So, what exactly is the truth behind all the hype about re-hydrating sports drinks?
During the silly season and especially during summer’s sweltering heat, it is important to put a strategy in place to ensure your body is well hydrated. Water is required by your body for several reasons:
- Respiration, digestion, assimilation, metabolism, elimination, waste removal and temperature regulation
- Essential in dissolving and transporting nutrients such as oxygen and mineral salts
- Keeps pressure, acidity and composition of chemical reactions in the body at an equilibrium
- Dehydration causes fatigue, constipation, viruses, apathy, mental confusion, joint pain, irritability, nausea and poor skin condition.
- You can live 5 weeks without protein, carbs and fat – but just 5 days without water
Factors increasing water needs:
1. air conditioning
2. caffeine consumption
3. exercise
4. high temperature
5. low humidity
With water, the liver works more efficiently at breaking down fat for use as energy
Generally in summer we need 2-3 litres water per day, more if you exercise.
So are sports drinks all they are cracked up to be?
Sports drinks can be beneficial during intense physical activity lasting more than an hour because they are a source of carbohydrates that need to be replenished. As they have added sodium/potassium (electrolytes) they also help to rehydrate the body. Be careful, however, because there are usually 300 calories per bottle of sports drink – which means you just put back the calories you thought you were “burning off” on the treadmill! Water has no calories.
If the carbohydrate content of sports drinks is too high (greater than 8 percent), these products can actually inhibit the hydration process by pulling water from the body and into the stomach to dilute them before digestion. There are other red flags. The recent supplement craze has produced dozens of designer drinks possibly containing herbal extracts of questionable benefit. Energy-boosting drinks may contain Ma Huang or guarana; both act as a stimulant and may increase heart rate and blood pressure.
What is the ideal? Stick to water. You can make it interesting by adding some slices of fresh lemon, or mint to your water. Diet cordials are also o.k. if used occasionally. If you do opt for a sports drink, you really should be diluting it so that it is 1/3 sports drink to 2/3 water. Your body will be more able to utilise the nutrients in the drink, and you will also lose a load of calories.
