Are sports drinks a better a better substitution for water when playing sport?
Since the introduction of sports drinks in 1965, they have been a big part of professional and non-professional sports since then. According to Forbes, Gatorade is currently the most popular sports drink in the world with sales generating over $1 billion per year and this just goes to show how huge the sports drink industry really is. The main issue with sports drinks is that people are choosing to drink them over water believing that it will allow them to perform better on the field because of the minerals they contain and because the taste is more appealing than water. However, there are many people including scientists have found evidence that suggest that these products should not be a substitute for water.
What do sports drinks contain that water doesn’t?
Although sports drinks are frowned upon by so many people, there is evidence to support that consuming them does some good things to the body. For example, sports drinks supply minerals that water does not, electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium which according to …show more content…
The taste is very important because it generally affects how often someone will drink. According to nutritionist, Heidi Skolnik,"For harder or longer duration workouts, it's important to get enough fluid during the session, and flavour helps you keep on drinking." For some, consuming sports drinks is easier than drinking water as water has less taste. Therefore, it is much easier for them to rehydrate with sports drinks than water. Drinking excessive amounts of water can actually cause the consumer to lose fluid. “Drinking a lot of water sends the signal to the kidney that there's some excess fluid in the blood and blocks the anti-diuretic hormone (vasopressin) which would help you hold on to water resulting in signalling you to urinate." says