Sports drinks, when you work out
Known to be ineffective for weight loss
Many of us may find ourselves reaching for a certain type of beverage while exercising. However, it turns out that this choice could be counterproductive for our weight management efforts.
We’ve all seen scenes of athletes drinking this beverage during or after their workouts, and advertisements often feature fit and healthy individuals sweating it out and enjoying this particular drink.
Somehow, it seems like this drink could help with weight loss or at least not contribute to weight gain. Consequently, many consume it without hesitation, thinking it’s a good choice for staying hydrated during exercise.
However, opting for this beverage instead of water might hinder your weight loss goals, especially when trying to shed a few pounds.
The drink in question is ionized or sports drinks. These drinks replenish the body with fluids and electrolytes lost during exercise or laborious activities. They are formulated to be absorbed quickly by the body, mimicking the composition of bodily fluids.
While these drinks may appear to be a good choice for staying hydrated, they work contrary to the process of shedding pounds. Let’s explore why.
Sports drinks serve the purpose of replenishing fluids, energy, and electrolytes lost during vigorous physical activity. They are essentially designed to restore what the body expends. On the other hand, weight loss requires removing excess substances already stored in the body.
When you consume sports drinks, you are replenishing the nutrients and energy you’ve burned during exercise. This process contradicts the principle of weight loss, which aims to create a calorie deficit by expending more calories than consumed. Drinking ionized beverages directly refills the nutrients and calories you’ve just burned, which does not contribute to losing weight.
Furthermore, sports drinks tend to be calorie-dense. For instance, a 500ml bottle of a popular sports drink contains approximately 125 calories, and another brand provides 160 calories for a 600ml bottle. These calorie counts are comparable to a small serving of white rice (150 calories with 33g of carbohydrates).
The liquid form of these drinks allows for faster consumption and absorption compared to solid food. This ease of consumption can lead to excessive intake of these calorie-dense drinks during or after exercise, potentially causing weight gain.
In summary, sports drinks are not helpful for those who aim to lose weight or maintain a healthy diet, and they may even contribute to weight gain. Weight loss relies on a calorie deficit, but sports drinks directly replace the calories you’ve burned during exercise. Therefore, water is the best choice if you want to replenish lost fluids after sweating it out.
If you’re adamant about consuming sports drinks during exercise, consider choosing zero-calorie options or those with lower carbohydrate and sugar content than regular sports drinks.
By. Mi-seong Kwon, (misung@wikitree.co.kr)
Most Commented