It鈥檚 hydrating, packed full of sugars and contains electrolytes vital for cell function. Which is why, until the mid-20th century, beer was considered the sports drink of choice 鈥� especially as it was .
No sweat: The smart guide to exercise
Forget the latest fad 鈥� here鈥檚 our evidence-based guide to workout success, and the truth about the advice you can ignore
Today, sports drinks have taken on a very different flavour. And if you believe the advertising, working out without one will lead to dehydration, impaired performance and a deep sense of self-loathing. But should we believe the hype or are the ads peddling more spin than the Tour de France?
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One of the big claims for sports drinks is that they are rich in minerals like sodium and potassium that dissolve in bodily fluids to create charged ions vital for cell function, while also replacing fluids lost through exercise. On the face of it this makes sense. When you sweat, you lose water from blood plasma. This causes a drop in blood volume, meaning your heart has to work harder to deliver much-needed oxygen to muscles.
How big a problem is this? When exercising, an average person sweats between 0.8 and 1.4 litres per hour. The International Olympic Committee reviewed the studies and concluded that by dehydration if someone loses 2 per cent of their body weight or more through sweating 鈥� 1.5 litres for someone weighing 75 kilograms. So do you need to drink? If working out for over an hour, arguably yes. Under an hour, not really.
Of course, water would prevent dehydration. So what about the electrolytes? The most important is sodium because, among myriad functions, it regulates fluid balance by channelling water from the bloodstream in and out of cells. Too little sodium can cause cells to swell and lose their ability to function properly. Sodium is also important for regulating blood pressure.
Electrolytes like potassium and magnesium, on the other hand, aren鈥檛 as important because they perform their functions inside cells, so we don鈥檛 sweat them out.
So do you need a sodium hit when out for a run? Most Western diets include enough sodium for the casual exerciser, but if you are going for extremely long periods, such as an ultra-marathon, .
As for the carb hit you get from energy drinks, it could be counterproductive. Many brands contain five to 10 spoonfuls of sugar, so if you aren鈥檛 doing serious levels of training, you may end up drinking more calories than you lose.
The performance claims for sports drinks were put to the test last year in swimmers exercising for 75 minutes who were given either a sports drink, water or nothing to drink at all 鈥� and there was no difference in performance, to conclude that sports drinks are no better than any other sugary drink.
As for that beer, unsurprisingly, research shows alcohol hampers coordination and performance, but a non-alcoholic version . In fact, research suggests a drink of non-alcoholic beer before you exercise as you work out. But it might cause other problems 鈥� the need to stop for a tinkle along the way.
This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淎re sports drinks any good?鈥�
