Do sports drinks help or hinder rehydration?
Do Gatorade style sports drinks help or hinder when trying to rehydrate after exercise? I'm always ridiculously thirsty after I work out, but water just doesn't cut it. Any recommendations for re-hydration?
There is no scientific proof that 'Sports Drinks' improve re-hydration. However as they taste more palatable than water you are more likely to drink more fluid than if you are drinking water. So for this reason only it can be said that they are indeed a better option for re-hydration.
11 Answers
And I forgot to say, things like Soda, fruit drinks or other really sugar packed drinks, can and will really hinder re-hydration and should be avoided until well after your workout or sporting event.
Try one of the zero calorie drinks. I really like powerade zero, it tastes good and keep you hydrated without all of the sugar from the regular sports drinks.
Absolutely, when you sweat you loose salt as well as water. Drinking only water when trying to rehydrate can be dangerous because you are essentially diluting your body's essential electrolytes which can be dangerous. Especially if you have worked up a really good sweat.
Gatorade and Powerade are ok but they contain way more simple carbohydrates than are needed. There are a bunch of other options which I perfer which contain little to no sugar. My favorite is from a company called NUUN (www.nuun.com) which makes self dissolving electrolyte tablets which contain no sugar and taste pretty good.
Yes drinking sports drinks does replenish you better than water. Mainly because as we sweat we loose electrolytes (which help your muscles perform better calcium and potassium are two that are on the top of my head).
Now as for taste I had a friend who worked with Gatorade and she told me that as you work out you crave a certain tastes. Gatorade tested out many different tastes and the one that they found out to work best is the one that they have. So that is why Gatorade tastes better after or during a workout, they engineered their drink to taste that way.
But really you can't go wrong with a sport drink, just find one that you like and stick with it. Most sports drinks will virtually have the same ingredients, they'll just have a different taste.
Honestly the best drink that I found to rehydrate and help me recover more quickly is simple chocolate milk. It may sound a little out there but if you make it with one of the healthier chocolate mixes and 2% milk it will do better than most sports drinks.
personally, i rock climb and backpack a lot, so hydration is key. I've found that half strength gatorade is the best thing for hydrating. it refuels you, replenishes your electrolytes, and reenergizes you without the unnecessary sugar. is doesn't taste as good as normal gatorade, but once you get used to it, i like it as much as normal
Short answer, yes Gatorade does help when it comes to being hydrated during and after exercise or sports activities.
Long answer, it does help, but only for several reasons. One it tastes good so people are more likely to drink more if it, which is most important when trying to stay hydrated. Because of the salt content of Gatorade, it basically tricks the body into wanting more, therefore again you drink more (this is the reason the military uses sport like drinks). Lastly it packs carbs, which are good during and after exercise to allow for you muscles to work at peak performance.
Do you need Gatorade after every workout or sport, No. If it tastes good, and quenches your thirst and hunger for flavor, then it is perfect for you. Now just go find a Costco or Sam's club to buy in bulk to save your coinage.