Water performs many roles in your body, including helping to eliminate waste through urination and perspiration. One type of substance your body loses through perspiration is electrolytes. Electrolytes help regulate fluid levels in your body and aid in nerve and muscle function. Sports drinks can restore electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium. But in most situations, water is sufficient for maintaining your health.
No Calories
Drinking water has many advantages compared to sports drinks. For example, if you're concerned about weight gain, water is the most healthful option because it provides no calories. Sports drinks, on the other hand, often contain sugar, though you can purchase low-calorie brands that do not. Like other calorie sources, sport drinks contribute to weight gain if you aren't sufficiently active.
Inexpensive
Water is cheap, assuming you get it from your tap. In most situations, relatively more expensive sports drinks don't offer you any health benefits that water doesn't. For example, if you're not performing a vigorous physical activity, water is sufficient for hydration, so there's no point in wasting your money.
Electrolyte Levels
If you're performing short bursts of exercise, you won't need to restore your electrolytes with sports drinks, according to the President's Council on Fitness and Sports Nutrition. At this level of performance, your sweat is 99 percent water and less than 1 percent electrolytes, meaning you're not in jeopardy of reducing your electrolyte levels significantly. Note that exercising in a hot environment might increase your perspiration and thus your loss of electrolytes.
Exceptions
Sports drinks do provide benefits in certain situations. If you perform continuous physical activity for longer than two hours, consuming a sports drink might be beneficial for restoring your electrolyte levels. And after 90 minutes of continuous exercise, you might benefit from the energy boost provided by a sports beverage that contains 15 to 18 g of carbohydrates for every 8 oz. of liquid. Note that a higher amount of carbohydrates than this might inhibit your body's absorption of water and lead to dehydration, nausea, cramps and diarrhea.
Member Comments