| It has been 50 years since the sports drink was | | | | vitamins and minerals to help keep the body working |
| introduced to athletes in the United States. The first | | | | efficiently during activity. |
| sports drink, Bengal Punch, was given to athletes at | | | | Quenching of Thirst |
| Louisiana State University in 1958. Gatorade, the most | | | | As the body loses fluids, a person who is exerting |
| recognizable name in sports drinks, debuted the | | | | energy will become thirsty. The ingredients found in |
| following decade at the University of Florida and | | | | sports drinks can quench thirst as effectively as water |
| revolutionized the way athletes energize and | | | | and better than soft drinks leaving the person feeling |
| re-hydrate themselves during a sporting event. | | | | more refreshed and energized. |
| Since then, other sports drinks similar to Gatorade | | | | The Right Balance of Ingredients |
| have been introduced to the market, including Glaceau | | | | In the past, many athletes created their own energy |
| Vitamin Water. These drinks are incredibly popular with | | | | sports drinks. Some still do. However, a sports drink |
| adult and teen athletes, as well as beverage | | | | that has a proper balance of ingredients will be much |
| consumers in general. | | | | more effective than a homemade version. Most |
| The main ingredients that sports drinks contain which | | | | commercial sports drinks have the correct balance of |
| enhance athletic performance are electrolytes, | | | | electrolytes, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and |
| carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Athletes can gain | | | | liquids. Without the right mix of ingredients in the proper |
| many benefits from sports drinks while they are | | | | amounts, a sports drink could hinder instead of |
| physically active. Among the most important of these | | | | enhance performance. Upset stomach or poor |
| aspects are: | | | | absorption rate of the drink could occur from the |
| Replenishment of Electrolytes | | | | wrong balance of ingredients. |
| Electrolytes are salts that are naturally part of body | | | | A Variety of Color and Flavor Choices |
| fluids. When an athlete (or a gardener or a mail carrier | | | | If you think that the color of a sports drink does not |
| or anyone else who engages in physical activity) | | | | make a difference, spend a few minutes at the snack |
| sweats, electrolytes are lost through the sweat. If | | | | bar at a Little League field. Children, and many adults, |
| electrolytes are lost too quickly, the body does not | | | | find the color choice very important. Color can invoke |
| have the ability to restore them as rapidly as they | | | | a mood such as a cool blue color giving the feel of |
| were lost. Sports drinks contain electrolytes such as | | | | thirst quenching mountain water or a hot red color |
| chloride, sodium, and potassium to help replenish what | | | | invoking the image of energy. It may be psychological, |
| was lost through sweat. Introducing electrolytes back | | | | but it is still important. |
| into the body helps keep dehydration from occurring. | | | | Those who drink sports drinks also have taste |
| Dehydration can become a very serious problem if not | | | | preferences, and with the variety of sports drinks |
| attended to. Electrolytes help to increase the | | | | offered today, there is a choice for every taste. |
| absorption of fluids into the bloodstream. | | | | They Don't "Run Through" a Body as Quickly as |
| A person who is exerting energy can quickly become | | | | Water |
| dehydrated, in as little as 30 minutes. Therefore, it is | | | | Water may quench thirst, but it doesn't replenish any of |
| suggested that athletes begin drinking a sports drink | | | | the lost electrolytes, carbohydrates, vitamins or |
| even before they start their activity. | | | | minerals that sports drinks can. Although all of these |
| Replenishment of Energy | | | | things are lost during sweating, they can also be lost |
| Anyone who has ever exercised knows that fatigue | | | | through urination. Water causes more frequent |
| can occur quickly. One of the reasons for this is that | | | | urination than sports drinks do. Therefore, sports drinks |
| exercise increases metabolism, and when a person's | | | | not only replenish these important electrolytes, |
| metabolism is working overtime, it breaks down | | | | carbohydrates, vitamins or minerals, they also can help |
| carbohydrates quickly. Carbohydrates are one of the | | | | the body hold on to the ones they already have for a |
| main sources of energy for the body. | | | | longer period of time. |
| By replacing lost carbohydrates, the body can continue | | | | The main ingredient in any sports drink is, of course, |
| to work efficiently and an athlete has more energy to | | | | water. Water is important for re-hydration. The |
| complete their activity. | | | | additional ingredients in sports drinks make them a |
| Replacement of Lost Vitamins and Minerals | | | | better choice than water alone for athletes and others |
| The human body also draws energy from various | | | | who exert a lot of energy and need to replenish the |
| vitamins and minerals only found in certain foods, | | | | essential nutrients that have been quickly depleted in |
| beverages or supplements. Sports drinks contain these | | | | their bodies. |
