Sports Drinks

“Sports do not build character. They reveal it.”
-John Wooden

Are Sports Drinks helpful for children? Perhaps.

According to a story in the New York Times, the University of Connecticut’s Department of Kinesiology examined youth at summer soccer and football camps. They found that the young athletes, aged 9-16, didn’t drink enough water. While the campers thought they were drinking enough, by the end of the camp between 50 and 75 percent of the 128 kids studied were at least “significantly” dehydrated.

In a Canadian laboratory cycling study, kids voluntarily drank 45% more when offered grape-flavored water instead of plain water. When offered a sports drink (6 percent carbohydrates and electrolytes) they downed 91% more than water alone.

Since sports drinks are not cheap, the Times provides this recipe:

Sports drink recipe from “Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook”

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup hot water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 1/2 cups cold water

In a quart pitcher, dissolve the sugar and salt in the hot water. Add the remaining ingredients and the cold water. The drink contains about 50 calories and 110 mg of sodium per 8 ounces, approximately the same as for most sports drinks.

Bottom Line

Sugary water, juice, and sports drinks may encourage more drinking and prevent dehydration but they also pack on calories. Sports drinks are intended only for active individuals who are sweating from sports or exercise. If you’re a couch potato or glued to a computer screen, these drinks will only make you fat.