Sports vs. energy drinks
Hydration for children and adolescents
During exercise, the body loses water and salt in the form of sweat. Children are especially vulnerable to dehydration (excessive water loss from the body). Drinking a sensible amount of fluids before, during and after exercise can prevent dehydration. Eating a balanced diet helps keep adequate amounts of salt in the body. Research studies have shown that even mild dehydration (losing fluid equivalent to 2-3% of body weight in the form of sweat) can impair athletic performance. In hot weather, water losses are increased; therefore, it’s important for children to take frequent "water breaks" to compensate for fluid losses. Dehydration also makes athletes more vulnerable to heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
What types of fluids should my child drink during sports activities?
For many activities, water is sufficient to replace what is lost from the body during exercise. For high-intensity exercise lasting more that one hour, drinks with added carbohydrates (sugars) may help delay fatigue and improve performance. Drinks with a 4-8% concentration of carbohydrates work best. Higher concentrations of carbohydrates are hard for the stomach and intestines to absorb during exercise. Most products marketed as sports drinks contain electrolytes (salts); these products can help replenish salt loss from exercise. However, having your young athlete eat a balanced diet is the best way to make sure that salt lost during sports gets replaced.
What are sports drinks?
Sports drinks, such as Gatorade and Powerade, are a mixture of carbohydrates, electrolytes and water designed to help replenish substances lost during exercise. These drinks generally contain 6-8% carbohydrates and have 50-70 calories per 8 oz serving. Children may find these drinks taste better than plain water; this may encourage them to drink more while they are exercising.
What are the disadvantages of consuming sports drinks?
Sports drinks contain sugar which means they have calories without much nutritional benefit. Consuming beverages with sugar can also lead to dental decay.
What are energy drinks?
Energy drinks, such as Red Bull, Rockstar and Monster, are not designed for athletes. They contain caffeine and often have a higher concentration of carbohydrates than sports drinks. The concentration of caffeine in most energy drinks is significantly higher than that of cola and similar to the quantity in brewed coffee. These drinks usually contain 11-15% carbohydrates and 100-140 calories per 8 oz serving. Consuming beverages with high concentrations of carbohydrates during exercise can cause abdominal discomfort and can interfere with the body’s ability to absorb fluids.
What are the disadvantages of consuming energy drinks?
Energy drinks tend to have higher amounts of sugar than sports drinks; this means they have more empty calories. Consuming beverages with high concentrations of carbohydrates during exercise can cause abdominal discomfort and can interfere with the body’s ability to absorb fluids. Additionally, energy drinks are high in caffeine. Caffeine has not been shown to help athletic performance in children. Caffeine is known to cause nervousness, jitteriness, heart palpitations, high blood pressure, stomach aches and nausea. It also causes the kidneys to make more urine; this can increase the risk of dehydration in young athletes.