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The world of sports has gone bonkers. Sure there is an energy crisis in the real world, but is there a lack of energy in the sporting world? Is everyone limping, handicapped and not able to walk, run or jog anymore without drinking or eating something exotic? Are we going to solve the sporting crises by eating a chocolate bar or drinking Gatorade? Americans spend more than 5 billion dollars each year but does the average consumer derive any benefit from all these sports drinks?

Almost every professional athlete today carries his/her favorite beverage. Some of the drinks have exotic names, others have beautiful colors and yet others have different shapes of bottles. Even the names are colorful like Red Bull, Amp, Accelerade. Gatorade, Energize and Power Bar and so on. But are these drinks energizing or just a gimmick?

Sure, Tiger Woods takes a sip or two of his favorite drink on TV but he gets paid millions of dollars do to that. And I doubt that he would be any worse of as a golf player if he stopped drinking Gatorade. I have personally tried tasting many of these energizing drinks and the bottom line is that they suck- the majority are simply water with a bit of coloring and flavoring. The question of whether they have energy is again debatable. Sure, the pros endorse these drinks, but in reality the story is a lot more complex.

Today there are 100s of chocolates, bars, ices, goos, candy bars and they have all claim one thing - eat us and you will be stronger, taller and faster than anyone else. Not to be outdone, there are also beverages with a multitude of vitamins and minerals - some vitamins which have yet to be discovered and they all claim that by consuming this beverage one will play better golf or throw the baseball better. And then there are other nutrients such as chocolates, cappuccinos, fudge and poppy seeds- claiming that one can walk to Mars and come back and yet not feel tired. The claims are exaggerated and hyped.

First of all many of these beverage manufactures never actually reveal what is inside the drink except for the basic label whereas other manufacturers do reveal the entire gamut of what is in the drink.

Sports drinks

For some unknown reason, everyone seems to believe that water is no longer important for athletes and that sports drinks fortified with unknown chemicals are great. There are thousands of sports drinks, cocktails, liquids and syrups available on the market. Some come in different colors; others come in different flavors but only a few come colorless. The majority of the sports drinks do nothing except rehydrate.

The only difference between sports drinks and water is calories and perhaps some electrolytes. For most people who are not active, water is the answer. For those who are athletes this can be achieved with any home made fruity drink or water.

There are companies who sell drinks made from vegetables, fruits with a whole bunch of chemicals like chromium, amino acids, free fatty acids, selenium, zinc, caffeine. Some claim that poly-lactated drinks can help improve endurance and reduce fatigue.

The point is there is absolutely no proof that these drinks do anything for anyone.

The majority of these sports drinks have ordinary ingredients like inositol, arginine, taurine and omega fatty acids. There is nothing special about any of these chemicals.

No one questions the fact that fluids and foods that contain more than water like carbohydrate and electrolytes are essential for adequate body function, as well as recuperation and repair. But the majority of extra nutrients are infact useless. There is no evidence that drinking a beverage consisting of lots of carbohydrates or minerals can do anything to a body, except provide fluid. One does not question the value of vitamins or minerals in the diet, but these are not required during any exercise. Infact the majority of these high calories drinks can cause a heart burn; stomach upset or gives you diarrhea.

Carbohydrate Content (%): There has been a lot of research that has looked at the amount of carbohydrates in a sports drink. It is myth that more is better. Beverages which contain 6% carbohydrates (14 oz sugar per 8 oz fluid) provide the optimum sweetening and allow the stomach to empty and deliver energy to the body. Beverages which contain more than this amount of carbohydrates have been shown to cause stomach upset, heart burn or decrease the rate of stomach emptying. Running or performing with a stomach which is full of sugar only promotes nausea or vomiting- not to mention the poor performance.

Type of Carbohydrate: Many studies have also looked at the type of carbohydrate in a sports drink. Some beverages have a lot of sugars like sucrose and others have fructose. Both these sugars require an active transport mechanism to across the intestine. Drinks which are high in fructose generally cause stomach upset as they diminish the transit time and delay absorption. For most people who consume fructose based sports drinks, a bloated feeling is common.

Elecrolyes: Almost all sports beverages have some sodium, chloride and potassium in the drinks. These electrolytes are essential for the absorption of nutrients, proper function of enzymes and nerve function. Sodium is always lost during exercise and thus is a requirement in all drinks.

Vitamins: There is no evidence that addition of vitamin to a sports beverage can increase exercise performance. Manufacturers of sports beverages always hype up their drink with mega doses of vitamins. Vitamins function on a delayed basis and have no acute effects. There is no vitamin that can work in 1 hour and build your body or improve your exercise performance.

Minerals: Many sports drinks have a range of minerals and elements. Having copper, zinc, iron, selenium, magnesium, calcium is great but they infact, do very little in 1-2 hours of exercise. Does anyone out there believe that a tiny amount of calcium dissolved in a drink can make anyone run faster or jump higher?

Carbonation: Many of the sports drinks are also carbonated. A lot of research has shown that carbonated drinks lead to heart burn and stomach bloating. Collection of a carbonated drink in the stomach and exercise simple do not go together. And at the end of the day, you will be passing a lot of gas and God help anyone sitting next to you.

Preservatives: Preservatives like sodium and potassium benzoate are commonly added to sports beverages. Excess use of these preservatives has been associated with gastric upset, worsening of peptic ulcer disease and throat burn.

Acidity: There have also been many studies on the acidity of sports drinks. These studies have found that the higher the acidity of the beverage, the more damage it causes to the tooth enamel. Many athletes who consumed sports beverages for decades have been followed and have been found to have greater erosion of their teeth than those who consumed water.

In reality we live in a country where things are always hyped up or exaggerated. Often in sports the line between Truth and fallacy merge and no one seems to care as long as you win. The majority of these sports products are a waste of money and do nothing for the body. There is no doubt that some drinks and bars contain calories but these calories can just as well be obtained by eating a banana or an apple before a race.

For those who are into endurance sports like marathons, one needs calories and carbohydrates. While bars and gels do provide this, one can just as well eat a lot of paste before a race. The majority of African runners, who generally tend to win all the long distance events including the marathons, simply say that these products do nothing. If you do not have talent to begin with, no amount of food is going to bring magic. There are instance when there is no natural food available before a race and then perhaps one of these sports foods is an alternative but it can never replace a decent meal.

There is not a single product out there in the sporting world which can substitute for good natural food. Every one of the synthetic products can’t match real food obtained from nature. A simple glass of milk does more than any drink available on the market. Other great natural foods that can rival any sporting foods are yogurts, cheese, nuts, peanut butter, toast, banana and apples but unfortunately no dealer wants to endorse Tiger Woods eating a banana. not exciting nor is it profitable.

Some athletes may benefit from these jeezed up high energy sport foods but for the majority they do very little except empty the pockets. People seem to forget that food and beverages were made to be enjoyed at home, not while running a marathon or lifting weights.

Conclusion

Energy drinks, bar, chocolates drinks and whatever else is out there in the world of sports are simply a business trying to make money. There is nothing wrong in making money but at least the manufacturers should be honest about their products. For all athletes, these sports foods are a waste of money and will do nothing; and the ways things are going in the world of foods, never assume that all these products are healthy for you. If you are not an athlete and love to watch sports, drink any type of beverage. For the athlete who feels that he needs something energizing, go get yourself a beer. It is not only cheaper but provides some calories and is enjoyable.

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