When it comes to fueling yourself for activity, most sportsnutritionists agree that the single most important item to consumeis fluid.
'To perform at your peak, you've got be as hydrated as you canbe,' says William J. Evans, chief of the Human Physiology Laboratoryat the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University.'Even small amounts of dehydration can cause a decrease inperformance.'
But whether to drink plain water or one of the scientificallyformulated sports drinks now flooding the market is the source ofcontroversy. Sports-drink proponents claim these beverages aresuperior replacement fluids because they replenish the water lostthrough vigorous exercise and also supply carbohydrates andelectrolytes. But some nutritionists argue that commercial sportsdrinks are little more than glorified sugar water and that plainwater - plus a splash of fruit juice if desired - is a cheaper andbetter choice for most active people.
The granddaddy of sports drinks is Gatorade, invented in 1965 atthe University of Florida for the school's football team, theGators. Gatorade is 6 percent carbohydrate, in the form of sugarssucrose and glucose, that provides energy for working muscles.Sports drinks are superior to other carbohydrate-rich beverages,such as soda or fruit juice, contends The Gatorade Co., since theseother beverages contain concentrations greater than 10 percentcarbohydrate and are not as quickly absorbed.
'Ingesting carbonated beverages during exercise may causegastrointestinal distress,' adds Robert Murray, director of theGatorade Exercise Physiology Laboratory in Barrington, Ill. 'Andcaffeine, which is a diuretic, may actually promote fluid loss.'
Today, numerous other sports drinks with names like Exceed, 10Kand Max are muscling into Gatorade's turf. Some of their appeal ispsychological, as athletes look for products that will give them thecompetitive edge. But what many people don't realize is that mostsports drinks are designed for consumption during high-intensityendurance activity, to help you stay hydrated and maintain a normalblood sugar level so you can exercise for a prolonged period oftime.
For most activities, 'sports drinks provide relatively littleadvantage compared to plain cold water or a Kool-Aid type beverage,which has good carbohydrate content and costs considerably less,'says Col. Eldon Askew, chief of military nutrition research at theU.S. Army Reserve Institute of Environmental Medicine in Natick,Mass. 'Military rations are relatively high in sodium chloride, withadequate potassium and calcium. So sports drinks are notparticularly necessary in our view.'
Sports drinks are 'sugar-laden beverages that offer littlenutritional value,' writes Boston nutritionist Nancy Clark, in'Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook.' 'Commercial fluidreplacers are nutritionally similar to diluted soft drinks but moreexpensive.'
Plain water works well for most recreational athletes, saysClark, who advises exercisers involved in high-intensity enduranceevents that last more than 90 minutes to make their own sportsdrinks. Popular homemade sports beverages include diluted fruitjuices, herb tea with honey and - for cross-country skiers - warmblueberry soup. Endurance athletes may also consume solidcarbohydrates for energy. Bananas and granola bars, plus lots ofwater, are popular with long-distance cyclists.
But many endurance athletes prefer to only drink during anevent. 'If you prefer liquids to solid food, create your owncarbohydrate drink by dissolving 20 tablespoons of table sugar and apinch of salt in a quart of water,' suggests a recent issue ofRunning Research News.
Sweetened beverages often taste better and stimulate thirst soyou'll drink more. 'Thirst is not a good indicator of hydration,'notes Tufts' Evans, an adviser to the Boston Bruins hockey team,whose players are required to drink a carbohydrate replacementbeverage after each game. 'The sooner after exercise you consumecarbohydrates, the more rapidly you'll replace glycogen stores,'Evans says.
Also, he says, if players quench their thirst immediately aftera game they may be less likely to celebrate later with friends at abar. 'Alcohol has a profoundly dehydrating effect,' Evans notes,'and is a very poor nutritional choice.'
Bodyworks appears on alternate Tuesdays.
