Hydration and Sports Drinks

In case you haven’t noticed, it’s hot outside! These sweltering temperatures coupled with the fact that school and school sports will be starting soon are not a good combination. It is vitally important for kids (and adults) to stay hydrated when it’s this hot outside. The only thing that will help them properly hydrate is water – good, cheap, filtered water. When you think about it, water is probably the least expensive thing still out there.However, whether kids are participating in school or recreation league sports, chances are there are coolers full of sports drinks. I won’t name them specifically, but you know the ones – they are brightly colored and their producers spend millions of dollars in advertising each year; a coach or two has also been doused with them after winning a big game.Sports drinks are big business. These companies spend millions advertising how their products improve athletic performance, increase energy levels and hydrate during exercise. What they don’t advertise is that sports drinks are 30 times more erosive to your teeth than water! These drinks also contain as much as two-thirds the sugar of sodas and more sodium. They contain high-fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors and food coloring – if you want all of that, you may as well be popping open a soft drink after your big game. High-fructose corn syrup is also linked to our country’s obesity epidemic, so if you are exercising to lose weight and follow up your workout with a sports drink then you’ve basically cancelled out your exercise. One study from the University of California at Berkeley's Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Center for Weight and Health found that students who drink one 20-ounce sports drink every day for a year could gain 13 pounds!Although these drinks are claimed to boost energy, they are like any other sugary drink. You get a quick explosion of energy followed by a huge drop in energy. They also contain loads of salt, which they claim will replenish your electrolytes lost through sweating. Unless you are sweating buckets, that much salt is not necessary. Salt actually increases your thirst, therefore drinking sports drinks will not quench your thirst.The best substitute beverage for sports drinks is plain water. However, another option is coconut water. It is full of natural vitamins and minerals, amino acids and antioxidants; and it is a good source of electrolytes, potassium and magnesium.Think about this when you are packing your kid’s lunch for summer camp or sending them off for their two-a-day workouts. Don’t rely on the drinks the schools or rec leagues are providing, when you drop your kids off or they leave for practice make sure they have gallons of water to help keep them hydrated.