Our kids are always playing some kind of sport, whether it is soccer, t-ball, football, track or any other. Our duties on the sidelines include ensuring that their outfits are pressed, that they have sufficient equipment, and that they are well hydrated.
So what's the most effective approach? Should we splurge on pricey sports beverages for Junior's workouts and games? After all, he needs to rest and get back to full health.
Even if that's the case, it likely arises less often than you'd assume. The advertising for sports drinks has duped us into thinking that if we don't drink one as soon as we start to perspire, we won't be able to function at our maximum capacity, and in Junior's case, he'll have a difficult time recovering.
Electrolytes lost during exercise may be effectively restored with the help of sports drinks. Minerals like potassium, calcium, and sodium (electrolytes) facilitate water passage to cells, which controls neuron and muscle activity. Carbohydrates, included in many sports beverages, replenish glycogen (the storage of glucose for later use). Bottled water often lacks both of these components.
Do we even need Sports drinks?
Our exercises and Junior's sessions often aren't long enough or intense enough to warrant a "refuelling." Remember that the initial intention of these sports drinks was to aid a professional football team. Simply said, you don't need to "refuel" unless you're a high-level endurance athlete who has been working out at a very high intensity for more than an hour. Instead of soda, try water.
The sugar, calories, artificial colours, and tastes found in sports drinks are all absent from good old-fashioned high-quality H2O. Around 150 calories and up to 34 grammes of sugar may be found in a single bottle of a popular brand of sports drink. It's going to take a serious exercise, not the type that Junior is getting at minor league practice, to burn all that off.
You can get all the potassium you need by having some cut-up fruit and a drinking water bottle on hand for after practice or after your exercise. You may either add a pinch of salt to your water or go without it. You already consume an excessive amount of salt. Sports drinks often include a long list of artificial substances that you should avoid if at all possible.
