Sports Drinks: Do They Increase Physical Performance?

For the past twenty years people all over the world have been exposed to commercials and various other advertisements claiming that drinking sports drinks helps keep athletes hydrated, rejuvenated, and refreshed (1). Of these, Gatorade is the most popular. Since its development as a commercial product in 1987, it has ruled the market of sports drinks and has been one of the most prominent sponsors of major league and collegiate athletic teams (1, 3). Powerade, All Sport, and Vitamin Water are the underdogs, but like Gatorade, they make the same claims about electrolytes and energy balance (1, 13). Do these sports drinks really work? And if so, what are electrolytes and what do they do in the human body to increase performance levels? According to researchers, there are four key roles Gatorade plays to ensure their performance enhancement system works: Fast fluid absorption, fast rehydration, carbohydrate replenishment to muscles, and the ability it has to make someone drink more than when they think their thirst is quenched (1,2,5). These are high stakes claims especially for one drink to accomplish all of these and most rely on electrolytes to catalyze these effects. Electrolytes are the major components of ionic solutions (6). When they are in a solution, such as they are in the human body, electrolytes disassociate. In other words, they split apart making ions. These ions are the molecules with an abnormal number of electrons (6). This makes them easily absorbed and able to bond quickly. The most common electrolytes are Chloride, Sodium, Potassium, Phosphate, and Calcium (1,5,6). The Sodium, Chloride, and Potassium are what make Gatorade so important; when an athlete exercises they sweat out electrolytes and water, the very medium that transports glucose and energy to the muscles (6,7).

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Some researchers claim the human body absorbs Gatorade as fast as or even faster than water and other sports drinks (2,5). How does it accomplish this? This is where the electrolytes come into play. Sodium, Potassium, and Chloride are fastest absorbed through the blood stream (6,7). They are even faster absorbed than water making them a crucial element in Gatorades process (5). When they are absorbed into the bloodstream, they also pull in water through a mechanism called osmosis (6,7). Osmosis is when water is absorbed into a medium of high salinity from the medium of lower salinity, the water medium (6). It does this to balance out the fluids, electrolytes, and the water bringing it to equilibrium (6,7). And since athletes expel electrolytes when they exercise, naturally they are going to absorb more of the electrolytes and therefore absorb more water (5,7). This absorption process could be faster than just drinking water because the electrolytes seem to pull in the water molecules and the sugars whereas when only water is consumed, the process to bring the solutions to equilibrium takes longer because it has to diffuse through the membrane without the help of any catalyst like Sodium, Chloride, or Potassium (1,5,7). This is also justified by J.M. Daviss research at University of South Carolina (1). He states Gatorade is absorbed in the blood stream as fast as water helping to provide rapid rehydration and secondly Gatorade is superior to plain water for improving physical performance during prolonged physical activity. (1). Other sports drinks claim to accomplish this same task, but there are crucial differences. These other sports drinks and juices contain high amounts of electrolytes, but the differences are in the carbohydrate content (16,17,18). Because Gatorade contains only six percent of carbohydrates, which turn into glucose, it is the perfect amount in that it is a small enough content that it can be quickly absorbed yet large enough to provide the athlete with proper energy

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(8,9). Other sports drinks such as Powerade and the various juices contain too high of a carbohydrate content which slows the absorption process (5,8). The faster the rehydration, the better an athlete can perform. Keeping the fluid balance in their cells and muscles at equilibrium would be the optimal goal (10,16). Unfortunately, as an athlete performs, they sweat out the much needed electrolytes and water. This leads to more strain on the muscles and the body to compensate for their loss especially the kidneys and the immediate muscles that are being used (7). These factors lead the athlete to tire and lose energy as he or she prolongs the event or exercise (4,5). The kidneys play a major role in this process (7). When someone exerts a large amount of energy for a prolonged amount of time, the kidneys filter the blood to remove waster by the cells (7). When the kidneys do this, they regulate the water and electrolyte content of the blood as well (5,7). When an athlete does not consume adequate amounts of electrolytes and water, this puts strain on the kidneys because they have to work harder to retain as much water as possible while removing waste from the bloodstream (5). As a direct result, it could increase the performers blood pressure due to the strain to retain as much water and sodium as possible and the result of the imbalance of electrolytes and water ratios (7). Because the athlete is not consuming any drink, the blood and cell mediums suffer from imbalance causing the fluids to be at a higher salinity which also leads to the increase in blood pressure (7). This also has an effect on the energy use of the muscles. When the imbalance and strain on the kidneys becomes prevalent, energy used to fuel the muscles is deflected to help compensate the kidneys (5,7). Although this is a very small percentage, over a prolonged time this can lead to a decrease in performance, especially in long endurance events such as marathons or triathlons (18).

