SPORTS DRINKS: THE HYPE ABOUT HYDRATION

~By Sheila Garcia

Most people want to make the most of their workouts and fitness routines. Whether its figuring out which exercises burn the most fat, or what kind of routine suits us best, we’re always looking for a way to get the most for our investment it comes to exercise. That’s why we, as a society, shelled out over 5 billion dollars last year alone on sports drinks like Gatorade, which we think will help us build muscle, lose weight, build electrolytes, and stay hydrated. But do sports drinks really live up to their claims?

For every 15 minutes of exercise, you should be drinking 4-6 ounces of water. That means downing at least a full glass every half an hour. If you’re not drinking enough water while working out, you might be tempted to grab a Gatorade instead, thinking it will hydrate you better for the volume. Gatorade and other sports drinks claim to help you hydrate better than water. But, in truth, they have little to support those claims. Study after study has found that, in general, the additives in sports drinks have no effect on water absorption in our bodies. Nothing gets more water into your system than – shockingly – water.

The major selling point when it comes to sports drinks is that they’re jam-packed with the salts and electrolytes that you lose when you sweat. Thus, they claim, they’re better to drink during and after exercise than water alone.

Sports drinks are not miracle drinks, and they definitely aren’t better than water – especially when it comes to hydration. If you work out for 1/2 an hour, and then drink three Gatorades, you’re consuming far more calories than you burned during your workout – so if your goal is weight loss, you aren’t going to help yourself at all. As far as building muscle and losing weight, there are better alternatives than sports drinks for after you’re done working out.

Like anything else, proper nutrition is all about being smart about your food and drink choices. If you want protein to build muscle after your workout, see if the drink you’re downing actually has that much protein, for example. If you read labels and stay informed about exactly what you’re putting into your body, odds are you’ll be able pick out what’s good for you.

One thing you probably didn’t know: among other hard-to-pronounce chemicals and additives, most sports drinks contain the toxic chemical brominated vegetable oil, or BVO. Although never thoroughly tested for health impacts, BVO has been used in drinks like Gatorade, Powerade, and other beverages for years. Originally intended for use as a flame retardant in plastics, the food industry stumbled on another use for BVO in manufactured liquid drinks – making them look attractive. But here’s some tough news to swallow: emerging reports suggest that over-indulging in these drinks tha contain BVO could result in symptoms of bromine poisoning, including heart disease, skin lesions, memory loss, and nerve disorders.

So instead of reaching for sugary-and-chemical-laden drinks to hydrate, choose water, or, if you’re really working out hard, an electrolyte-rich pick like coconut water. If you need a flavor kick, try the coconut-water-based Greater Than product of sports drinks. They’re free of BVO, high-fructose corn syrup, and artificial dyes.

Be a healthy hydrator, and build your legacy the natural way!