Sports drinks need balance of carbs, sodium and potassium

Posted on Oct 31st 2008 6:00PM by Bev Sklar

Filed Under: Fitness, Nutrition & Supplements

The Gatorade monarchy is over, a plethora of sports drinks rule the aisles these days But with all those colorful labels, wild flavors and new brands seeking your attention, buying the right sports drink can be confusing.

Over at this Runners World video, sports dietician Leslie Bonci says proper hydration requires a beverage with the right balance of three important ingredients -- carbohydrates, sodium and potassium. Eight ounces of sports drink should contain:

14-15 grams of carbohydrates -- more is not better -- extra carbs won't transfer to your muscles, they'll slosh around in your stomach.
At least 110 mg sodium
35-50 mg potassium

Don't let Crazy Wild Berry or Flashy Grape guide your sports drink purchase. Check the label instead.

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Tags: Bev Sklar, BevSklar, electrolytes, Leslie Bonci, LeslieBonci, Runners World, RunnersWorld, sports drink ingredients, sports drinks, SportsDrinkIngredients, SportsDrinks

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Andrew R 10-31-2008 @ 9:06PM

I agree with this point. You should be wary of useless sports drinks. However, there is something to say for simply staying hydrated with water. In an economy like we are currently in, cutting down costs is extremely important and I would say that sports drinks can be one of the first to go if you drink enough water and have a healthy diet.

Thanks for the post!

All the Best,

Andrew R