The beverage market has experienced drastic changes over the past few years as consumers are more geared toward products that to lead to healthier lifestyles – known as functional products. Beverages such as vitamin waters and energy drinks are designed to increase stamina, control weight, provide energy, and/or boost immunity. The variety of added ingredients, along with the list of nutrient claims, continues to grow. Another beverage included in this list are sport drinks (electrolyte replacement drinks) intended for athletes who need this type of fluid replacement during and after their workouts.
The question is: Who should be drinking what and do we really need them? Let’s talk first about energy drinks – which are designed for an energy boost through high levels of caffeine. You probably guessed that there are not a lot of good things to say about these drinks. They usually contain high amounts of sugar and caffeine. Caffeine is a diuretic which causes increased loss of fluid through the kidneys and urine, resulting in dehydration – so these drinks are not the solution to rehydrating the body.
What about vitamin waters for energy or rehydration? Vitamin-enhanced water is healthier than plain old soda. However it is not as "healthy" or good for you as it says it is. Most vitamin-enhanced water has 100-125 calories. Plus if you get enough vitamins from your normal diet or from a multivitamin, than the vitamins from your water are wasted. (So in other words, you’re wasting money on something you don't need in the first place.)
Spring water doesn't give you vitamins, but it doesn't have sugar or calories either. So it’s a better choice to drink vitamin-enhanced water instead of a regular soda, but it's like a diet soda with vitamins. If you had a choice between vitamin-enhanced water and regular water, regular water is probably better for you since it has no sugar or calories. Flavored waters are not a bad choice – some offer only 10 or fewer calories per 8 oz serving – be sure and note the servings in a bottle. The added flavoring makes drinking water easier.
The last beverage type to mention is the sports drink. Americans drink millions of dollars worth of sports drinks each year. These beverages contain water, plus additional ingredients and some very promising claims on their labels. To decide if you need a sports beverage, consider two key factors – the level and the duration of exercise in which you plan to engage. The longer you work out, the more you sweat, and the hotter the day, the more you will gain from the electrolytes in a sports drink. Remember that all sports drinks have calories, ranging from 50 calories to 200 calories per 8 oz serving. The higher the carbohydrate content, the higher the calories. The carbohydrates (extra calories) in the drink supply the body with energy during a long workout or game. If you get into the habit of drinking these sweetened drinks without maintaining your physical activity level, you could find yourself putting on extra weight.
In conclusion, the top of the list is water, it does not have calories at all – but it does not have nutrients either. But, that's not a problem – ideally, we'd drink only water and let the nutrients come from a balanced food diet. How much water? We should aim for 64 oz of fluids a day.
Rebecca
