Sports drinks appeared in a beverages market in 1960s. American scientist created a drink perfectly balanced for athletes to provide fluids, electrolytes and energy. This drink is a now worldwide known as Gatorade.
Usually sports drinks contain electrolytes or carbohydrates to boost energy. Although, it might be full of vitamins, proteins, amino acids or antioxidants, so it also differs functionally.
Water
If you sweat more than 2% of your body weight while training, it is very harmful and stressful for your heart. Also, the increase of body temperature causes disorder of physical and mental performance.
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Sweetening
Many different sweeteners can be used for sports drinks – starting with sugar, fructose, maltodextrins, etc. Mostly, it influences the depletion of glycogen in muscles. Carbohydrates are the main glucose source for working muscles.
Electrolytes
During work out your body is losing lots of minerals with a sweat. The most common electrolytes that are being used in sports drinks are sodium chloride. It is simply an ordinary salt and potassium chloride. Generally, electrolytes help to balance fluids in body, as well as, play a huge role in a muscle contraction. Though, it is important that manufacturers consider adding smaller amounts of salt, because it might cause or encourage different diseases.
Vitamins
B vitamins complex is the most common for all kinds of sports products. It supplies energy and increases body performance and stamina.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants such as vitamin A, C and E, selenium and green tea extract not only keep your body healthy and strong, they also help to defend cells against free radical damage.
To sum up, if you are not a professional sportsman – sports drink is not a necessity. It is indeed not harmful, but in a gym rather do not forget to drink water.
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