Do Sports Drinks Work?

One of the fastest-growing sectors of the beverage industry, sales of sports drinks grew by 6.5 percent last year, reaching nearly 7 billion dollars in the U.S! Why are they so popular? One reason is that professional athletes endorse and promote them as performance-enhancing beverages to people who trust and admire them.  But are they right to do so?

When we work out, we sweat. It doesn’t matter if we’re playing basketball, running on a treadmill, or hitting a heavy bag, we lose fluids when we perspire. These fluids must be replaced with either water or some other beverage to reduce the risk of dehydration. According to most sports drink makers, their products are better than plain old H20 at assisting fluid balance and absorption. But is it true?

The power of electrolytes

Most of us have heard about them, but few of us know what they actually are or how they work. Electrolyte drinks typically contain sodium and potassium salts that have been proven to replenish the body’s water after exercise or dehydration.  It is for this reason that these drink are almost always on hand during extreme athletic events like marathons.  Drinking water instead of a sports drink will quench an athlete’s thirst, but it may not help their systems achieve stability as quickly, since water does not contain electrolytes.

Which drink should you sip?

There are drink mixes, low or no-calorie drinks, and regular sports beverages. The difference between the three is almost always sugar; some drinks and mixes contain regular sugar, while others contain artificial sweeteners. For regular workouts, low or no-calorie drinks may suffice, but for more extreme athletic events, you may need the extra calories found in regular sports drinks.

Author

Dr. Charles Goldsmith Dr. Charles Goldsmith started his career as an OB/GYN over 30 years ago. He ran a successful practice but noticed his clients consistently requesting assistance with weight loss. After countless hours of research and studying the numerous aspects of weight loss, Dr. Goldsmith determined that weight loss is very complex and needed to be supervised by a physician.