Did you know there is more sugar in a bottle of Gatorade than in three Krispy Kreme Donuts?
Sports drinks have become increasingly popular in Australia but they may not be all they claim to be - having some detrimental health effects. Manufacturers of sports drinks spend a lot of money on marketing the 'health benefits' of these drinks: 'supporting hydration' and providing electrolytes when we need them most. However, it is important to read the labels and remember that not all sports drinks are beneficial to our bodies, less our teeth. A lot of them are extremely acidic and have a high content of sugar. Many sport enhancing supplements include ingredients such as citric acid to help to create a flavour and ingredients such as ‘sodium benzoate’ as a preservative so the products have a longer shelf-life. The best thing to do is to read the labels, and ensure that the contents are what the labels claim the drink to be. Do not over-consume sports drinks either; like anything -they are best consumed in moderation. And don't forget: the best (and cheapest) drink to enhance your performance at the gym is plain water.
Buying sport supplements: Products that contain ingredients like citric acid (food numbers 330 or 331) or ascorbic acid (food number 300) are acidic, and preservatives that end in the letters ‘ate’ like sorbate can also be assumed to be acidic.
