Do you really need a sports drink?

Long marketed as an effective way to rehydrate and replace lost electrolytes, sports drinks serve no real benefit for the majority of people who exercise. In fact, they are an unnecessary expense.

There is however some potential benefit after long periods of strenuous exercise but for general exercise regimes such as netball, gym sessions or long bike rides, water is considered the better option.

Sports drinks are also generally high in sugar (about 9 teaspoons per 600ml) and salt (about 10% of daily recommended intake), which can lead to adverse health consequences if consumed unnecessarily. The sugar content can lead to dental decay if consumed regularly and the salt can lead to other adverse health consequences.

In addition, the acid content of some these drinks is quite significant and can lead to dental erosion.

If however you feel the need to have some sort of hydration during exercise, there is no need to spend money on a commercial one but rather make your own.

Here's a recipe from the US Olympic Committee website:

1/4 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup hot water 1/4 cup orange juice 2 tablespoons lemon juice 3 ½ cups cold water

Dissolve the sugar and salt in hot water, then add juices and cold water.

A simpler recipe is to combine 500mL of unsweetened fruit juice, 500mL of water and a quarter of a teaspoon of salt. Experiment a little with the proportions – less juice, more water and half the salt will make it less concentrated.

Thanks to our friends at https://www.choice.com.au/ for some of this content

#teeth #acidwear #sugar