Supplementation

September 3, 2009

Sports Drinks: Help or Hype?

When I’m in the gym, I invariably see people sipping sports drinks throughout their workouts. Problem is, most of these people are consuming the drinks for the wrong reasons.

Sports drinks (such as Gatorade) serve two basic purposes. First, they help to replenish electrolytes (i.e. sodium, potassium, etc) that are lost in sweat during intense exercise. Second, they supply your body with carbohydrates, thereby promoting the restoration of glycogen to your muscles and liver which are used to fuel a workout. Sounds like something you’d want to take while training, right? Well, not necessarily…

Although electrolytes are depleted when you work out, these losses are usually insignificant in the short term. What’s more, electrolyte losses become even less of an issue as you gain experience with exercise. Over time, the body adapts to regimented exercise by conserving minerals. After a year or so of dedicated training, your initial sweat levels are mostly comprised of water, with only trace amounts of sodium and potassium excreted.

Moreover, sports drinks can be a detriment to those who are trying to lose or even maintain weight. Some of the popular sports drinks contain more than 200 calories per serving, predominantly in the form of simple carbohydrates. These extra calories really add up, counteracting a significant amount of the calories you burn during the workout.

So the decision as to whether or not to take a sports drink isn’t as clear cut as it first seems. In reality, it depends both on the scope of workout you’re performing as well as your goals. If you’re doing a standard workout of weight lifting and cardio that lasts about an hour, there’s little reason to consume a sports drink — particularly if your objective is to reduce body fat. Not only won’t it improve exercise performance, it will sabotage your attempts at improving body composition.

On the other hand, sports drinks can be beneficial during lengthy endurance events such as a marathon or a triathlon. When you engage in these types of long, drawn out exercise sessions (generally lasting more than two hours), sodium levels can drop precipitously, causing an electrolyte imbalance. Environmental factors, especially hot, humid climates, can exacerbate this situation. Glycogen levels can become exhausted as well, leading to a decrease in performance. So if you’re participating in such an event, judicious use of sports drinks is warranted.

Stay Fit!

Brad

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