Sports drinks...

It seems as though everyday there is a new sports drink on the market. Essentially, most every beverage company produces some sort of libation in a stylish bottle, with a trendy name, that is supposed to enhance performance. The question is, which one should you choose?

First off, what is a sports drink? I guess the best description would be that it is a beverage designed to assist hydration or re-hydration (prevent dehydration), restore electrolytes, carbohydrates, and other nutrients that can be depleted through exercise or competition. The first sports drink invented was called Gatorade, created in 1965, and is credited to my old friend and fellow Lutheran, the late Dr. J. Robert Cade (pictured below), a prominent researcher at the University of Florida. Dr. Cade and his family have generously donated to Concordia, NY providing the Cade center for worship & church music.

Now lets get down to business. Why not just drink water? It turns out that water alone is not the best means of hydration during vigorous exercise because it shuts down the sensation of thirst too rapidly. As a result, it is important to have sodium in your sports drink. Sodium will enhance the sensation of thirst and urge the athlete to drink more fluids. In addition, adding sodium to water prevents hyponatremia, a potentially serious medical condition where the concentration of sodium in the body gets to low. Sodium, of course, is depleted during exercise. Research indicates that approximately 50-150mg per 8oz of fluid is ideal.

Another key ingredient to the sports drink is the carbohydrate. Research indicates that ingesting carbohydrates during strenuous exercise or competition enhances performance. Thus, choose a sports drink that has a carbohydrate concentration of approximately 3% to 5% or 7grams to 14grams per 8oz serving. Keep in mind that more is not better. In fact, consuming higher levels of carbohydrates can cause GI intolerance and such symptoms as cramping, diarrhea and vomiting. Certainly not what you are looking for while sporting your traditional tennis whites on the court.

Finally, I do not recommend a sports drink which contains caffeine. This can cause nervousness and also promote dehydration.

Below, for your review, I have listed several popular sports drinks and beverages with their sodium and carbohydrate concentrations:

Gatorade 110mg sodium 14g carbohydrate

Gatorade (G2) 110mg sodium 7g carbohydrate

Vitamin Water 0mg sodium 13g carbohydrate

Vitamin Water 10 0mg sodium 4g carbohydrate

Coconut Water 43mg sodium 11g carbohydrate

Smartwater 0mg sodium 0g carbohydrate

Water 0mg sodium 0g carbohydrate

And the winner from this list is G2 Gatorade. Remember to check your labels before choosing your sports drink.

Nuff said...