The most well-known of all sports drinks is Gatorade. It was created in 1965 by team physicians for the University of Florida Gators football team to help their players stay hydrated and energized.
Key Ingredients
Although it was innovative research in 1965, it is now understood how important it is to stay hydrated during exercise. Dr. Tim Noakes in "Lore of Running" points out that losing as little as 2 percent of your body weight from fluid loss through sweating can decrease your athletic performance. The University of Florida doctors soon realized that their players needed to not only replace fluids, but electrolytes or salts, and carbohydrates for fuel in order to perform well and consistently.
Why It Works
In a paper on the effectiveness of Gatorade by James Caldwell of Vanderbilt University, he found that consumption of Gatorade prevents dehydration, supplies carbohydrates quickly to working muscles, stimulates quicker rehydration and has no side effects. All of these benefits are key elements that you need to maintain in order to perform well during exercise, especially in hot weather.
Carbohydrate Absorbtion
The Vanderbilt paper reinforces Gatorade's contention that in order rapidly absorb carbohydrates, in this case in the form of glucose or sugars, it should not be more than a 6 percent solution of carbohydrates. The paper reported that any higher percentage would actually slow down your body's absorption of the carbs, and hinder re-energizing your athletic performance. Because carbohydrates are your muscle's fuel, replenishing them as soon as possible is mandatory during exercise to keep your performance level up.
Endurance Exercise Benefits
While staying properly hydrated and fueled should be the goal of any athlete, the Vanderbilt paper cites a study by the Australian Institute of Sport that sports drinks in general, including Gatorade, are especially important during endurance exercise. If you are running a marathon or doing any form of exercise for an extended period, you are more likely to lose large amounts of electrolytes, fluid and carbohydrates.
More Pros
While not mentioning Gatorade specifically, a study by the University Medical School in Scotland points out that consuming large amounts of plain water only during and after exercise can actually inhibit your drinking and increase your need to relieve yourself, leading to dehydration. It noted that the use of electrolyte-carbohydrate enhanced sports drinks such as Gatorade can benefit an athlete for both post-workout recovery, and avoiding the dangers of exercising in heat.
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