Your body will excrete a lot of fluids when you exercise, so you may need to drink sports drinks. This drink is considered to be able to replace lost body fluids. Want to know more details? Check out the reviews below.
What is a sports drink?
A sports drink is a type of drink that is claimed to be able to replenish glucose, fluids, and electrolytes lost during exercise.
Some manufacturers also promote this drink to increase endurance.
A number of these drink brands also contain B vitamins that function to increase energy. However, sports drinks are different from energy drinks ( energy drinks ).
These drinks contain carbohydrates in the form of sugar, such as glucose, corn syrup, or sucrose.
Some may not contain sugar but are replaced with low-calorie artificial sweeteners.
The sugar and electrolyte content in sports drinks play an important role in promoting hydration and fast energy absorption.
This utility is needed when you are doing high-intensity exercise that lasts more than an hour.
Sports drink content
Sports drinks contain the nutrients the body needs to replace the nutrients lost during exercise.
Here are some key ingredients that are usually present in sports drinks.
1. Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates, especially glucose, are one of the main ingredients in sports drinks that keep the body hydrated.
Intake of 2% glucose from sports drinks has been reported in a number of studies to help prevent dehydration.
However, ideally the concentration of carbohydrates in drinks should not be more than 8% or even less. The number of carbohydrates that are too high can interfere with gastric emptying during exercise.
2. Electrolyte
Electrolytes are components that can turn into free ions when dissolved in the body, for example sodium and potassium.
Both compounds can increase the absorption and storage of fluids in the body.
Normally, sports drinks sold in the market contain sodium around 10-25 mmol/L or maybe lower.
3. Other content
In addition to electrolytes and carbohydrates, sports drinks also contain other ingredients, such as:
1. chloride,
2. protein,
3. calcium,
4. magnesium,
5. vitamin E, and
6. vitamin C.
However, some of this content is usually only found in some types of sports drinks in small amounts.
That’s why you need to choose a sports drink product whose composition fits your needs.
Types of sports drinks
Generally, there are three types of sports drinks available in the market. These three types of drinks contain different amounts of fluids, electrolytes, and carbohydrates.
1. Isotonic
Isotonic is a type of sports drink that contains similar concentrations of salt and sugar in the body.
Isotonic drinks are claimed to be able to replace lost body fluids quickly and provide additional energy for the body.
It’s just that the absorption of the content in isotonic is much slower than other sports drinks.
Isotonic is a type of sports drink that is quite popular, especially for athletes before starting a workout with a fairly long duration.
2. Hypertonic
Compared to other sports drinks, hypertonic contain the highest amount of carbohydrates.
Thanks to these carbohydrates, this sports drink can increase the concentration of dissolved substances in the body.
Given the high amount of carbohydrates, hypertonic drinks can increase the rate of water flow in the intestines, thus facilitating digestion.
Athletes usually take hypertonic after exercise to meet daily carbohydrate needs and increase glycogen stores in muscles.
3. Hypotonic
Hypotonic sports drinks contain fewer carbohydrates.
For this reason, this drink is usually consumed by people who need more fluids during exercise, but do not need a large additional calorie.
A number of experts also report that hypotonic tends to be easily absorbed by the human body compared to isotonic.
That is why, many athletes consume this drink when exercising, especially in gymnastics athletes.
Benefits of sports drinks
In general, the use of sports drinks is to maintain exercise performance, both before and after exercise.
For more details, here is a list of benefits that you can get by consuming sports drinks.
1. Maintain body hydration
Ideally, everyone is recommended to drink at least 500 ml in the 2 hours before exercising.
This is so that the body gets enough fluids and gives the body time to excrete excess fluids.
To prevent dehydration during exercise, you should drink sports drinks regularly to replace fluids lost through sweat.
2. Energy source
Basically, carbohydrates contained in sports drinks can be a source of energy. That way, you don’t get tired quickly during exercise.
The carbohydrate content of 6-8 percent in sports drinks is the optimal content needed to replace fluids and energy in the body.
No wonder, if athletes like to consume this drink as an additional nutrient for exercise.
3. Replace lost electrolytes
The body that sweats during exercise excretes electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and chloride.
Sports drink can replace these lost electrolyte levels so that the body is not easily dehydrated during exercise.
The dangers of drinking sports drinks
Although it has great benefits in replacing body fluids, there are dangers behind sports drinks that you need to be aware of.
Here are some of the risks of consuming sports drinks.
1. Tooth decay
Excessive consumption of sports drinks can damage teeth. The reason is, sports drinks contain sugar and acid which are high enough to cause tooth enamel erosion and tooth decay.
However, most dental problems are caused by the citric acid content in sports drinks sold in the market.
Manufacturers usually maintain a pH level of around 2.5 – 4.5. This can increase the acidity in the mouth and affect dental health.
Citric acid can make the minerals that protect the outermost layer of the teeth easy to decay. As a result, the dentin (the inner layer of the tooth) is exposed and prone to damage.
2. Digestive problems
The high carbohydrate content in this drink can actually trigger digestive problems.
High amounts of carbohydrates, especially in hypertonic sports drinks can cause water retention in the intestines.
As a result, a number of digestive problems such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, and even constipation can occur.
3. Impaired kidney function
If you consume sports drinks indiscriminately, you are at risk for impaired kidney function.
Excessive intake of sports drinks can interfere with the absorption of fluids in the kidneys.
This can lower the sodium concentration in the blood, which can lead to hyponatremia. Therefore, consume sports drinks properly, yes.
If you have further questions, please consult with your doctor to understand the right solution for you.