Do we need sports drinks? by Bob Rauner, sium) through sweat were runners). I’ve seen this most YMCA youth sport- MD MPH the main problem. They myself covering the Lin- ing events. The downside Director of even collected sweat from coln marathon and even at to the overuse of sports Partnership athletes to analyze its elec- one of my daughter’s soc- drinks is a lot of unneces- for a Healthy trolyte composition. They cer games last year where sary calories that likely ex- Lincoln used this to help guide the the goalie collapsed from ceed the amount that was recipe for a beverage that heat exhaustion on the field burned off. The classic ex- I am occasionally asked helped fix the problem during a very hot and hu- ample of this misuse is the whether sports drinks are and give the football team mid July game. The pre- “after game snack” brought good for you. The answer is a competitive edge. It lat- vention and treatment for by a parent, where our kids sometimes we need sports er became marketed as a the problem was sports burn off about 100 calo- drinks and sometimes we sports drink to help other drinks. ries playing youth sports don’t. Sports drinks were athletes. The name of that The downside, though, is that is promptly replaced designed for specific rea- beverage was based on the that marketing and the pur- by 80 calories of Gatorade sons, but marketing and Florida team’s mascot – suit of increased sales has and a 150 calorie cupcake the pursuit of higher sales Gatorade. Now, no self-re- pushed sports drinks into or cookie. Unfortunately, have pushed sports drinks specting football team places they don’t belong. this can negate the health far beyond their intended would be caught without a Sports drinks are unneces- benefit of your kid being purpose. cooler full of their favorite sary unless you are work- involved in youth sports! The history of sports brand name sports drink on ing out very hard (full court So in short, sports drinks drinks is quite an interest- the sideline. Which brand basketball, competitive are good when they are ing story and starts in 1965 ends up on the sideline runs), for sustained periods needed, but may add to our with the Florida Gators mostly depends on who (an hour or more), and drip- obesity problem when they football team. One of the pays the most to be the ping with sweat (hot days are overused. Use sports assistant coaches saw that sponsor. or high intensity exertion). drinks when there is a good players often struggled an Other athletes have For most of us during our reason, otherwise stick hour or so into practice and found sports drinks to be average work outs, water is with water. asked a group of universi- helpful for their sports as just fine. There is no need ty physicians if they could well (e.g. soccer, basket- for sports drinks for pick- help. They found that de- ball) and sometimes even up basketball games in the Published in Lincoln hydration and loss of elec- life-saving (e.g. marathon morning, a 2-3 mile jog, or Kids Summer 2013 trolytes (sodium & potas-