I’ve been asked so many questions regarding this topic.
“Should I drink a sport drink during workout? It usually allows me to work harder but is loaded with calories!”
“What do you think should I go for energy drinks instead of sports drinks?”
“Do I really need them or can I just substitute them by water?”
And so on …
ANSWERS:
You may need sports or energy drinks if you need more energy, but not for all sorts of exercises. It depends on your goals, your energy status and the intensity of your workout.
For example, you won’t need it if you are doing stretching, cardio for an hour or Pilates for 30 minutes, which allow you to burn 150 to 300 calories.
Sports Drinks v/s Energy Drinks:
1- Sports drinks contain fewer calories. In average, the bottle has 150 calories. Energy drinks have a lot of sugar, almost 15 teaspoons in one can!
2- Sports drinks contain protein, but energy drinks don’t! Sports drinks provide calories from carbohydrates (CHO) and proteins, and are used for any activity that lasts longer than 6 hours.
3- Sports drinks are caffeine free, but energy drinks have a lot of caffeine! Caffeine is a diuretic, it will keep you dehydrated and is not advisable at all during workout!
4- Sports drinks contain sodium, a very important electrolyte if you sweat during extended activity. However, energy drinks contain Taurine and Glutamine which are not needed and have no benefits at all.
Sports drinks are way better than energy drinks. They delay fatigue, improve endurance. They provide the essential electrolytes, carbohydrates and proteins needed for long and hard exercise.
REMEMBER:
If you are trying to lose weight, adding in average 150 calories from a sport drink during a short workout is definitely not needed. You don’t need extra fuel during small sessions.
Only drink water, it is enough to keep you hydrated.
Sports drinks are only for long and tough workouts!
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