Sports drinks seem to be quite popular among teens who want to stay refreshed while being active, but are they really good for you? Today, I will explain various pros and cons about sports drinks. For those of you who do not know what a sports drink is, it is a thirst satisfying beverage that may boost energy and restore electrolytes lost due to sweating.
Sports drinks can be valuable because, as mentioned earlier, they restore lost electrolytes. We need electrolytes because our cells use them to send nerve impulses to other cells. However, you can easily restore these naturally by eating foods rich in potassium, such as a banana. This way, you can get the electrolytes but not the sugar and artificial colours.
Speaking of which, this leads me right to my next point. Sports drinks are very far from natural. Some ingredients you might find in your Gatorade are red 40 and blue 1. These are artificial additives, used to enhance the colour. Scientists have also discovered that these artificial colours may increase your risk of getting cancer. In addition, many also contain large amounts of sugar, which can result in diabetes, high blood pressure and weight gain. However, there is more than one option. Consumers can choose healthier options over these, such as Ultima Replenisher.
Athletes can really benefit from these drinks because they are sweating so much the occasional water and piece of fruit may not cut it. However, this can actually rot the athlete’s teeth. This is because there are high levels of acid in the drink and low levels of saliva, which usually washes away any food stuck to the teeth.
Finally, my opinion on this matter is that due to the high level of sugars and artificial additives, water and a piece of fruit is a better option than a sports drink.
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Sport+drink
http://www.yurielkaim.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Gatorade-Nutrition-Facts.jpg
http://www.livestrong.com/article/511795-how-to-restore-electrolytes-in-my-body-naturally/
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20100718/Artificial-colours-in-food-linked-to-cancer-and-behavioral-disorders-in-children-Study.aspx
http://www.ultimareplenisher.com/
http://www.lifescript.com/diet-fitness/articles/s/sports_drinks_exploring_the_pros_and_cons.aspx#disqus_thread
I really liked your post, Sara! You cited a lot of sources which shows that you have done your research!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you how sport drinks has a lot of food colouring in them. I drank a quarter of a bottle of Gatorade and my tongue turned the colour of the Gatorade!
Your conclusion could of been longer, though. You should state more of the not so good things you mentioned in sport drinks! I hope to see your nest post!
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ReplyDeleteI agree with Lorrieya. It would be nice if your conclusion was a little but longer. I like though how you gave examples and you talked about how a banana has potassium in it and compared that to the sports drink.
ReplyDeleteSometimes, gatorade or sports drinks in general can be better or aren't as bad. If you are playing a soccer game, you are sweating and losing electrolytes, sodium and you are running a lot. In this case, sports drinks aren't as bad because you are getting back all those things and getting carbohydrates, and from all the running, you are running off all the sugar.
Great job Sara! I really liked this post because it was long and very detailed. You gave lots of information on how sports drinks are bad for you and what could happen if you drink a lot of it. I also wrote about sports drinks but mine was different so I learned even more about them from you're post.
ReplyDeleteI did not notice and grammar or spelling mistakes and with all you're sources, it seems like you did a lot of research. Great job!