Gym Drinks...

[lil_gymnast_alanna]

Ok, well you know Powerade, Gatorade and all of those drinks that are said to quench your thirst ...I was wondering, do they actually DO anything??
My Mum says that they actually make you thirsty because of the sugar in them but I was wondering what you guys thought...

 

[Deleted member D3987]

they do nothing. water is best as boring as it is.

 

[Granny Smith]

Like dunno said, water is best. If you want to change it up sometimes, try squeezing lemon or lime or maybe both into the water (or any other kind of fruit, orange)!

 

[gracefulone]

We got this Martha Stewart tip yesterday at cross country practice...

Sassy water: water (obviously), cucumbers, ginger, lemon, and spearmint

I haven't actually tried it but the team is going to farmer's market today to get the stuff so we can make it.

 

[bogwoppit]

My girls always take watere for school and gym. No fancy drinks, no soft drinks ever. Like Granny we will go for a squeeze of lime. Nobody needs that extra sugar or salt in NOrth America!

 

[canadiangymmom]

Another water family here! Although, as a treat, I'll sometimes send her water bottle, and a Fuze drink. Bean *loves* them!

One exception, Bean's gym isn't air conditioned, so if the humidex is in the 40's, I'll send a Gatorade type drink, just to keep her electrolytes (sp?) balanced. She sweats profusely on days like that. It's only happened once this summer, lol. Oh where, oh where, as our summer gone??

 

[cher062]

Water is best

Here is an excerpt from an article that our gym pointed us to

General Guidelines for Fluid Needs During Exercise

While specific fluid recommendations aren't possible due to individual variability, most athletes can use the following guidelines as a starting point, and modify their fluid needs accordingly.



Hydration Before Exercise (drinking water)

• Drink about 15-20 fl oz, 2-3 hours before exercise (about the size of an average cola bottle)
• Drink 8-10 fl oz 10-15 min before exercise (about the size of an average paper cup)

Hydration During Exercise

• Drink 8-10 fl oz every 10-15 min during exercise (size of a paper cup)
• If exercising longer than 90 minutes, you can drink 8-10 fl oz of a sports drink (with no more than 8 percent carbohydrate- about 1/2 a bottle) every 15 - 30 minutes. Check the label to make sure there is no caffeine or very low amounts as Caffeine dehydrates.

Hydration After Exercise

• Weigh yourself before and after exercise and replace fluid losses.
• Drink 20-24 fl oz water for every 1 lb lost.
• Consume (eat food) a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein within the 2 hours after exercise to replenish glycogen stores.

 

[Aussie_coach]

It too would reccomend you stick with the water. All that sugar and salt is really not needed, most 21st century diets ahve more than enough of those ingrediants as it is. Also the coloring is a worry. Food colors are not good for you.

 

[toriluvsgym0618]

i like to drink gatorade during practice but along with gatorade i have a bottle of water. lol i get really thirsty during practice!!

 

[gracefulone]

Newsupdate: Sassy water...come on now who wouldn't want to drink that? It is quite good but we will stick to regular water at practice.

PS Now we all have large pitchers of sassy water in our different dorms, spreading the sassy wave among the entire campus!

 

[NotAMom]

Real sport drinks (not necessarily all self-identified ones) contain electrolytes, which proves to replenish dehydration, and sugar. Speaking for myself, they do help a lot when I perform strenuous exercises where I perspire a ton. (BTW, I don't drink soda nor hardly anything sweet)

Because children do not sweat like adults do, sport drinks are no better than soda when they are drunk as a normal drink. On the other hand, they are recommended for consumption at a very young age for upset stomach.

Here is what the current article (Electrolyte - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) on wikipedia says:
"Athletes exercising in extreme conditions (for three or more hours continuously eg. marathon or triathalon) who do not consume electrolytes, risk overhydration (or hyponatremia). Because sports drinks typically contain high levels of sugar, they are not recommended for regular use by children. Water is considered the only essential beverage for children during exercise. "

 

[cher062]

Because sports drinks typically contain high levels of sugar, they are not recommended for regular use by children. Water is considered the only essential beverage for children during exercise. "

I agree but even children who sweat alot lose salt from their bodies and that can be a bad thing. I usually will send a snack that does have a higher salt content in the summer to make sure the sodium levels don't drop.

 

[NotAMom]

I agree but even children who sweat alot lose salt from their bodies and that can be a bad thing. I usually will send a snack that does have a higher salt content in the summer to make sure the sodium levels don't drop.

Yup, that is what I was saying. Electrolyte is composed of salts (sodium and potassium). That is why I don't object my kids drinking sport drinks when they work hard, especially in the summer.

 

[T.Gymnastics]

im in love with propel water. idk if its better than gatorade or not. i usually need two drinks so i have a regular water and a propel.

 

[cher062]

This thread got me wondering just what is the label comparison in the various drinks so I did a little investigating and found this site

Link RemovedLink Removed

and

http://www.thepatins.com/Blog/?p=23
It was a very eye opening - I'm shocked to see how much salt in gatoraid and how much Potassium in OJ.

As a diabetic I read the labels all the time - I don't really do the sport drinks nor do my children so I haven't read many of them but It is amazing how some of them really aren't that good for you. I think if your eating a healthy diet and keeping hydrated your body is happy and you don't need all those energy drinks etc.

 

[NotAMom]

This thread got me wondering just what is the label comparison in the various drinks so I did a little investigating and found this site

Hey, thanks!

I think if your eating a healthy diet and keeping hydrated your body is happy and you don't need all those energy drinks etc.

Ha, good luck with that (maybe with the exception of a few families, including yours). Like I always ask at our concession stand when a kid wants a sport drink: "what color?". I don't think anything else matters really.

 

[Summit-09]

I mainly have water. Some times I will occasionally have a gatoraid or propel.
*BUT* when I do have one, I duluet it with water. SO then I get 2 or more uses out of it but still have the flavor.

Also if you mainly just want the flavor, then buy some Crystal Light. One package has mainy uses. And it gives great flavor to your water.
But water I guess is the best.