The Pros and Cons of Sports Drinks

Over at MSNBC, they've unpacked the pros and cons of using certain sports drinks to quench your post-workout thirst. The candidates include electrolyte drinks, enhanced waters, coconut water, cherry juice, chocolate milk and good, old-fashioned, regular water.

Here's what they had to say.

1. Electrolyte drinks (including Gatorade, Powerade, Accelerade, etc.) might be capable of boosting performance, shortening recovery time and keeping you hydrated, but they're high in carbs, calories and sugar and can upset some stomachs.

2. Enhanced waters (including Vitaminwater, Lifewater, All Sport, etc.) can be tasty and sometimes contain sodium and potassium, but their ingredients can vary significantly. The claims made by some of these drinks have been questioned and the drinks are also often high in sugar and calories.

Our expert weighs in, after the jump...


3. Coconut water is a natural product with a light, less sugary taste and decent nutrient content, but it might not hydrate the body as quickly as other products.

4. Cherry juice has anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties and it's another natural drink, but positive research is based on tart cherries, not sweet cherries, and it's also not suited for drinking during a workout.

5. Chocolate milk's combination of carbs and protein helps to protect and repair muscles after a vigorous workout, and it's relatively inexpensive, but it's not great to drink before or during a workout and the amount of sugar and calories you consume (even if you're drinking low-fat milk) can add up quickly.

6. Water is easy to find, cheap and is quickly absorbed by the body, but it doesn't have any sugar or electrolytes, which are key for endurance events and exercise in very hot conditions.

We asked fitness expert Kathleen Trotter to weigh in on the story and make some suggestions about consuming sports drinks.

"I think the most important message that the we need to make people understand is that there is no 'one size that fits all' for hydration requirements. Your hydration requirements both before, during and after a workout depend on many variables, including length of workout, intensity of workout and your weight.

That being said, the average person going to the gym does not need the added calories or electrolytes these sports drinks offer. If you are exercising moderately, for a duration under roughly one hour you simply need to make sure you are getting roughly ½ to 2 cups of water for every 15-30 minutes of exercise -- depending, of course, on your weight and level of intensity.

If you are exercising for longer than an hour, or your workout is particularly intense, you probably need more then just water to replenish the calories and electrolytes lost during your workout. Sports drinks do help replenish electrolytes, but they are also filled with tons of added colours and flavours. One can get the same benefits they offer from natural sources. Try mixing some juice into your water bottle with a pinch of sea salt. The mixture should be roughly 8:1 (water to juice).

As for products like Vitaminwater, save your money. In our society, we tend to rely heavily on quick fixes. We want to be able to buy a product and have it magically replace the healthy food that we did not eat. Most of the time these products are not actually healthy, and they contain lots of added sugar and calories. Just go pick up a piece of fruit and have a glass of water."

For more tips on sports drinks, check out these related That's Fit posts:

* Holistic Recipe of the Week: Homemade Sports Drink
* Vitamin Water: Health Drink or Soft Drink?