Sports drinks, energy bars and gels – Just how useful and effective are they?
Sports Drinks have been around for a lot longer than most people would think. In fact Gatorade was developed in 1965 at the University of Florida and athletes have been formulating their own sports drinks for decades. Some of the downsides of the sports drink led the way for the development of the sports energy bar and sports gels. The world’s first energy bars emerged in the 80s along with the first sports gel, Leppin Squeezy.
What is the difference between Water and a Sports Drink?
Sweating during intense exercise or for longer period’s causes a loss of water and electrolytes and this leads to a decrease in performance. Water quenches your thirst but very often you will not drink enough to become fully rehydrated. Sports Drinks contain electrolytes and restore sodium, potassium and chloride to the body and there is a tendency to drink more because of their less bland taste. Sports drinks vs Water often comes down to the length and intensity of an athlete’s workout. It really depends on the duration of the exercise and how much you sweat during that exercise.
Some facts about Sports Drinks
There are currently many different sports drinks out in the market today. They all claim to produce different results but most of these drinks are put together based on the same principals. Sports drinks are carbohydrate-rich fuels that typically contain 4-8% carbohydrate along with varying amounts of sodium and potassium (any more than 8% carbohydrate can impair gastric emptying during exercise). Carbohydrate consumption provides fuel for energy production. Some key facts re sports drinks are:-
- Carbohydrates and electrolytes (sodium & potassium) make up the majority of sports drinks.
- Sodium helps fluid retention during exercise, along with salt replenishment.
- Sports drinks should ideally be used before exercise as they can top-up muscle glycogen fuel levels, and during exercise as they facilitate fluid and fuel delivery.
- There have been dental issues reported with using sports drinks, and athletes have been advised to squirt their sports drink directly into the back of their mouths to avoid any potential tooth enamel erosion.
- Some myths about sports drink have been dispelled by academic research, e.g. sports drinks are not suitable for children, sports drinks should be diluted, and sports drinks are high in salt.
The biggest question mark that remains is whether these sports drinks actually work. Some reports claim that sports drinks have no effect on athletes during intense competition, while other reports state that sports drinks will not add anymore benefits to someone who has a healthy, balanced diet.
Some facts about Sports Gels
Sports gels are quite similar to sports drinks in that they contain a large amount of carbohydrate. They have been described as a mixture of sports drinks and sports bars, and work on roughly the same premise as sports drinks. The main points to note are as follows:
- Sports gels are used most effectively during high-intensity exercise, they are most commonly used at half-time during events such as rugby, football, basketball etc.
- Most sports gels contain honey, this slows the rate of carbohydrate absorption and helps produce energy later in the sporting event.
- The average packet of gels contains 25g-28g of carbohydrate. Because they contain no solids, they are easy to absorb.
- Gels are attractive to athletes because they are not heavy on the stomach and are unlikely to cause any gastrointestinal stress.
- It is recommended to consume these gels every 30-40 minutes during high intensity exercise if possible.
- Some gels contain large amounts of caffeine and each product should be checked to measure the amount included as this could impair performance.
The question about whether sports gels work or not seems to be a little clearer, with studies showing they do have a positive effective on improving endurance performance. However, it is important to note that each athlete reacts differently to different sports gels, and that these gels are not the same for each athlete – You should choose the sports gel that best suits you!
What to remember if you are going to use sports drinks, bars or gels
It is essential to search out brands that do not include unnecessary high amounts of sugar (high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, glucose or fructose listed as one to the main ingredients should be avoided). They should contain electrolytes such as Sodium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, the amino acids and B-vitamins.
The usual recommendation is to consider adding sports drinks or an equivalent when exercise lasts more than one hour and is intensive. Water is still the best re-hydration drink for most exercise!
About Metrifit
Metrifit is an athlete monitoring system that gathers subjective and objective information from both coaches and athletes in a simple but effective manner with intelligent visualization helping coaches and athletes to act on that data. Why not have a look at our Ready to Perform product and gain insight on the physical and mental state of your athletes through our daily wellbeing questionnaire? To find out more visit our Metrifit Product Overview page or get in touch for a free demo.
Aaron Mansfield
Head Coach, LMU Lions, Loyola Marymount University
Next Post
