Sports drink sales increased by 19.1 percent to more than $1.5 billion in 2006, according to bevindustry.com. Research drives changes in the sports drink industry, but the fundamental purpose is unchanged: The idea behind muscle recovery drinks is to replace what is lost during vigorous exercise in order to minimize the damage and maximize the benefits of the exercise. There are a number of alternatives to commercial sports drinks for use in muscle recovery.
Water
Following intense or prolonged exercise, the most basic nutrient need of the body is water. During exercise, water is lost from the body in the form of perspiration. Additional water is lost in heavy breathing. Exercise-induced dehydration takes a toll on the body in a number of ways. The effect on muscle performance was reported in a study published in the journal "Medical Science in Sports and Exercise" in 2007. The authors of this study noted that hypo-hydration significantly decreased resistance exercise performance, implicating the central nervous system's declining ability to stimulate the muscles under these conditions. Water is, undoubtedly, the original muscle recovery drink.
Sweetened Beverages
Much of the fuel for muscular activity is stored as glycogen in the liver and in muscles themselves. With prolonged exercise, muscle reserves of glycogen become depleted. Muscles are unable to perform at their full potential before they have replenished their glycogen stores. Consuming carbohydrates after exercise helps to restore muscle glycogen levels. "Simple" carbohydrates, or sugars, are converted to glycogen more quickly than "complex" carbohydrates like starches. That's one reason why sports drinks contain sugar. Glycogen repletion is not only enhanced by the type of carbohydrate consumed, but also by the timing of consumption. Research published in 1988 in the "Journal of Applied Physiology" showed that glycogen production was dramatically increased if the sugar was consumed within two hours of the exercise session. Non-diet sodas or other sugary soft drinks will also produce this type of response.
Juice
Fruit and vegetable juices also contain natural sugars for replenishing muscle glycogen. Additionally, they contain various antioxidants that may be beneficial to muscle recovery. Minerals such as potassium and sodium are also depleted during exercise and can be found in many juices. A potential disadvantage to using fruit juice as a recovery drink is the primary sugar in fruit juice is fructose. This sugar is processed more slowly than glucose and, according to a study published in the October 1996 "Journal of Applied Physiology," does not restore muscle glycogen as quickly.
Chocolate Milk
Some makers of commercial sports drinks have started adding protein to their recovery drinks. Since muscle repair requires protein, this makes intuitive sense. Of equal or greater importance is the discovery, published in the 2002 "Journal of Applied Physiology," that combining protein with a carbohydrate actually enhances post-exercise muscle glycogen recovery to a greater degree than a carbohydrate alone. Chocolate milk contains easily-digested whey protein, minerals and added sugar. For the purpose of post-exercise muscle recovery, chocolate milk may be an ideal alternative to a commercial recovery sports drink.
References
- Bevindustry.com: Sports Drinks
- "Medical Science in Sports and Exercise"; Effect of Hydration State on Strength, Power, and Resistance Exercise Performance; D. Judelson, C. Maresh, M. Farrell, et al; 2007
- "Journal of Applied Physiology"; Muscle Glycogen Synthesis After Exercise: Effect of Time of Carbohydrate Ingestion; J. Ivy, A. Katz, C. Cutler, et al; 1988
- "Journal of Applied Physiology"; Muscle Glycogen Recovery After Exercise During Glucose and Fructose Intake Monitored by 13C-NMR; A. Van Den Bergh, S. Hoiutman, A. Heerschap, et al; October 1996
- "Journal of Applied Physiology"; Early Post-Exercise Muscle Glycogen Recovery is Enhanced with a Carbohydrate-Protein Supplement; J. Ivy, H. Goforth, B. Damon, et al; October 2002
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