SPORTS DRINKS

Sports Drinks are designed to deliver a balanced amount of carbohydrate and fluid to allow an athlete to simultaneously rehydrate and refuel during exercise.  According to various expert position stands, to provide rapid delivery of fluid and fuel and to maximise gastric tolerance and palatability.

Sports drinks should be within a compositional range of 4-8% (4-8 g/100 ml) carbohydrate and 23-69 mg/100mL (10-30 mmol/L) sodium (American College of Sports Medicine et al. 2007).

For situations which require a high rate of delivery to the muscle of newly ingested carbohydrates, drinks containing “multiple transportable carbohydrates” - a blend of carbohydrates such as glucose and fructose which use different intestinal transporters - may overcome the usual limitation of gut uptake of carbohydrate.

Studies show that such mixtures are effective in increasing muscle oxidation of carbohydrate consumed during exercise compared with glucose-based products.

Replacement of electrolytes, particularly sodium, is useful for maintaining the thirst drive.  Sodium concentrations of ~ 10-25 mmol/L enhance the palatability and voluntary consumption of fluids consumed during exercise.   

 Sodium concentrations higher than those typically provided in commercial sports drinks are needed to restore fluid balance and reduce urine losses during the reversal of moderate-severe dehydration.   They may also be needed to replace sweat sodium losses during exercise in situations of high losses (e.g. salty sweaters, prolonged exercise) 

Protein or amino acids (2% or 2 g/100 ml) can be found in a small number of commercially available sports drinks. Some studies show that sports drinks providing protein/amino acids are superior to carbohydrate-electrolyte drinks in enhancing performance or recovery in specific exercise situations (e.g. prolonged exercise).  The case for consuming protein during recovery after exercise is strong and can be achieved by a range of sports products and everyday foods other than sports drinks.  The benefits of consuming protein during exercise on performance of exercise are contentious.  

The taste and temperature of sports drinks are also important factors in meeting hydration goals. Studies show that athletes more closely match fluid intake to sweat losses when offered flavoured sports drinks compared to water (Minehan et al. 2002). Cool fluids are generally more palatable for athletes who are exercising in hot conditions or have become hot though the heat gain associated with high-intensity exercise.