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What's In Your Sports Drink? You May Not Want to Know...

Most sports drinks only add back sodium and potassium. While that is an important step, it does nothing to replace the lost trace-minerals needed by the brain. According to our nutritionist, certain preservatives, artificial flavors and colored dyes, aspartame and sugar may add to the visual or taste appeal of the drink, but may not be user-friendly to the body.

SUGAR? Don't Ride the 'Glycemic Rollar-Coaster' While Training
In addition to its usefulness after exercise to replenish glycogen stores, SUGAR (fructose, dextrose, glucose, high fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin) is usually added as a carbohydrate to boost energy levels. While this may stimulate the body momentarily, minutes later the 'glycemic roller coaster' sets in with associated compromise in body function.

Muscle-testing (Kinesiology), used by chiropractors and natural medicine practitioners, reveals that sugar actually diffuses the body’s ability to maintain muscle strength; therefore, it does not seem wise to use it when periods of strength are required. There are other ways than sugar to get carbohydrates, such as apples, grapes, or peanuts. Furthermore, studies show that it may be the complex carbohydrates that support strength and endurance, rather than simple carbohydrates.

Other Additives In Sports Drinks May Be The Equivalent of Toxic Fluid Used to De-Ice Airplanes
Other stuff in most sports drinks can be hazardous to your health. One is propylene glycol. It is added to food and skin products to maintain texture and moisture as well as inhibit bacteria growth in the product and is considered safe in small quantites. But it is a also used as a de-icing fluid and if you purchase a drum it, the supplier is required to furnish an iMSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet), which says “Avoid Skin Contact” and gives a list of things to do if you do get it on your body or in your eyes. Propylene glycol has shown measurable toxicity to human cells in culture, and has been reported to induce seizures in epileptics and cardio- respiratory arrest. Artificial colors and flavors from coal tar derivatives such as Red #40, a possible carcinogen, and Yellow #6, which causes sensitivity to viruses and has caused death to animals, are commonly used in sports drinks. Cochineal extract or Carmine Dye is a color additive used in food, drinks such as cola and is made of the ground up female cochineal bugs from Central and South America…yuk, bet you didn’t know that!

Even artificial sweeteners like aspartame found in diet drinks are bad for you. Aspartame comes with a list of potential side effects with the most profound being the possible detrimental effect on the neurotransmitters in the brain. Headaches are a common side effect of aspartame (sometimes camouflaged as phenylalanine on the label). Other symptoms may be joint pain, depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, cramps, vertigo and dizziness. And other artificial sweeteners can have a list of side effects as well. If you need something sweet chose stevia which is herb based and doesn’t put you on the glycemic roller coaster.

Edited by Enduropacks@gmail.co 2013-08-27 2:20 PM




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