When Working Out, Should You Drink Sports Drinks Or Regular Water?

By Anthony K

Water is often your go-to when they want to stay hydrated during exercise. However, there are some situations where a sports beverage is the best option. If you work out for more than an hour or in hot weather, you may need the extra electrolytes and carbohydrates that a sports drink can provide.

When rehydrating our bodies during or after exercise, many of us reach for sports drinks without giving them a second thought. But are sports drinks the best choice for our bodies? Let’s take a closer look at sports drinks and water to determine which option is better.

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Electrolytes conduct electricity in the organism and are critical for proper hydration. They can be lost through sweat, vomit, or diarrhea. Sports drinks are designed to help us replace these minerals and fluids that we lose when we sweat during exercise, but water is also an effective option for rehydration.

The electrolytes in sports drinks can help to replace those lost through sweat, while the carbohydrates can help to replenish energy levels.

It’s no secret that staying hydrated is vital for our general health. So, which is the better choice for rehydration? It depends on the situation. Water is a perfectly adequate option if you want to retrieve the fluids you lose during exercises.

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But when it comes to exercise, we often wonder what the best option is to keep our bodies properly fueled and hydrated. Water is always a good choice, but sports drinks are the clear winner when it comes to replacing lost electrolytes.

Sports drinks usually contain sugar or other carbohydrates to refill our glycogen. Water does not contain any carbohydrates, so it cannot replace them in our bodies either.