Are sports drinks beneficial for people who are not athletes?

[Tanner DeckerParticipant]

Sports drinks (i.e. gatorade) are commonly used during sporting events, are these beverages only meant for athletes??

[Jessica QuinnParticipant]

No, sorts drinks are not beneficial for people who are not athletes. According to David Katz M.D., M.P.H., “The average sports drink has about 100 calories from sugar, and a little over 200 milligrams of sodium, in 16 ounces” (Katz D). Even though sports drinks have half as many calories as soft drinks, they have about three times the sodium. Young people and adolescents are especially known to consume sports drinks, other energy drinks and soft drinks on a daily basis (Park S), which only provide extra calories and sugars that can lead to weight gain and other health problems (Sports drinks). It is not necessary for them to consume sports drinks because these extra calories may also cause problems in growth and body composition (Sports drinks). The only time that sports drinks are beneficial for anyone is during long, intense workouts and outside exercise, especially in the heat (Katz D). With extra sweating, more salt is lost from the body and our blood sugar becomes low. Sports drinks can provide the carbohydrates, the sodium, and the hydration that our bodies need during intense exercise (Katz D). The moral of the story is, always choose water over sports drinks unless you are an athlete who in enduring prolonged workouts (Katz D).

References:

Katz D. The Rumor: Sports drinks have magical restorative properties the plain water doesn’t. WTHealth Knows website. http://upwave.com/workout/sports-drinks-healthy. Published 2013. Accessed February 15, 2014.

Park S, Blanck HM, Sherry B, Brener N, O’Toole T. Factors associated with sugar-sweetened beverage intake among United States high school students. J Nutr. 2012 Feb; 142(2), 306-12. doi: 10.3945/jn.111.148536.

Sports drinks and energy drinks for children and adolescents: Are they appropriate? The American Academy of Pediatrics. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/127/6/1182.long. Published 2011. Accessed February 15, 2014.

[Mariah MurphyParticipant]

Sports drinks advertisements now are not only aimed at competitive athletes but all consumers. The sales of sports drinks in the United States surpasses 1.5 billion dollars annually (1). For most non-athletes, however, sports drinks are not the best option when choosing something to drink.

Studies are showing that sports drinks lead to dental decay and erosion due to the high carbohydrate content and acidity of sports drinks. Sport drinks were found to be comparable to fruit juices and carbonated drinks in their ability to cause dental cavities (2).

The high carbohydrate or sugar content of sports drinks also adds in unnecessary calories in the diet. The increasing intake of sugar-sweetened beverages in our society, including sports drinks, have been linked to greater risks for obesity, type 2 diabetes, and coronary heart disease (3).

In conclusion, an occasional sports drink will not cause major health problems, but for most people, sticking to water is the best option for hydration (1).

References
1. http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/trade-sports-drinks-for-water-201207305079
2. Milosevic A. Sports drinks hazard to teeth. Br J Sports Med. 1997;31:28-30. doi:10.1136/bjsm.31.1.28.
3. Hu F, Malik V. Sugar-sweetened beverages and risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes: Epidemiologic evidence. Physiol Behav. 2010;100(1):47-54. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.01.036.

[Tanner DeckerParticipant]

Thank you for both of your responses, I most definitely agree with what you had to say. I think that sports drinks can be very tempting for a lot of people especially young adults, but the added calories are not beneficial for their diets. Also, the added sugar in these drinks not only bad for the individuals teeth, but could also lead to obesity and type 2 diabetes if they are a regular drink choice(1). Overall, sports drinks can definitely be good for athletes that have rigorous work outs, but are not necessarily the best option for those that are not working out.

1. Haifeng L, Yan Z, Gangqiang D, Glogauer M. Dietary Factors Associated with Dental Erosion: A Meta-Analysis. Plos ONE. August 2012;7(8):1-6. Available from:http://web.b.ebscohost.com.dist.lib.usu.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=94b91578-5d32-4e83-b24f-7942a9ac3869%40sessionmgr198&vid=7&hid=125. Accessed February 28, 2014.

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