Controversy 10 discussed a number of ergogenic aids, which were defined as “products that supposedly enhance performance; the term ergogenic implies 'energy giving'" (Sizer & Whitney, 2012 p.400). In a sense, Gatorade, and other sports drinks, can be considered ergogenic aids under this definition.
The Consumer Corner section in our textbook for Chapter 10 also discussed the merits of sports drinks. It is common knowledge that dehydration has negative consequences, whether in athletics or everyday activities, and that fluid replacement is important. However, sports drinks may not be necessary for everyone because plain water is able to replace fluids without contributing additional calories to one's diet.
The textbook recommends sports drinks to athletes participating in "strenuous endurance activities lasting longer than 1 hour" because the glucose they provide helps to maintain hydration while contributing to blood glucose levels (Sizer & Whitney, 2012 p.393). In addition, in an article entitled "Hydration in sport and exercise: water, sports drinks and other drinks", Shirreff (2012) writes that available evidence has shown that water loss due to sweat negatively impacts endurance activity performance, especially in warmer weather. However, endurance activities lasting less than 90 minutes in temperate climates do not appear to be significantly impacted by water loss. Therefore, several sources recommend sports drinks, but only to athletes participating in extended periods of hard endurance activities.
It appears that the sodium found in these sports drinks plays a key role in achieving and maintaining proper hydration during and after exercise (Shirreff, 2012). In a study by Coso, Estevez, Baquero, and Mora-Rodriguez (2008), the effects of water and sports drinks on cycling performance were analyzed. Seven cyclists, endurance trained and acclimatized to the heat, participated in five trials of 120 minutes of cycling in the heat. The cyclists either ingested mineral water, Gatorade, Powerade, Aquarius, or no fluids on each trial and fluid balance and leg power were measured. It was concluded that, compared to no fluid, sports drinks better preserved leg power than plain water. However, Aquarius, one of the sports drinks, contained half the amount of sodium than the other two and failed to preserve leg power any better than plain water. As our textbook says, sodium promotes increased water retention and thirst sensation may depend in part on blood sodium concentration. These results indicate the importance of sodium on athletic performance and hydration.
Nevertheless, this study involved an endurance activity lasting 2 hours, reinforcing that sports drinks may only provide benefits to athletes participating in these type of events and training. However, Gatorade's latest G Series Fit is targeted towards “fitness athletes” rather than competitive or professional athletes as are the G Series and G Series Pro (Zmuda, 2011). Gatorade is attempting to broaden its consumer base by appealing to those people who exercise regularly but are no longer competing regularly.
After researching the benefits of sports drinks however, I questioned whether "fitness athletes" need to be consuming sports drinks regularly. The majority of exercisers do not perform 90-120 minutes of strenuous endurance activities every time they hit the gym. While it could be applicable to individuals going on long weekly training activities for half-marathons, marathons or triathlons, the average person who lifts weights the majority of the time at the gym or does cardio for 30 minutes is not engaging in endurance activities long enough to greatly benefit from sports drinks.
Sizer, F.S. and Whitney, E. (2012). Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies. United States: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Shirreffs, S. M. (2009). Hydration in sport and exercise: water, sports drinks and other drinks. Nutrition Bulletin, 34(4), 374-379. doi:10.1111/j.1467-3010.2009.01790.x
Coso, J., Estevez, E., Baquero, R., & Mora-Rodriguez, R. (2008). Anaerobic performance when rehydrating with water or commercially available sports drinks during prolonged exercise in the heat. Applied Physiology, Nutrition & Metabolism, 33(2), 290-298. doi:10.1139/H07-188
ZMUDA, N. (2011). Another Gatorade product line, another dedicated ad blitz. Advertising Age, 82(18), 4-5.(http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.sau.edu/login.aspxdirect=true&db=aph&AN=60405494&site=ehost-live)
This is an argument that I have heard time and time again. I, too, believe that many people abuse Gatorade and other sports drinks when they don't truly need them. My little brothers, for instance, drink these sports drinks when they haven't been doing any activity and are using them simply to quench thirst. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of times where they are in the middle of football, baseball, or basketball and deserve these drinks. However, when they are sitting on the couch at home I believe that the only thing that they are gaining from the drinks is extra calories. In a way, this can kind of be related to the week 2 blog about soda leading to type two diabetes. When the extra calories, sodium, and sugar aren't needed in the diet, what is the point in adding more to the body?
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, it is understandable how Gatorade or other sports drinks can aide performance after a certain point. The hard part, I believe, is determining where this point is. It may change a little from person to person, and I'm not sure that any one person can say that after "X" amount of minutes it becomes helpful. It may depend on things such as the temperature, the person's previous hydration level, and the activity level that the person is used to. We must remember that these drinks must be used in the right situations, not just as an every day drink.
Thank you for the well-written and thoughtful post about ergogenic aids such as sports drinks. I couldn't concur with your recommendation more about the average fitness athlete. I also appreciate Michelle's comments on the gray line between appropriate option and caloric excess. I often worry that the popular knowledge, or lack thereof, surrounding sports drinks promotes unsound training situations, particularly for younger athletes. As a professor that teaches college-aged students about nutrition and food culture, it's difficult to fight our culture's foodways. Our overexposure or inappropriate exposures to sports drinks, leads the average exerciser or couch potato to the further conflation between hunger and thirst. Sadly, this paves the way to the consumption of way too many empty calories, liquid or otherwise, and culturally entrenched eating behaviors that can be tough to reverse.
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