The sports drinks category continues to expand exponentially, with more flavors, more players and more specialty nutrients included in those brightly colored liquids. However, Elena Conis, writing for the Los Angeles Times, questions whether sports drinks packed with carbohydrates, electrolytes and fluids and designed originally for pro athletes really benefit exercising adults.
While water, the main ingredient in such beverages, provides critical hydration, the add-on ingredients ranging from potassium to sugar and protein, may not have enough value to outweigh their caloric impact. Nancy Carter, a Boston-area sports consultant, told Conis such drinks can deliver up to 18 g of sugar in each 8-oz. serving, upping the caloric intake above what a normal adult enjoying an average workout needs. Further, Carter said, the electrolytes sodium and potassium, touted on sports drinks for their benefits, won’t be depleted by a moderate workout, and most folks have adequate levels via the diet.
Michael Bergeron, director of the National Institute for Athletic Health and Performance at the Sanford School of Medicine at the University of South Dakota in Sioux Falls, told Conis some adults do sweat out more sodium than others and can benefit from the electrolytes found in sports drinks. He added the combination of protein and carbs seen in certain recovery drinks can be beneficial in helping exercising adults build muscle; however, he noted simply eating after a workout can also provide that help.
One benefit to such drinks, Conis said, is the flavoring that can induce folks to get more fluids during exercise. Leslie Bonci, director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, noted the taste of sports drinks has been shown in studies to get exercisers to drink more than if when subjects were given only water. Also, the drinks can be a convenient way to get those carbs and hydration for those people living on-the-go.