The term 'sports drinks' describes a wide range of products, which usually contain water, sugar and electrolytes. You may be wondering whether sports drinks need to be included in your exercise programme. For most of us who aren't true sports people, they aren't really necessary and they can cause blood glucose levels to rise too high in people with diabetes.
It is still important to replace lost fluids with drinks such as water or diet and low-calorie drinks, but you don't necessarily need to buy special sports drinks. Sports drinks can be useful for people who exercise intensively for a long period of time.
It is important to choose a sports drink which is isotonic. Isotonic sports drinks have the perfect combination of carbohydrates and electrolytes (potassium and sodium).
If you are a devoted sports person, here are some of the benefits of sports drinks:
Provide extra energy
During physical activity the body draws on stores of carbohydrates for energy. It is important to make sure that stores are brimful before, during and after activity. To provide the extra energy needed for top performance and repeated training, a high-carbohydrate diet is essential. This is particularly important for people with diabetes taking insulin or sulphonylurea tablets since it will help to minimise the risk of hypos (low blood glucose levels). Sports drinks contain quickly absorbed carbohydrates, which can help to give the blood glucose level a boost during strenuous exercise.
Sports drinks do not cause delayed stomach emptying or stomach cramps and can be used before and during a race. This is in contrast to drinks with more than 8g of carbohydrate per 100 ml that cause stomach cramps and slow down fluid absorption due to their effects of delaying stomach emptying. Examples of drinks with more than 8g of carbohydrate per 100ml include Red Bull, Purdeys, Lipovitan, B3 or Power House, and these drinks are not recommended.
Help rehydrate
The body sweats to maintain a normal body temperature during physical exertion. If the fluid lost through sweating is not replaced you cannot exercise for as long and performance suffers. Water is best for replacing lost fluids for most exercise, but in longer bouts of exercise some sports drinks can help to speed up rehydration. To rehydrate, choose a sports drink which is isotonic since this can help speed up rehydration.
Convenience
Sports drinks come in a wide range of packaging – bottles, cans, and foil packs – giving a quick and easy way to take fluid and extra carbohydrate and can be found in supermarkets and chemists. Examples include Lucozade Sport and Boots Isotonic.
Whichever isotonic drink you choose, remember to use the same one through training and competition. You will soon get to know how much carbohydrate your body needs for a particular activity in order to maintain blood glucose levels.