What are sports drinks, and how do I choose the right one for me?

Powerade, Lucozade, Gatorade… with such a variety of sports drinks on the market it’s easy to feel like you should be drinking one every time you exercise. Not only that, but trying to understand the different ingredients, and whether those ingredients are actually important, is a bit like a chemistry lesson!

Thankfully, the basic principles of hydrating during exercise are pretty simple – it all depends on how long your exercise session lasts and how hard you’re exercising.

If you exercise for less than 1 hour, or at low to moderate intensity
(E.g. a short burst on the cross-trainer, walking at a brisk pace, etc)
In this case, plain or flavoured (unsweetened) water is absolutely fine. Your main priority is to make sure you’re well hydrated before and during exercise. So, a drink that delivers fluid quickly – like water does – will be enough.

During longer or high intensity sessions, or in hot / humid conditions
(E.g. interval training, a 10km run, etc)
In these scenarios, water alone is a lot less effective. When you sweat you lose electrolytes (minerals, mostly salt tissues), which can lead to problems with brain, heart and muscle function. So it’s important that you replenish these lost minerals during your exercise session. Glucose (carbohydrates) is also important because it provides an energy boost, and it speeds up the absorption of water in your body. Electrolytes and glucose are common ingredients in fluid-replacement drinks, so check out the labels in-store and try out a few to find one that suit your taste.

If you’re budget conscious, it’s also possible to make your own fluid-replacement drinks at home:

Isotonic drinks
These usually contain the same concentration of electrolytes and carbohydrates as the body’s fluids, meaning they’re absorbed as fast, or faster, than plain water. An isotonic drink will provide stabilised hydration, which makes them a good choice for when you’re exercising at a moderate intensity.
- Mix 200ml of squash with 800ml water and a good pinch of salt, shake well and cool

Hypotonic drinks
These contain fewer electrolytes and carbohydrates than body fluids, so they’re absorbed faster than water. You should choose a hypotonic drink for rapid hydration when exercising at high intensity or in hot climates.
- Mix 100ml of squash with 1 litre of water and a good pinch of salt, shake well and cool

Hypertonic drinks
These contain higher levels of carbohydrates and are typically used after exercising to top-up your glycogen stores. In long distance events (marathons, ultra –distance events, etc), you should take hypertonic drinks during exercise to meet your energy requirements. In this case, you’ll also need an isotonic drink to replace lost fluids.
- Mix 400ml of squash with 1 litre of water and a good pinch of salt, shake well and cool

If, like me, you’re mindful of what you put into your body, keep an eye on ingredients listings and avoid products with artificial sweeteners and flavours.

Happy exercising!