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Gatorade achieves rapid hydration by including electrolytes, especially sodium, in the drink (1,2,3,5). The sodium makes the body pull in and retain water which directly reduces fatigue of the athletes by reducing stress on the kidneys which thus reduces their blood pressure (1,5,7). It also prevents energy from being robbed from the muscles to be used to compensate for the kidneys strain (5,7). Carbohydrates are the primary fuel source when exercising (17). Muscles need glucose to function, which is exactly what the carbohydrates turn into (5,17). The goal when refueling is to aim at about six percent of carbohydrates for every fifteen to twenty minutes of strenuous exercising (1,2,5). That is roughly fourteen grams of carbohydrates (2). Extreme conditions will require more but on average the best median is around fifteen grams for every fifteen minutes of work (2,5). Whether its soda, juice, or sports drinks, most drinks contain carbohydrates, usually in the form of sugar (12,13,16). Many of these, especially sodas and juices, can contain huge amounts (1,5,12,16). Sports drinks dont contain nearly as much (1,2,5). Powerade has a carbohydrate count of about eighteen grams of sugar per eight ounces, about eight percent, which is lower than most sodas that average around twenty-seven grams of sugar per eight ounces, but it is still higher than the optimal percentage while exercising (8,9,12). Gatorade on the other hand only has fourteen grams of sugar for every eight ounces, being six percent the daily value (2,9). According to American College of Sports Medicine, the optimal amounts of sugar to consume while exercising is four to eight percent (13). Clearly Gatorade and Powerade are the best choice, with Gatorade directly between the ranges and Powerade right on the border (13). The carbohydrates in Gatorade are also a little different than the carbohydrates in the typical sports drinks (1). While sports drinks like Powerade contain sugar in the form of glucose, Gatorade
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contains two different types of sugar: sucrose and glucose-fructose, commonly known as high fructose corn syrup (1). Researchers at University of Birmingham, United Kingdom verify these results in an experiment researching what glycogen stores and carbohydrates are used when exercising and consuming sports drinks (17). They state, When ingested at a rate designed to saturate intestinal CHO transport systems, MD drinks with added fructose or galactose were twice as effective as MD+glucose in restoring liver glycogen during short-term post-exercise recovery. (17). In this statement, MD is the abbreviation of maltodextrin (17). If the absorption rate was based primarily on the sugars, the combination of more than one sugar is absorbed slightly faster, but since Gatorade contains one hundred forty milligrams of electrolytes per eight ounce and Powerade has ninety eight milligrams of electrolytes per eight ounce, the sugars, water, and electrolytes are absorbed much faster than with Powerade, other sports drinks, juices, and water (1,8,9,11,13). Because of the absorption rate Gatorade has over other enhancement drinks, the carbohydrates are delivered to the muscles faster and more efficiently because of the electrolyte balance pulling them and the water through the small intestines into the bloodstream and delivering the sugars to the muscles (1,5,7,9,13). Gatorades ability to increase the consumption level is often seen as a marketing strategy to encourage people to buy more Gatorade, but it is a large misconception (3). One of the primary objectives of Gatorade is to make athletes consume more than what they need to in order to quench their thirst (1,2,3,5). This is because once someone realizes they are thirsty, they are already dehydrated (1,2,5). If an athlete just drinks to satiate themselves, then it wont be long before they are thirsty and dehydrated again (1,5). Gatorades sodium and sugar content leads the drink to be more sought after and desired because it gives it a sweet taste and helps balance the

