Essay on The Effectiveness of Sports Drinks Compared to Water

All throughout an athletes life they are told to drink plenty of water, and replace their fluids. Athletes are told this enough to the point where it makes numbs them since they heard it so many times to the point where they forget the extreme importance of proper hydration, proper hydration. Proper hydration is not only key to optimum health, but also to great performance. Athletes are told to drink plenty of water, but do they really know why? It is this writer’s opinion that a greater understanding of proper hydration can lead to better health and performance for athletes and help spread awareness for dehydration and over hydration.

The Great Dehydration was a result of a stomach virus which apparently caused the body to lose water. As the body lost water, water moved out of the cells in attempt to keep solute concentrations balanced across the cell membrane. Sports drinks contain water as well as “electrolytes” like

Have you ever gotten a sports drink instead of a soda thinking you were choosing a healthier option? Well this might change your perspective. Powerade and Gatorade are just watered down soda; yes,  it gives you electrolytes which is what you lose when you sweat, but that does not mean it is good for you. There are many other healthier ways of getting electrolytes than by just drinking a sugar drink. In the Powerade article written by the company does not argue about how water is not helpful to athletes and does not have the opposing argument. Although the gatorade article written by David R. Lamb they make it more persuasive than informational.

In recent studies sports drinks like Gatorade, PowerAde, and Muscle Milk have been proven to be not fully truthful about their nutritional value and the impact it will have on some people.

Now, first up on the imaginary and minuscule chopping block is the electrolyte. This mysterious thing inside your body. The thing that all those sports drinks will replenish. If it’s so important, why does almost nobody know what they are? What is an electrolyte? Well, an electrolyte is the ionic form of elements, like sodium, chlorine, and magnesium. To quote Nate Morrow’s article about electrolytes, “Any fluid that conducts electricity, such as this new saltwater solution, is known as an electrolyte: the salt ions of which it’s composed of are known as electrolytes” (2013, Pg. 1). Electrolytes are, at their most simple and easy to understand form, ions that help maintain the body. There are many different electrolytes, but there are several main ones in a

Each sports drink contains 21 grams of sugar are contained in a 12 ounce bottle of Gatorade. With most bottles being 32 ounces, the consumer is actually ingesting 56 grams of sugar. Although this is not healthy, it is less grams of sugar than an average soda per ounce. “In fact, Berkeley researchers say the sugar in sports drinks may be contributing to the child obesity epidemic by increasing their caloric intake”. For consumers that are less active, the added sugar in their diet is not recommended. Weight gain from extra calories has also been found to be a problem for less active consumers. “For people who are not exercising for at least one hour, 5 days per week, water is the best bet for staying hydrated.” Experts suggest sports drink consumption should be monitored by children’s parents. The best source of hydration for children continues to be water (Schaefer). Unless a person is participating in vigorous exercise for a long period of time, water is the best option for

This study focuses on the effects of ingested caffeinated energy drink compared to placebo in three different sports, rugby, soccer, and volleyball. Each sport had a dissimilar number of participants, including male and female. The effects were analyzed under different circumstances in each sport performed. A few materials were used during the activities to monitor precisely the changes in all participants’ bodies. This study illustrates significant positive changes and improvement in all participants’ performances when they ingested a caffeinated energy drink.

In an article titled, “Obey your thirst, just not necessarily with a sports drink” written by Jennifer Sygo, many claims are made towards drinking water over sports drinks. Sygo informs the reader that the only time a person should drink a sports drink is when they are doing a lengthy workout; typically two hours or more. Other than that, the average person should not be drinking as many sports drinks as people do today.

Many people see sports drinks as an indispensable part of playing sport and exercising. Most of them are full of sugars and acids that over time cause tooth erosion and decay. Like a good many things in life, they are best consumed in moderation, if you are going to consume them at all.

Two famous myths from the ancient world, “Pandora’s Box” and “Loo Wit, The Firekeeper,” describe human suffering in their own way. The theme of “Pandora’s Box” is acting out of revenge will only lead to suffering. The all-mighty god, Zeus, cultivated a plan out of revenge for what Prometheus had done (shown fire to the humans), “Zeus extended his displeasure… It was a scheme which would [affect]... the whole race of human beings…” (Untermeyer 1).

I am a registered dietician and have been invited to this Lunch and Learn Program for the law firm to be able and help make a decision for the yearlong beverage contract for either a water company, Gatorade or PowerAde. As fitness is an important factor of many attorneys that work here this will be very beneficial for everyone. I will be giving this prevention to help give you the knowledge in the best choice of product including daily amounts, nutrient content, types, cost, advantages and disadvantages and healthiness. The roles of water and other fluids like Gatorade and PowerAde because they can replenish the fluids in our body recharging our muscles and cells with the vital electrolytes and other minerals needed for all

Throughout the book Born a Crime, the main character Trevor Noah is put through many different life challenges which led him to become the amazing person that he is today. Trevor Noah grew up in South Africa during apartheid, which was only one of the struggles that he had. Trevor Noah also had to deal with an abusive stepfather, living in the ghetto of Africa, etc. Trevor Noah was faced with many different tests throughout his life, but this only helped him learn about the human struggle and not to give up if you are in a bad situation but rather push forward and find a solution to your problem. Trevor’s story has taught me so much about the human struggle and why you should be grateful for the things you already have.

This is showing that water is better for you if you are not doing something energetic or being active, sports drinks are made for doing that. A sports drink is filled with all these sugars and carbohydrates, while water is not. Sports drinks can be better for you if you are dehydrated and need to refill your electrolytes, but do not drink them all the time. If you are ever thirsty, but you are not doing anything, just drink

If someone doesn’t have enough electrolytes in their system then they can’t function. Electrolytes are important because they are what certain cells-such as nerve, heart, and muscle- use to sustain voltages across their cell membranes. They are also what cells use to carry electrical impulses, as in nerve impulses and muscle contractions, across themselves and to other cells. Kidneys work to keep the electrolyte concentration in blood constant in spite of changes in the body. Again, when exercising, the body loses most electrolytes in the sweat; sports drinks which contain sodium chloride or potassium chloride are consumed after the workout to provide the body with the energy it just lost. They also contain added sugar and flavorings to the drinks to give extra energy and to make the drink taste better. People also drink other drinks after a workout because they feel that it obtains the energy more effectively.

The major reason anyone drinks fluid before, during and after physical activity is to replace the water that is lost through sweat. If the water isn't replaced dehydration will occur and performance will be hampered. The purpose of sports drinks is to help rehydrate your body quickly and help improve performance and productivity. This is accomplished through a well-balanced mix of water, sugar (carbohydrates) and salts (electrolytes), the major ingredients in most sports drinks. These ingredients, combined with a variety of fruit flavours, create pleasant tasting drinks that, according to the companies, are suppose to help your athletic performance. Results prove that commercial sport drinks generally accomplish what they set out to do.