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Essay on The Effectiveness of Sports Drinks Compared to Water

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Staying hydrated is one of the most important parts of physical activity. In Clinics of Sports Medicine, it explains that “Maintenance of water and electrolyte balance is important for sustaining cognitive and physical performance. Dehydration degrades morale and desire to work. Body water deficits of as little as 2% body weight can impair physical performance. Water deficits of 5% to 7% body weight are associated with headaches, dizziness, and apathy” (Latzka, Montain 1). To prevent dehydration and its effects a medical team created Gatorade for the University of Florida’s football team in 1965. Since then, there has been a large market of beverages to hydrate athletes and improve performance. In Sports and Energy Drinks: Answers for …show more content…

In Men’s Fitness Magazine, it explains that sodium helps the body hold onto water and helps fluid get to the muscles and blood. Amy Epstein also found that drinking too much water is the cause of hypernatremia, a condition that occurs a lot in athletes who drink a lot of water without the necessary sodium. This can actually cause you to lose fluid (Epstein par. 3-6). Water absorbs quickly into the bloodstream to hydrate the body, but sports drinks absorb even faster because of the minerals contained. Quote
Sports drinks are full of minerals. The minerals are not only great for absorption but to replenish what a body loses during strenuous exercise. Usually replenishment of those minerals is only needed for long hard exercise. In an article from Men’s Fitness Magazine it explains that water is a great choice for light physical activity. It will satisfy thirst and hydration needs (Ward par. 2). This is because Quote Sports drinks, however, are better for long or vigorous exercise. In the article from Science Direct it explains that more than 60 minutes of intense activity depletes energy, electrolyte, and fluid reserves (Ward par. 2). That is why it is important to drink a something with the necessary minerals. When you work out, you lose chloride, potassium, and sodium through sweating and muscle exertion. At WebMD it states that the best sports drinks contain

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