What sports drinks have to offer and what you need to consider for consuming them

Sports drinks account for thousands and thousands of dollars for the beverages industry, but what does they have to offer for you?, Are they good?, Can they be taken any time?, What are the most recommended beverages?

These type of beverages replenish the fluids you lose during physical activity but water can do so too. Then? You may ask...

These kind of drinks supply glucose as well, and sometimes more than you can expect, (if they aren't good quality beverages). How do you know this? Well, first recommendation is to check the label.

If they have a carbohydrate concentration higher than 8%, the stomach has a delay on getting empty so that water isn't delivered to the tissues quick. The effect is that you stay thirsty for a little long, until your body is hydrated again.

For people who have exercised with high intensity or that are going to need glucose for endurance, lets say running a 10Km's race, the amount of this nutrient for energy needs will be included in the beverage, but remember what I said about glucose concentration.

Fortunately most sports drinks contain an appropiate amount to ensure water absorption, about 7% glucose which means half the sugar of ordinary soft drinks, or about 5 teaspoons in each 12 ounces or 340 ml.

Sports drinks offer sodium and other electrolytes to help replace those lost during physical activity. They also help to improve the taste of the drink and produce fluid retention (to stop dehydration) because they maintains the osmotic drive of the fluid you drink:

In the osmosis process, if your cells are in need of liquid, the fluid will go into the cell, not out of it, until the balance is achieved. But there is something that needs to be present for this to happen.

So why does it happen? Well, thirst is a function of changes in blood sodium concentration, if you lose sodium during exercise, when drinking a sports beverage, you replenish the electrolytes, sodium and water and the osmosis occurs.

It is important to mention, most of this beverages have a relatively low level of sodium but if your intake is increased by drinking too many, without needing them, a very high amount of sodium in the body will conduct high retention of fluids producing stress for the kidneys.

For athletes that perform strenuous exercise, let's say someone running a marathon or an iron man race, who'll work for 3-4 hours or more, heavy sweating will induce drinking high amounts of water, if it is only plain water, sodium is not replaced enough, therefore sports drinks are a better method for hydration.

Some athletes try electrolytes or salt tablets, but these increase the potassium losses, which irritate the stomach and may cause vomiting because the fluids are being pulled away from the digestive tract. Avoid them.

Most athletes don't need the minerals lost in the sweat immediately. If you eat an adequate meal some time before the competition or activity, you can replace these minerals soon enough.

Most sports drinks taste good, the reasoning is: if the beverage tastes good, people will drink more ensuring the body to rehydrate. Remember to consider them besides water, only if you have exercised for an hour or more.

Sports drinks are not the same as soft drinks, find what these last are.

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