Sports drinks

Sports drinks are certainly beneficial in the right context, but they’re not always the right choice over water.

The answer depends on the length, type and intensity of exercise that you’re doing and your preference as an individual. I would say the people who benefit most from sports drinks are athletes, so unless you are training for a marathon or doing any other high intensity training on a daily basis, sticking to water during a workout is usually sufficient. Water will keep you hydrated and has no calories unlike sugary sports drinks.

If you’re exercising at a high intensity sports drinks can be beneficial and can really aid your training. When you’re pushing yourself and sweating for over an hour you lose a lot of water along with essential salts. Energy drinks are the best way of rehydrating and replacing those lost salts to avoid cramps. Ideally you should opt for an isotonic drink that contains all the essential salts and minerals.

A sports drink could also help you sustain your energy levels for longer while you’re exercising as they can provide carbohydrates to help supply the muscles with quick energy and prevent glycogen stores dipping. You can make your own sports drink by adding a little bit of fruit juice to your water along with some salt which will help the water to be absorbed quickly into your system.

But what form of sports drink you opt for, you should also drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated. If you are finding sports drinks necessary during your workout, you should be aware that too much of them can cause stomach problems, particularly if they contain caffeine.