Sports and energy drinks

All the energy that we use to perform various physical activities come from the food we eat and the fluids we drink. Thus, it is no wonder why the role of nutrition in sports performance is well-studied. Over the centuries, sports nutritionist have identified various vitamins and nutrients that can improve an athlete's specific physical ability. For instance carbohydrates were found to be the main fuel resource of the body, while protein was found to be essential in fast repair and rebuild of muscles and tissues that broke down during exercise. From these studies and recoveries, nutrition foods, drinks and supplements were introduced, and they soon become a hot stuff among athletes and like-minded individuals. Sports and energy drinks such as Red Bull, Lipovitan, and Rockstar claim of being capable of increasing energy, stamina, metabolism, alertness and etc. And true to their claims, these products really deliver the desired effect. But hey, are these products really safe? Do they really do what they claim they are capable of? Or, should you just instead resort into drinking water? Maybe it is time that we look into the contents of energy and sports drinks and identify whether they can really be more of help or harm.

Energy drinks usually contain caffeine, taurine, carbohydrate in the form of glucoronolactone. Our body naturally produces taurine, and carbohydrate is an essential energy source, so basically, there is nothing harmful with these chemicals. However, with caffeine, one should be careful because this chemical is powerful. Energy drinks may contain up to 80 mg caffeine, which is equivalent to the an average cup of coffee. Over consumption of caffeine can increase heart rate and blood pressure and can cause palpatation. It can also cause jittery, which can negatively affect sports performance instead of improving it. Studies have found that caffeine can abuse can have serious health consequences including anxiety and sleep disorders, depression, mania and psychosis in some cases. Hence, you should watch your caffeine consumption and avoid relying too much on energy drinks. The same advice goes to people who are fund of sports drinks. Though these drinks are generally safe and helpful in replacing lost body fluids, over consumption of sports drinks with low electrolyte concentration could also lead to water intoxication. Thus, individuals performing physical exercises and activities that put them at high risk for hyperthermia should seek expert advice on about proper hydration.

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