Here comes the heat, here comes the sports, here comes the THIRST! With thirst comes a need to quench it and questions about the use of sports drinks. Gary Karkuff, PT, CSCS, partner and clinic director of the Hanover office of First Choice says there are many varied perceptions about the use of sports drinks. Are they effective for the Weekend Warrior as well as the Marathon Racer? Are they just a clever way to sell us brightly-colored sugar water?

"Water, carbohydrates and electrolytes are the three main components of sports drinks," says Karkuff. "All ingredients play a role. Water helps to hydrate. Carbohydrates, (usually in the form of glucose or fructose), help fuel muscles at work and electrolytes are salts added to replace sweat loss." 

Karkuff adds, "The intense colors and flavors are designed to make you drink more so you increase your normal fluid intake. This may help prevent you from becoming dehydrated." He suggests that the sugars and salts may help your body absorb fluid more efficiently than plain water. The result is more rapid delivery of fuel to the working muscles.  "Carbohydrates keep you from running out of gas, a condition which can occur after 1 ½ - 2 hours of continuous activity like jogging, soccer or cycling." says Karkuff. He adds, "The best drinks contain about 4 - 7 grams of sugar per 100 ml." He suggests that they work better than juice which can be too concentrated and can cause stomach upset.

"There is not much nutritional value in sports drinks," cautions Karkuff. "So, drinking them while sitting and watching your child play ball will only add extra calories and sugar to your diet." If you are a participant in shorter-duration or lower-activity sports, they are not needed. "For work-outs less than ½ hour, runs less than 30 minutes or a leisurely golf game, I would recommend water," he adds.

Karkuff follows a rough guideline of only recommending sports drinks for those exercising for more than 90 minutes at a time or if it is extremely hot outside. It is also helpful for those who are involved in a day-long activity in the heat who are in danger of dehydration, such as a multi-game soccer tournament. Even though they aren't much more than sugary water with a pinch of salt, sports drinks can be effective if used properly by active athletes of all ages.

By Gary Karkuff, PT, CSCS