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bodys pH levels which stimulates the body to increase its intake (1,2). This way the body consumes enough to maintain hydration for longer periods of time (1,2,5). Many studies of performance enhancement drinks have been carried out and most have returned the same results. Louis M. Burke and the Australian Institute of Sport in Victoria confirm this by saying, During endurance and ultraendurance exercise, suitable intake of a sports drink to preserve hydration and to supply additional carbohydrate substrate for glycogendepleted muscles has been shown to improve performance. Additionally, the sports drink may provide a special advantage in recovery and rehydration after prolonged, particularly where more rapid restoration of body fluids and fuel levels will enhance performance in future exercise bouts. (1). Despite these positive results and the constructive feedback from Burke and Davis, there are a few warnings on the consumption of these sports drinks to be wary about. These sports drinks do improve athletic performance under strenuous conditions (1). They rehydrate, replenish electrolyte levels when they are expended, and they help rejuvenate the athlete, but they do have sugar (1,2). Although a thirty two ounce bottle of Gatorade supplies athletes muscles with enough energy to endure an hour long strenuous workout, that thirty two ounce bottle of Gatorade contains sixty grams of carbohydrates (2,5). That is two hundred forty calories (5). Before an event, this is perfectly fine as it completely hydrates and energizes an athlete, but a fallacy many people have is that it is ok to consume sports drinks as a casual beverage (1,4,5,10). If someone consumes that and does not perform anything physically demanding, those two hundred forty calories will be stored as fat (5).

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Gatorade has made one of the most profound imprints in sports history (3). Allowing athletes to increase their physical abilities far greater than originally thought, Gatorade helped lead the Kansas City Chiefs to a Super bowl win even when they were favored to lose (3). Its remarkable ability to rehydrate players and maintain their hydration through the game helped start the sport drink industry (3). Sports drinks dramatically improve performance of athletes in physically demanding situations (1). The electrolytes help keep the bodys fluid level at equilibrium while increasing the uptake of water, sodium, potassium, chloride, and sugar (1,2,18). When working in unison they increase the athletes ability to perform longer, stronger, and more efficiently (4,17,18). Even taken before an event greatly increases the athletes performance, and when taken afterwards it helps rehydrate and replenish electrolytes and glycogen stores once they are depleted (18).

References
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9. Gatorade Thirst Quencher. Livestrong.com. 2011. Available at: http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/nutrition-calories/food/gatorade/thirst-quencher/ Accessed March 20, 2011 10. Murray B. Hydration and physical performance. J Am Coll Nutr. 2007 Oct;26(5 Suppl):542S-548S. Review. PubMed PMID: 17921463. 11. Passe DH, Stofan JR, Rowe CL, Horswill CA, Murray R. Exercise condition affects hedonic responses to sodium in a sport drink. Appetite. 2009 Jun;52(3):561-7. Epub 2009 Jan 30. PubMed PMID: 19501751. 12. Dr. Pepper Dr. Pepper 20 Oz Bottle. Livestrong.com. 2011. Available at: http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/nutrition-calories/food/dr.-pepper/dr.-pepper-20-oz-bottle/. Accessed March 20, 2011 13. Crowther, Greg. Gatorade vs. Powerade: battle of the beverages. Available at: http://faculty.washington.edu/crowther/Misc/RBC/QandA3.shtml. Accessed March 20, 2011 14. Gatorade Lemon Lime. Pepsi. March -7, 2011. Available at: http://pepsiproductfacts.com/infobyproduct.php?prod_size=20&brand_fam_id=1043&brand_id=1002 &product=Gatorade+Lemon+Lime. Accessed March 20, 2011 15. Gatorade. Gatorade-Official Science. 2002. http://www.angelfire.com/electronic/ultramentor/gatorade.html Accessed March 20, 2011 16. Sports drink, COCA-COLA, POWERADE, lemon-lime flavored, ready-to-drink [thirst quencher]. Self Nutrition Data: Know what you eat. 2011. Available at: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/beverages/9234/2 Accessed March 20, 2011 17. Dcombaz J, Jentjens R, Ith M, Scheurer E, Buehler T, Jeukendrup A, Boesch C. Fructose and Galactose Enhance Post-Exercise Human Liver Glycogen Synthesis. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011 Mar 10. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 21407126. 18. Rehrer NJ. Fluid and electrolyte balance in ultra-endurance sport. Sports Med. 2001;31(10):701-15. Review. PubMed PMID: 11547892 19. How to Cite: AMA or JADA Style. Paradise Valley Community College Library. Available at: http://www.pvc.maricopa.edu/library/citation/amastyle.pdf Accessed March 20, 2011

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