{"id":2274,"date":"2021-03-15T11:00:02","date_gmt":"2021-03-15T18:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/?p=2274"},"modified":"2023-08-09T02:11:02","modified_gmt":"2023-08-09T09:11:02","slug":"skip-the-sports-and-energy-drinks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kpthrivingfamilies.org\/pediatricsblog\/skip-the-sports-and-energy-drinks\/","title":{"rendered":"Skip the Sports and Energy Drinks!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sports drinks are everywhere. The large bottles of brightly colored drinks are a common feature at kids\u2019 sports events \u2013 seen in baseball dugouts and the sidelines of football games. Many of our kids drink them regularly! Parents hand them out with snacks after youth soccer games, and our kids pack them for lunch.<\/p>\n

But are these drinks a healthy choice? Not often \u2013 most of the time they provide kids with an unneeded stream of sugar-based calories and chemicals.<\/p>\n

Sports drinks are marketed to replace electrolytes lost while sweating and to maximize sports performance. They contain sugars, salts, minerals, and sometimes vitamins, along with dyes and flavoring.<\/p>\n

But sports drinks should not be used for lunches or snacks. Even after short practices or games \u2013 plain water will do the trick just fine!<\/p>\n

When should you consider giving your kids sports drinks? In hot, humid conditions, and for longer durations of intense exercise or tournament play (with repeated games on one day), sports drinks may be helpful. A common-sense answer to this question is that if your child is sweating lots \u2013 they may benefit from a small sports drink. After losing lots of sweat \u2013 a sports drink can help rehydrate, replace lost electrolytes, and give players an energy boost.<\/p>\n

Our body generates energy for movement through the use of carbohydrates in the muscles (glycogen) and bloodstream (glucose). As an athlete plays and their level of exertion is intense (enough to make them breathe hard and have an increased heart rate), they start to use up some of the body\u2019s energy stores. Sports drinks can replenish those stores by providing energy in the form of glucose and fructose to an athlete.<\/p>\n

Sports drinks are different from energy drinks\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

The energy in \u201csports drinks\u201d is different in form and function from \u201cenergy drinks\u201d \u2013 and it\u2019s important for parents and players to understand the difference!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Energy drinks contain caffeine and other stimulants. These drinks are often labelled inaccurately and, when tested, have much higher levels of stimulants than shown on the package. One ingredient to look out for is guarana \u2013 a plant extract with 40 times the power of caffeine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Energy drinks have no place in kids\u2019 diets. On the other hand, sports drinks may, in specific situations, such as during intense workouts to replace electrolytes. But we need to educate kids that there\u2019s a difference between the two.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Routinely consuming sports drinks can be harmful because it:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n