It is true that our kids are busier than ever today with extra curricular activities. In fact it is estimated that 40 million American children participate in youth sports. Add to this nearly 4 million Boy Scouts, 3.4 million Girl Scouts, and a plethora of other social groups, and do you know what you have? A whole lot of snack assignments.If I were to say, “Quick, name a typical after sports snack.” How would you reply? Though the food choices may vary, chances are you would mention Gatorade®, Powerade®, or some type of sports drink.With the media on our side (especially when it comes to spending our money), most of us believe we are buying a product that will help our kid’s recover quickly after intense activity. And after all, if athletes of grand integrity such as Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods are drinking it, shouldn’t our kids do the same? (Sarcasm noted)
Let’s take a deeper look at the ingredients in a typical electrolyte drink such as Gatorade®. Hopefully, after you have read what is actually in most of these sports drinks, you will agree that they are better served being thrown over coaches heads in the midst of a victory celebration.
20oz container of Fruit Punch flavored Gatorade® has:
130 calories
34 grams sugar
34 grams carbohydrates
270 mg sodium
75 mg potassium
0g protein
Ingredients: Water, high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, citric acid, natural flavor, salt, sodium citrate, monopotassium phosphate, modified food starch, red 40, glycerol ester of rosin, caramel color.
Keep in mind 34 grams of sugar(nearly 9 teaspoons) make up 100% of the carbohydrates. That, of course, equals a drink of 100% refined sugar.
As I mentioned in a previous article, High Fructose Corn Syrup is known to interfere with the endocrine system, which has a major impact on nearly every process taking place in the body. It is also considered an appetite stimulant. Over-consumption of artificial dyes such as Red #40 are linked to chronic diseases and should be avoided as much as possible.
The good news is, there are several drink options that can replace the scary ones.
There is also a good deal of research on when kids should consume such beverages.
Personally, I really appreciate the approach of Dr. Sears in his article about kids and athletics as it relates to nutrition and hydration. Click on the following link to see my top 5 sports drinks as well as a summary of Dr. Sears’ advice on maximizing your child’s physical performance.
Top 5 Sports Drinks
Water-Simply the best choice. Can’t go wrong here.
Vitamin Water 10®- My personal favorite. Sweetened with Stevia.
Vitamin Water® -Yes it has sugar, but for intense exercise it is a much better all-natural choice over Gatorade®.
Honest Kids®- Drink pouches that taste great and have less sugar than the average juice pouch. Plus I like the story of this company
Orange Juice or Apple Juice- 100% juice only
Click here to read Dr Sears sports nutrition advice for kids.
Summary of Dr. Sears’ tips
1. Water is absorbed more rapidly than any other liquid, but once you begin adding stuff to water, the absorption slows.
2. For high endurance exercise lasting longer than 90 minutes, you will probably need an electrolyte type drink with a blend of sugar and salt. (ie. Vitamin Water).
3. Avoid carbonated drinks. They cause bloating.
4. It is better to drink liquid calories vs solid food during exercise for absorption purposes.
Best of health to you and your munchkins,
