Sports Drinks Vs Water - What's Better?

With a range of sports drinks available in the markets that claim that after a long workout, you need the electrolytes and vitamins present in it and not water to replenish yourself - the question arises on whether or not these drinks are really better than water? According to Lauren Popeck, a registered dietician at Orlando Health in Florida, water is best for hydrating your body. You only start losing electrolytes from your body when you have been exercising for more than an hour and have been sweating a lot.

Electrolytes, mainly sodium and potassium, can easily affect your muscles and hydration of your body. Low electrolytes can lead to muscle cramps and headaches. After doing an hour of exercise, you need 20 ounces of fluid to stay hydrated. While picking a sports drink, make sure it has ample amounts of sodium and potassium as well as carbohydrates to provide your body fuel to continue exercising.

But, in order to stay healthy, consuming sports drinks should be kept to a minimal as some of them are very high in sugar. Also, if you have proper diet, then your body stores of sodium and potassium are enough to replenish any loss of electrolytes. After performing an hour of exercise, you need around 20 ounces of fluid to stay hydrated. Normally, people who do not engage in long duration exercise need 9 cups or 2 litres of water for women and 13 cups or 3 litres of water for men.

By: Neha Maheshwari

Content: https://www.livescience.com/54548-sports-drinks-vs-water.html