Water is always your best bet.
Image Credit: Gilitukha/iStock/GettyImages Sports drinks like Gatorade are designed to give you an energy boost before and during training or sporting competition and help you recover afterward. The downside to sports drinks, however, is the sugar and calorie content.
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According to sports physiologist Dr. Greg Wells, the average person doesn't need a sports drink, and you could do yourself a favor by switching to a healthier alternative.
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Read more: 10 Easy Drink Swaps to Cut Down on Sugar
Sticking With Water
Water may well be all you need to keep you going through your workout. Though it doesn’t provide anything in the way of carbohydrates and electrolytes, water is perfectly adequate for low-intensity exercise for up to 50 minutes. Water is also calorie-free, making it a better option if you’re using training to help you lose weight rather than to improve sports performance.
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Or if you just can't stand the thought of plain water, try something like Dirty Lemon. All their drinks are based on the lemon water theme, but also include healthy additives like collagen, matcha, charcoal and ginseng, giving your water even more health benefits.
Creating Healthy Options
The downside to water is that it contains no sodium, notes nutritionist Heidi Skolnik, consultant to the New York Giants and New York Knicks. This can cause your body to lose fluid.
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Some carbohydrate can also be helpful to maintain energy levels, so dietitian Barbara Lewin suggests a homemade sports drink containing 3 1/2 cups of water, 1/4 cup of orange juice, 1/4 cup of maple syrup and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
Read more: 12 Ways to Make Water Taste (Much) Better
Coconut water can help you recover from your workout.
Image Credit: tassapon/iStock/GettyImages
Going Coconuts
A more natural alternative to a processed sports drink is coconut water. Per cup, it contains 252 milligrams of sodium and 9 grams of carbohydrates per cup, compared with 160 milligrams of sodium and 21 grams of carbs in a serving of Gatorade’s Thirst Quencher. Coconut water (like Zico) is often marketed as a sports drink because of its comparable sodium and carb content, notes the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
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Making Way for Milk
Surprisingly, chocolate milk could also be a nutritious substitution for sports drinks. Chocolate milk provides carbohydrates, calcium and minerals, notes Felice Kurtzman, sports nutritionist at the University of California, Los Angeles. Milk also contains more protein, calcium and potassium than sports drinks. Chocolate milk (try Horizon Organic) has a higher carbohydrate content than regular milk, so it’s more suited to those training at higher intensities and burning more calories. If you’re exercising at a lower intensity, regular skim milk may be a better choice.
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references
CBC: Sports Drinks Unnecessary, Counterproductive for Most People
NHS Choices: Food for Sport
Men's Fitness: Sports Drinks vs. Water
Huffpost Healthy Living: Sports Drink Alternatives? 7 Healthier Picks to Power Up Your Workout
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Is Coconut Water a Good Choice for a Sports Drink?
Gatorade: Thirst Quencher
Junior Everblades Hockey Association: What Are You Drinking After Your Game? Is Chocolate Milk Better Than Gatorade?
references
CBC: Sports Drinks Unnecessary, Counterproductive for Most People
NHS Choices: Food for Sport
Men's Fitness: Sports Drinks vs. Water
Huffpost Healthy Living: Sports Drink Alternatives? 7 Healthier Picks to Power Up Your Workout
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Is Coconut Water a Good Choice for a Sports Drink?
Gatorade: Thirst Quencher
Junior Everblades Hockey Association: What Are You Drinking After Your Game? Is Chocolate Milk Better Than Gatorade?
Water is always your best bet.
Image Credit: Gilitukha/iStock/GettyImages
Image Credit: Gilitukha/iStock/GettyImages
Coconut water can help you recover from your workout.
Image Credit: tassapon/iStock/GettyImages
Image Credit: tassapon/iStock/GettyImages
CBC: Sports Drinks Unnecessary, Counterproductive for Most People
NHS Choices: Food for Sport
Men's Fitness: Sports Drinks vs. Water
Huffpost Healthy Living: Sports Drink Alternatives? 7 Healthier Picks to Power Up Your Workout
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Is Coconut Water a Good Choice for a Sports Drink?
Gatorade: Thirst Quencher
Junior Everblades Hockey Association: What Are You Drinking After Your Game? Is Chocolate Milk Better Than Gatorade?
