Sarah M's List: Sports Drinks vs. Water

• • Not sure of the reliability of this resource. The information on the different varieties of Sports Beverages (i.e. Carbohydrate/ Protein) was helpful
• the key factor to take into account when deciding whether to drink water vs sports drinks is the duration of exercise.
• people who exercise for less than 60 minutes will rehydrate just fine with water
• sports drinks have been proven to be more effective than water in improving performance and recovery for athletes involved in exercise activities that last 60 minutes or longer

• 1. High altitude

  2. Hot weather or warm indoor temperature

  3. Excessive sweating

  4. High-intensity exercise.

  When these additional factors come into play, even if the exercise duration is less than 60 minutes, sports drinks can help to replenish not only the loss of water but also the loss of electrolytes and carbohydrates.

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• fluids are absorbed through the gut and into the bloodstream faster when their osmolality closely matches that of body fluids such as blood
• Osmolality is the concentration of dissolved particles in a fluid. Sports drinks contain dissolved minerals (sodium, etc.) and carbohydrates, whereas water doesn't, so water doesn't reach the bloodstream as quickly
• Sodium and other nutrients also play important roles in regulating fluid balance in the body
• determine how much fluid enters into muscle fibers and other cells, how much remains in the blood,
• sports drinks contain these nutrients, they do a better job of allowing the body to maintain optimal fluid balance,
• sodium content of sports drinks stimulates thirst
• ontain higher amounts of sodium are preferable, because they are absorbed quicker and maintain fluid balance in the blood and muscles better
• Choose a sports drink that contains at least 15 mg of sodium per ounce
• sports drinks containing a small amount of protein may also hydrate better than conventional sports drinks
• Protein is an often-overlooked nutrient that affects osmolality just as minerals and carbs do
• carb-protein sports drink may hydrate better than a conventional sports drink
• The addition of protein to a sports drink appears also to aid fluid retention. When a beverage is too dilute, it tends to pass quickly through the bloodstream to the bladder so it doesn't "water down" the blood and other body fluids.
• calories in sports drinks have been shown to increase energy and endurance, limit the immune system suppression that sometimes follows hard workouts, reduce exercise-induced muscle damage, and promote faster recovery.
• Water is a great drink choice outside of workouts

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