Electrolyte Drink Challenge

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.

Many arguments have risen on the matter of drinking sports drinks or water. Sports drinks are becoming more popular every year, drawing more attention to them. This is causing people to stop drinking water and begin drinking sports drinks. The question is, which is the right choice?

Now, first up on the imaginary and minuscule chopping block is the electrolyte. This mysterious thing inside your body. The thing that all those sports drinks will replenish. If it’s so important, why does almost nobody know what they are? What is an electrolyte? Well, an electrolyte is the ionic form of elements, like sodium, chlorine, and magnesium. To quote Nate Morrow’s article about electrolytes, “Any fluid that conducts electricity, such as this new saltwater solution, is known as an electrolyte: the salt ions of which it’s composed of are known as electrolytes” (2013, Pg. 1). Electrolytes are, at their most simple and easy to understand form, ions that help maintain the body. There are many different electrolytes, but there are several main ones in a

1. Rapid Fluid Absorption – Important during strenuous activity in order to avoid dehydration 2. Rapid Rehydration – Caused by a “properly formulated carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage” 3. Provides Carbohydrate Energy to Working Muscles – Allows us to work better than when drinking regular water 4. Encourages us to Drink More – Sodium and glucose in the drink stimulates fluid consumption in the body.

Think about the word electrolyte. What do you think of? If you think of energy drinks, you are on the right track. But some of the natural fruits and vegetables we consume also contain electrolyte. So the main question is which one is the best? Since we already know about our natural substances (fruits, vegetables, etc.) I decided to venture into another topic; energy drinks.

We have all heard of the sports drinks that many famous athletes use. Many athletes advertise that Gatorade and Powerade are what we should be drinking after a good run or workout, however, is sports drink the best answer? However, sports drinks should not be replacing water. Our bodies react better with water than a sports drink. Our replacement time is more responsive with water than Gatorade. Since water normally has no taste people tend to drink more Gatorade which isn’t that bad.

Due to the popularity of this sports drink; Danielson, Morris, Neiderhauser, Stanek, & Wolder (2006), took the task to investigate the effects of Gatorade vs. water during a prolonged period of exercise. Danielson et al. (2006), hypothesized that there would be no difference on physiological effects of consuming water vs. Gatorade after a prolonged period of intense exercise in warm temperatures.

Sports drinks also contain carbohydrates at a concentration of 4% to 8%, to help aid refuelling during exercise.

The different varieties of sports beverages are isotonic, that quickly replaces fluids lost by sweating and supplies a boost of carbohydrates. Some of these beverages include Gatorade Cool Blue, Gatorade Limon, Powerade Cherry ION4, Powerade Orange ION4, and much more. Hypotonic beverages

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.

Sports and energy drinks include sports beverages to vitamin waters to highly caffeinated drinks. They are marketed to boost energy, alertness, nutrition and even increase athletic performance among users.

Another study (Rowlands) concluded that sports drinks had a likely trivial effect on hydration as compared to drinking only water during exercise because it was not as isotonic as water. However, the study did support a role for carbohydrate concentration in fluid absorption, with the more concentrated Poweraid being absorbed more slowly than less concentrated Gatorade because it is more of a hypotonic solution. The current evidence suggest that a hypotonic sports drink provides minimally to moderately faster fluid absorption over water warranting further research into the practical implications of sports drinks over water because it may provide faster rehydration after and during sporting events.

Water - Proper hydration is essential in keeping the body systems in good working condition. Water should be the main source of fluid for the body, especially before long runs. You can try alternating it with sports drinks during and after long runs. Avoid caffeine and alcohol because it can cause further dehydration. Herbal teas and fruit juices can be counted as fluids, but make sure that water is consumed evenly throughout the day.

People have been debating on whether energy drinks are life threatening to the human body. According to scientific facts, energy drinks can have painful symptoms and are also fatal.

The pertaining research involves the electrolytes in drinks. “Electrolyte” will be defined and its description of what they do, what they are, and how they help people will be further explained. The intention is to establish the efficiency of sports drinks and orange juice and then compare them. The pros and cons of both the orange juice and sports drinks will be elucidated through the research. Other drinks consumed after exercise will also be researched and their efficiency will be explained.