| Written by Doug Gibson, on 23-06-2008 12:20 |
Sensible Fitness: Are Sports Drinks Calories or Genies in a Bottle?
Hydration is a necessity, but when it comes to choosing between water and a sports drink, the healthy hydrator isn’t necessarily obvious. Our fitness guru has some tips to help you determine the right choice for you.
Linda asks: I know Gatorade gives your body some needed electrolytes, but what about the calories it contains?
Doug Gibson: Many people reach for a sports drink after a workout, and while they do offer significant benefits to aiding hydration, sports drinks can be counterproductive against weight loss goals. A person must try to evaluate the need for hydration in comparison to the many extra calories that a sports drink contains. Your hourglass figure depends on it!
Sports drinks, such as Gatorade, have documented research that shows that they help you absorb fluid quicker and replace lost electrolytes, which aids recovery and prevents dehydration. But unless you are experiencing significant fluid loss through sweating, water does the job in fine fashion, without the added calories.
Sports drinks are engineered to have the appropriate balance of carbohydrates, sodium and potassium, which encourages fluids to be quickly absorbed while replenishing the very important electrolytes that are lost in sweat. This makes them perfect for people exercising in a hot climate or for people whose intense training or competition requires the energy-packing carbohydrates that sports drinks possess.
Sports drinks, however, can be counterproductive if you are watching your waistline. The common 20 ounce bottle has 130 calories, so unless your activity is burning a significant amount of calories, you could be “breaking even” or worse yet, adding to your waistline. A typical 150-pound person would have to walk for more than 30 minutes to burn off a sports drink. Unless your activity is causing you to sweat significantly, the zero-calorie choice of water may be your best bet.
Another consideration is the fact that sports drinks taste good, which can be a double-edged sword. Studies have shown that people drink higher quantities of a beverage if it is cool and pleasantly flavored. This is great if you are battling dehydration in a hot environment, but it can have a negative impact if you are counting your calories and dehydration is not an issue.
There are newer, low-calorie sports drinks available along with flavored waters that all contain significantly fewer calories. But when all the smoke clears, you simply cannot go wrong with plain water. I cannot count the number of overweight people who have told me “I hate water.” Although I have to bite my tongue, I want to say, “Yes, and it shows.”
It is best to develop eating and drinking habits that do not rely on everything that goes into your mouth having to be flavor-filled ecstasy. Your mother did not make you eat broccoli because it tasted good. She did it because it was good for you. As adults, we don’t have mommy watching over us, and we need to have the discipline to eat and drink for health and nutrition, not for the mere pleasure of the palate.
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