Sports Drinks or Water for Proper Hydration?
March 3, 2009 by Tisha Tolar
Filed under Nutrition
Keeping yourself properly hydrated during exercise is important for good health and maximizing the benefits of your 
exercise regime. Everyone knows that water is an essential ingredient to a healthy life but is it the best choice for hydration during exercise? Before the introduction of sports drinks water was undoubtedly the best choice for athletes to prevent dehydration during exercise. Is there a difference between the two? Does one work better than the other? In order to decide which drink provides maximum benefits you must first understand why preventing dehydration is so important.
Why is it important to stay hydrated during exercise?
In order to get the maximum benefit from exercise you must provide your body adequate fluid for comfort and safety. Research has shown that that weight lost due to sweating (while exercising) is linked to a drop in blood volume which in turn makes the heart work harder to keep your blood moving through the bloodstream. If you fail to replace lost fluid you may also experience muscle cramps, dizziness, heat illness and fatigue. While this article targets hydration during exercise, keep in mind that any activity that causes one to sweat- such as playing sports or being overly active in hot weather can lead to dehydration.
Water versus sports drinks-which is better?
There are various articles and studies that showcase the benefits of water versus sports drinks and their role in hydration. Advocates of water claim it hydrates better than any other liquid. Water is generally less expensive and readily available just about anywhere you go. The single problem with drinking water is this: some people don’t care for the blandness of water which in turn makes them drink less than they need to replace lost fluids.
Sports drinks are said to not actually hydrate better than water but since people are more likely to drink larger amounts dehydration is less of an issue. In addition to having a wide variety of flavors to choose from, sports drinks are also packed with electrolytes and offer a carbohydrate boost that isn’t found in drinking regular water.
When it comes right down to it, the key in staying hydrated is really not what you drink but how much you drink. Most people fail to realize that they are not drinking enough regardless of their choose in beverage. One area where sports drinks seem to have an advantage over water is for people who are doing serious workouts or training. If you doing average exercise routines or workouts you can rest assured that either water or sports drinks will do the trick, however if you are working out for several hours or participating in a strenuous activity (think triathlon) then you may want to consider the sports drinks for the benefits from added ingredients.
