There are all sorts of sports drinks these days that claim to hydrate you and give you energy. Are any of them really any better than just drinking water?—Jared, 15, Lower East Side
There are a lot of sports drinks out there that claim to give you energy and increase your performance. It can be very confusing. Here’s the deal: Sports drinks are designed to help athletes replenish water, electrolytes, sugars and nutrients lost during exercise. But most people don’t drink them for that purpose. That is a problem because the sports drinks contain a lot of sugar and added calories that can lead to weight gain, decreased energy and tooth decay. One 20-oz. sports drink contains 35g of sugar. In comparison, a chocolate glazed donut contains 14g! If you exercise intensely for more than 90 minutes and sweat a good deal, then sports drinks can be helpful with providing the right type of hydration and aiding in performance. But if you don’t exercise, you are simply drinking sugar water. Furthermore, some of these drinks contain added ingredients not yet proven safe for the body, which could lead to health problems. Bottom line: Water is the best liquid to drink and you should aim for about 64-oz. a day. That’s about 2-3 24-oz. sports bottles! But if you absolutely need to have that sports drink, pour half of it out and mix with water to dilute it.
BIO:
Stephanie Middleberg, MS, RD, CDN, is a registered dietitian and founder of Middleberg Nutrition, a lifestyle and nutrition counseling practice in New York City. Her philosophy is simple: Food can be fun and enjoyable, and in no way should a diet be the sole focus of one’s lifestyle.
Stephanie works with a wide range of clients, and whether it be those who want to transform their health or those who want to maximize their energy and sports conditioning, her method and process are easy to incorporate into busy active lives.
Stephanie serves on Cosmopolitan’s Health Advisory Board as the publication’s Nutritional Expert and is a frequent lecturer and contributor to health and dining publications, including the 92nd Street Y, Crain’s, Forbes and AOLhealth. Stephanie also works with doctors from the Hospital for Special Surgery on sports seminars for high school athletes.
Stephanie received her Masters and RD from New York University and her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin.
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