As a college student, many of my friends live on carbonated-beverages, especially during midterms and finals. At the Rec Center and in vending machines, there are sports drinks, Vitaminwater, and sodas in many varieties and colors. I asked Kristy Lang, a clinical dietitian and diabetes educator at Boone Hospital Center what kinds of effects these beverages have on us.
Are drinks like Gatorade, Powerade, and Vitamin Water better for you than water while exercising?
“The benefit of using sports drinks during or after exercise depends on how long and how intense your workouts are,” Lang said. “Both staying hydrated before workouts and rehydrating after workouts are important and for most people, water is the ideal beverage. Sports drinks such as Gatorade, Powerade, Vitamin Water and the like are meant more for endurance athletes who are doing moderate to vigorous exercise for at least 60-90 minutes at a time. In these cases, the carbohydrates and electrolytes replace body losses and also encourage the person to drink more and therefore better maintain their hydration status.”
“Many of us exercise not just for its conditioning effect, but also for its weight loss or weight maintenance benefits. If your workouts are lasting 60 minutes or less and are at low to moderate intensity guzzling large bottles of sports drinks can replace many (or all) of the calories you’ve just burned,” Lang said. ” In these instances, sticking to water would be to your benefit. If you like the taste of sports drinks, or are looking for electrolyte replacement, using the 8oz bottles or trying their low-calorie alternatives such as Propel or G2 can be a good alternative.”
What kinds of health effects do energy drinks and soda cause?
“Energy drinks and regular soda are both high sugar, high calorie drinks. Although many of us enjoy their taste or quick jolt, they are also one of the sources of “energy-dense foods” in our diet,” Lang said. “Energy-dense foods are those which provide a high number of calories for their volume without providing many vitamins or minerals. In addition, highly-caffeinated drinks, especially when overused, can cause other issues such as jitters and heart palpitations. Plus an indirect side-effect: lack of sleep when your body needs it, which has been linked to weight gain.”
What is a healthier alternative for an energy boost?
“The blend of complex and simple sugars found in fruit, such as an apple, can also give you a boost during a mid-day lull,” Lang said. “Another great way to waken up is to go for a short, brisk walk or try doing high-knees or deep knee lunges in place, which all get the heart rate up. But the underlying issue is sleep deprivation and adequate sleep (7-10 hours/night) is an important component to good health. Sleep works like a debit card, rather than a credit card; you cannot overdraw on your funds and be able to pay it back later. So before you buy another case of your go-to beverage, try getting to sleep a little earlier instead.”
Filed under: health | Tagged: beverages, energy drinks, soda, sports drinks
