The Truth Behind Sports Drinks
Gatorade, Powerade, and various-other-ades are big business. They purport to give you energy and quench thirst. I've seen numerous people bring sports drinks with them to their aerobics class or on the treadmill. And while that is their choice to do so, I often wonder if they realize the truth behind sports drinks.
Too many people substitute sports drinks for water. Yes, Gatorade will quench your thirst, but they are also chock full of empty calories. ABC News features a good article that busts the myths surrounding the cult of sports drinks. In the article, Dr. David Katz makes an apt description of the sports drink phenomenon, saying, "It's a way of peddling soda to the health-conscious crowd."
The fact is that sports drinks contain incredibly high concentrations of sugars. And most people will not expend enough calories in a typical workout session or casual sports game to warrant the use of sports drinks to quench thirst. If you're just running on a treadmill for 30 minutes and/or playing a game of pick-up basketball with friends, you're much better off drinking water. About.com has a useful guide on determining hydration needs during physical activity.
As always, be careful of the marketing hype that surrounds food products. Remember that a company's primary goal is to sell as much product as possible, and in this health-conscious era, we need to be informed about the fads and marketing claims being made. If it's too good be true, it likely is.
Too many people substitute sports drinks for water. Yes, Gatorade will quench your thirst, but they are also chock full of empty calories. ABC News features a good article that busts the myths surrounding the cult of sports drinks. In the article, Dr. David Katz makes an apt description of the sports drink phenomenon, saying, "It's a way of peddling soda to the health-conscious crowd."
The fact is that sports drinks contain incredibly high concentrations of sugars. And most people will not expend enough calories in a typical workout session or casual sports game to warrant the use of sports drinks to quench thirst. If you're just running on a treadmill for 30 minutes and/or playing a game of pick-up basketball with friends, you're much better off drinking water. About.com has a useful guide on determining hydration needs during physical activity.
As always, be careful of the marketing hype that surrounds food products. Remember that a company's primary goal is to sell as much product as possible, and in this health-conscious era, we need to be informed about the fads and marketing claims being made. If it's too good be true, it likely is.
posted by Sergeant Pepper at
4:24 PM
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