Water Vs. Sports Drinks (2024)

FAQs

Water Vs. Sports Drinks? ›

If practice or competition lasts less than one hour, water is the best choice to stay hydrated. If the activity will last longer than one hour or is very intense, a sports drink will help your child stay hydrated, but it will also provide something that water cannot – fuel for his or her working muscles.

The recommendation is adults and children should only have sports drinks during extended and heavy exercise that lasts longer than an hour. “Water, water and water should be the beverage of choice for hydration before, during and after physical activity or exercise routines lasting less than one hour,” Dr.

During: If the activity is going to go on for more than 45 minutes (adults) or more than an hour for kids, make sure you're using a sports drink and not just plain water to hydrate.

It is possible to drink too much during exercise. Over-hydration, in rare but severe cases, can lead to death. To avoid over or under-hydration, it can be useful to know your sweat rate. That way, you can work out exactly how much you should be drinking.

In addition to water, sports drinks contain electrolytes and carbohydrates — both of which become important when you're sweating a lot or need to quickly refill your energy stores," says Willingham.

While Gatorade can help you stay hydrated, it's best to only drink it when needed. For people who aren't exercising for at least one hour, five days per week, water is the best bet for staying hydrated. Electrolytes coming from natural sources without added sugars and dyes are recommended.

While sports drinks may help keep you hydrated, many other beverages can too. Water and sports drinks provide a similar amount of hydration, although the flavor of sports drinks may cause some individuals to drink more.

Milk is more hydrating than water

For example, milk was found to be even more hydrating than plain water because it contains the sugar lactose, some protein and some fat, all of which help to slow the emptying of fluid from the stomach and keep hydration happening over a longer period.

What are the disadvantages of sports drinks? ›

Sports Drinks and Health

Drinking too many of these, especially when not performing vigorous exercise, can increase the risk of overweight/obesity and other health problems such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and gout. There is also a risk of dental caries.

Sucralose is generally considered safe. However, there is conflicting research on whether or not it can have negative effects on metabolism and insulin levels, per Healthline. Gatorade Zero also contains citric acid, sodium citrate, natural flavor, and artificial food dyes that Illuminate Labs does not recommend.

Sports drinks contain calories and drinking too much can take away from balanced eating. Don't let sports drinks replace other nutritious drinks throughout the day. Water is the best choice if your athlete is thirsty between meals.

A few studies have shown that electrolyte drinks do hydrate better than regular water^3,4, but are they necessary? The answer: only in some circ*mstances. Electrolyte drinks can be beneficial for someone who is enduring very intense exercise (75+ minutes) or when it is extremely hot in the workout environment.

For elite athletes and people working out at a high intensity level for 60-plus minutes, water alone may not be enough. In reality, some kids and adults will drink more fluids if there's a flavor to them, so water alone may be too blah. A sports drink or enhanced water may ensure they drink enough to avoid dehydration.

They supply the muscles with energy, plus water and electrolytes, which help keep muscles from cramping and dehydration at bay. These same nutrients help athletes recover more quickly after exercise or competition.

The addition of potassium to sports drinks helps maintain electrolyte balance and can assist with muscle contraction during exercise. Flavour is an important feature of sports drinks that helps to increase voluntary fluid intake (compared to water) during or after exercise.

Additionally, the sugar content in energy drinks can lead to increased thirst. Therefore, it is generally recommended to prioritize water as the primary source of hydration and consume energy drinks in moderation, if at all. Because of the caffeine and sugar content, energy drinks might dehydrate you.