Sports Drinks vs. Water

I think that the majority of us can come to an agreement on the fact that water isn’t the best tasting beverage out there. We know that it’s the healthiest option, but it just tastes so…blah. That’s why the sports drink and vitamin water industry is booming with alternatives for those who would rather reach for something other than water.

Boasting to properly replenish your depleted body after exercise; some sports drinks live up to the hype while others simply fall short. There are a few sports drinks that do however benefit the body during exercise. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE) “sports drinks formulated with 6 to 8% carbohydrates plus at least 100mg sodium per 8 oz replace fluids just as fast as water, improve performance, and help ensure optimal rehydration.”

So sports drinks do have hope! With the proper combination of carbohydrates (which our body uses for energy) and sodium (replenishing salt that our body sweats out during exercise) sports drinks truly can improve performance. Drinks that contain less than 5% carbohydrates don’t supply enough energy, and those that contain more than 10% may cause intestinal cramping, impaired absorption and diarrhea (that would be bad).

Check to see if your favorite Sports Drink has what it takes:

Beverage	Carbohydrate Concentration (%)	Sodium Concentration Per 8 oz (mg)
Gatorade	6.0	110
AllSport	9.0	55
Met-RX	8.0	125
Powerade	8.0	55
Cytomax	8.0	50
Vitamin Water Zero	1.0	0
Red Bull	11.0	207
Cola	11.0	34
Orange Juice	11.0	7
Water	0.0	0

What do you reach for during a workout?

If you’re curious about how much water your body needs daily check out one of my previous posts here. (shift+click)

-Andrew Reddish