the company does not argue about how water is not helpful to athletes and does not have the opposing argument. Although the gatorade article written by David R. Lamb they make it more persuasive than informational.

I believe sport drinks are overhyped because it's no different than having a soda or juice because it's all extra calories.

Each sports drink contains 21 grams of sugar are contained in a 12 ounce bottle of Gatorade. With most bottles being 32 ounces, the consumer is actually ingesting 56 grams of sugar. Although this is not healthy, it is less grams of sugar than an average soda per ounce. “In fact, Berkeley researchers say the sugar in sports drinks may be contributing to the child obesity epidemic by increasing their caloric intake”. For consumers that are less active, the added sugar in their diet is not recommended. Weight gain from extra calories has also been found to be a problem for less active consumers. “For people who are not exercising for at least one hour, 5 days per week, water is the best bet for staying hydrated.” Experts suggest sports drink consumption should be monitored by children’s parents. The best source of hydration for children continues to be water (Schaefer). Unless a person is participating in vigorous exercise for a long period of time, water is the best option for

In an article titled, “Obey your thirst, just not necessarily with a sports drink” written by Jennifer Sygo, many claims are made towards drinking water over sports drinks. Sygo informs the reader that the only time a person should drink a sports drink is when they are doing a lengthy workout; typically two hours or more. Other than that, the average person should not be drinking as many sports drinks as people do today.

The concentration of sugars in two well-known sports drinks, Powerade and Gatorade, were determined by monitoring an enzyme-catalysed reaction sequence involving the appearance of NADPH. Sucrose and glucose concentrations were calculated from the concentration of NADPH formed by the reaction of glucose-6-phosphate and NADP+. Spectrophotometric absorbance readings were taken at 340nm, this is because NADPH absorbs strongly at this wavelength, whilst NADP+ does not (1015MSC, 2010). The concentration of glucose and sucrose in

After running, the body lose much electrolytes. It decreases nerve and muscle contraction. It cause you catch the ruler slower during measuring reaction time. Sport drink contains electrolytes such as calcium and potassium. Electrolytes are essential for nerve and muscle action. If the person drinks Gatorade after running, Gatorade will replace

The major reason anyone drinks fluid before, during and after physical activity is to replace the water that is lost through sweat. If the water isn't replaced dehydration will occur and performance will be hampered. The purpose of sports drinks is to help rehydrate your body quickly and help improve performance and productivity. This is accomplished through a well-balanced mix of water, sugar (carbohydrates) and salts (electrolytes), the major ingredients in most sports drinks. These ingredients, combined with a variety of fruit flavours, create pleasant tasting drinks that, according to the companies, are suppose to help your athletic performance. Results prove that commercial sport drinks generally accomplish what they set out to do.

The human body is mostly made of fluids and it is important that we replenish the fluids in our bodies. According to Source A, sports drink should only be substituted in a situation where you are either playing a sport or exercising more than a 60 minute time period. Furthermore, if you are unable to eat before a long workout, sports drink should be used as a replacement to prevent muscle cramping. Also, flavors of sports drinks are more appealing than your regular bland water. If you are a heavy sweater when you are performing various activities, the source advises you to substitute water with a sports drinks in that situation. Clearly, water should not be always replaced with sports drinks, but there are numerous cases where you should when

If someone doesn’t have enough electrolytes in their system then they can’t function. Electrolytes are important because they are what certain cells-such as nerve, heart, and muscle- use to sustain voltages across their cell membranes. They are also what cells use to carry electrical impulses, as in nerve impulses and muscle contractions, across themselves and to other cells. Kidneys work to keep the electrolyte concentration in blood constant in spite of changes in the body. Again, when exercising, the body loses most electrolytes in the sweat; sports drinks which contain sodium chloride or potassium chloride are consumed after the workout to provide the body with the energy it just lost. They also contain added sugar and flavorings to the drinks to give extra energy and to make the drink taste better. People also drink other drinks after a workout because they feel that it obtains the energy more effectively.