Sports drinks are specially designed for sports or physical activity groups. As a functional drink, sports drinks are different from ordinary drinks in three major ways.
Firstly, sports drinks can supplement minerals such as sodium and potassium in addition to water loss during exercise, while ordinary drinks do not contain these minerals.
If minerals are not supplemented in time, it will affect the normal functions of nerves and muscles, such as cramps, mental blurring, and even cause electrolyte disorders, water and salt metabolic disorders, so that the body is seriously dehydrated.
Secondly, sports drinks contain not only refined sugars such as white granulated sugar and glucose, but also oligosaccharides.
Sugar in ordinary drinks is mostly white granulated sugar, glucose, fructose and other sugars which are very easy to absorb. This will make blood sugar level rise rapidly, thus stimulating insulin secretion and reducing blood sugar quickly. Blood sugar is like a roller coaster, which is not conducive to blood sugar stability.
In addition to refined sugars, sports drinks also add water-soluble dietary fibers such as fructooligosaccharides, isomaltose oligosaccharides, soybean oligosaccharides, etc. to delay the absorption of sugars and help maintain blood sugar stability.
Thirdly, the osmotic pressure of sports drinks should be lower or equal to that of blood.
According to national standards, the sugar content of sports drinks is between 3% and 8%, which is lower than or equal to the crystal osmotic pressure of blood. It is convenient for the nutrients in sports drinks to be absorbed by human body.
Compared with ordinary drinks, sports drinks are not high in sugar content, far lower than fruit juice, cola, tea drinks and other ordinary drinks, unless you drink too much each time, it will not cause excess energy.
Some people do not replenish sports drinks in time, but drink a bottle in less than a few seconds after the exercise. This is a common scene in life, and this practice is very inappropriate.
Experts suggest that sports drinks need to run through the process of exercise. Before, during and after exercise, these three periods need to be supplemented.
For professional athletes, it is suggested that they should be 6 ml/kg (weight) before exercise, 3 ml/kg (weight) during exercise and 6 ml/kg (weight) after exercise. During exercise, you can take a sip every 15 to 20 minutes, about 50 to 100 ml each time. For the general fitness workers, they can drink 100 ml every 20 minutes to supplement, do not drink too much, SIP several times, can avoid abdominal distension, abdominal pain and other discomforts.
In addition, ice sports drinks, although refreshing, will make the gastrointestinal tract very "awful", easy to stimulate the gastrointestinal discomfort, so it is not recommended to drink.
