The Truth about Energy and Sports Drinks

We’ve all seen the professional and college athletes downing large quantities of colored sports drinks that supposedly enhance their performance or allow them to compete at high levels longer. We’ve also witnessed the rise of the energy drink market and its ability to align itself with extreme sports and effectively boost its own sales. The truth is most of these products do not produce the results they advertise and sometimes can do more harm than good.

Hydration and Electrolytes

While we have come to believe that grabbing a great tasting Powerade or Gatorade after an intense workout is a great idea, you may be shocked that this isn’t necessarily true. The premise is that these drinks contain electrolytes which will help replace the minerals in your blood and allow you to continue to exercise at the same level. It is very important to read the labels carefully as all sports drink are not the same. It is true that these drinks to contain water which is crucial when working out, but you will receive the same benefits by drinking water alone, and you’ll likely save some money.

I Need a Boost

We all need a little boost now and then to get going. As a culture we seem to be demanding more out of our bodies, but giving them less to work with. Instead of eating healthy, exercising and getting enough sleep, we attempt to compensate by the overuse of caffeine or, regrettably, energy drinks. While the creative minds of advertising executives have made energy drinks appear safe and appealing, they are potentially very dangerous substitutes for a healthy lifestyle. Many young and older people have died from complications from these drinks and overuse.

The main ingredient is caffeine. 200 mg of caffeine a day is considered safe, some of these drinks can have up to 500 mg. In addition, many are bottles or cans have multiple servings so the labels must be read carefully. Drinking too much caffeine can unsafely increase heart rate, blood pressure and result in insomnia. In addition, as the body builds a tolerance to caffeine more must be consumed to get the same results and this can lead to serious health problems.

While some add additional herbs such as guarana, ginseng and vitamin B, in nearly all cases these have little or no effect on performance or sustainability. There are a hundreds of better options to utilize natural herbs and most people receive the best amount of vitamins by simply eating healthy and reducing their intake of processed foods.

The Simple Sports or Energy Drink Solution

Drink water before, during and after exercise to continually hydrate your body. Eat healthy meals and snacks and take vitamin supplements if recommend by your doctor. Get a good night’s sleep.  Still need a bit of a boost, instead of grabbing a sports or energy drink, try a Recharge (a natural tea sports drink), green tea or a shot of espresso! Not only will you feel better, just think of all the cash you will save to spend on something fun.

Need more tips or training advice. Give us a call at 970-920-9595, contact us here or simply visit us at the gym and let’s get you where you want to be. 

By Mark Popenhagen Google